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Pickleball is the fast, social paddle sport everyone's trying — and The Park is where Hamilton plays.
Pickleball is a paddle sport played on a small court with a perforated plastic ball, solid paddles, and surprisingly addictive rules. The serve is underhand, only the serving team can score, games go to 11. The court is small enough that newcomers rally inside their first five minutes — and the strategy gets deep fast, especially around the no-volley zone known as the kitchen. Easiest racket sport to start, hardest one to walk away from.
Most play is doubles — social, talkative, fun.
No volleying in the 7-foot non-volley zone.
Rallying in your first five minutes.
Smaller court, less running, all the fun.
A pickleball doubles court is 13.4m long and 6.1m wide — about a third the size of a tennis court. The net runs across the middle (a touch lower than tennis). On each side of the net there's a 2.13-metre non-volley zone known as the kitchen — you can step in after a bounce, but you can't volley while you're standing in it.
No paddle yet? Hire one from our vending machine 24/7, or grab one from the pro shop during staffed hours.
Want the full rulebook? Read our complete guide to pickleball →
Pickleball, padel and tennis share a family resemblance but feel very different on court. Here's the honest side-by-side.
The Park runs both pickleball and padel under one roof. Most regulars end up playing both — picking the sport that matches the partners, the night and the energy.
Curious about padel? → What is padel?
Paddles, balls, indoor courts, LED lighting. Hire a paddle at our vending machine 24/7 or the pro shop. You don't need to bring anything but yourself and a mate. Paddles, balls and coaching are provided in your Free Intro to Pickleball session!
Court shoes (non-marking) and comfortable sportswear. Showers and changing rooms on site for after. Bring a water bottle.
You'll be rallying inside five minutes. The kitchen rule trips everyone up for the first game, then it clicks. Most people leave booking their next session.
Free Intro to Pickleball lessons run weekly. Paddles and balls provided. Just turn up.
Book your free intro →No. The underhand serve, the small court and the simple scoring mean you'll be rallying inside your first five minutes. The kitchen rule is the only thing newcomers stumble on, and it clicks after one game.
Not for your first sessions. Paddles are available from our vending machine 24/7 and at the pro shop during staffed hours. Once you're hooked, our coaches can help you pick one that suits your style.
The kitchen is a 7-foot (2.13m) non-volley zone on each side of the net. You can step into it after the ball bounces, but you can't volley while standing on or inside the kitchen line. It's what stops both teams from just smashing at the net.
Doubles is about 13.4m × 6.1m. Singles uses the same length but a narrower 5.5m width. Smaller than a tennis court, larger than a badminton court.
Court shoes (non-marking) and comfortable sportswear. Showers and changing rooms are on site for after.
A single game to 11 typically runs 15–20 minutes. A best-of-three match runs 45–60 minutes. Court bookings come in 60 or 90-minute blocks.
Pickleball is played on a small open court with a perforated plastic ball and a no-volley zone. Padel is played on a larger glass-enclosed court where the walls are part of the game. We run both at The Park.
At The Park (Padel Park) — 82 Duke Street, Frankton. Three indoor pickleball courts, 24/7 access via app. Hamilton Pickleball Club also runs sessions at Perry Arena on Tuesday and Thursday evenings.
Yes. Our Intro to Pickleball lessons run weekly with certified Level 1 coaches and are free for first-timers. Private lessons and small-group coaching are also available — book via the app.
You need a booking — bookings are app-based and run 24/7. Walk-ins during staffed hours can sometimes pick up a last-minute court, but the safe play is to book ahead. The Tuesday and Wednesday pickleball socials need a booking too.
The full rulebook in plain English — serving, side-out scoring, the double-bounce, the kitchen.
The five things we see new players do at The Park — and how to fix each quickly.
From the door to your first rally — exactly what happens at your first beginner session.
Two booming sports, one venue, and why Hamilton is right on time for both.
When you're ready to bring your own gear, these are the picks our coaches recommend for new and improving pickleball players.
Free intro lessons run weekly. Paddles and balls provided. Just turn up.
Book your free intro →