These Clips of Pickleball in the 1980s vs. 2025 Might Surprise You

Pickleball's origins date back to the 1960s, but not a lot of footage exists of those early days of dinking and driving with crude wooden paddles.

A post on Reddit is making the rounds comparing some play from the 1980s (they incorrectly say it's from the 70s) and 2025. And it got us thinking: How good were the early adopters of the sport we've all come to love so much?

The difference in the short clip is pretty stark: On one hand, you've got four shirtless dudes casually playing in the middle of the woods, while on the other there's four of today's top pros in a hands battle during a recent PPA tournament: Anna Leigh Waters and Ben Johns vs. Anna Bright and Dekel Bar.

But these early dudes have got game.

So much so, we went and found the original video, which provides nearly six glorious minutes of the humble, grassroots origins of pickleball as we know it today.

The most noticeable difference is in the paddle technology. Whereas today's pros are playing with carbon fiber faces, full of spin and power, the guys below are effectively playing with smooth planks of wood. They can't get nearly as much shape on the ball, but their skills are no less impressive.

Yes, they're a bunch of bangers. But there's some finesse here, as well. We're impressed. Check it out.