Come On Over to the Kitchen: Pickleball, Explained, Right Here in Old Hickory
A neighborly guide to the game, the score, and the two outdoor courts waiting behind the rebuilt community center.
If you have walked past the Old Hickory Community Center since it reopened on March 21, 2026, you have probably heard it: the pop of a paddle, a little laughter, and a score that sounds like a secret code. That is pickleball, and Old Hickory now has a wonderful place to play it. The game mixes tennis, badminton, and table tennis, using a solid paddle and a lightweight plastic ball. Doubles is the usual way to play.
A court of our own
Metro Parks lists two lighted outdoor pickleball courts at the Old Hickory Community Center, 1050 Donelson Avenue, on the park grounds behind the building. The nets are already there, and the courts are first come, first served, with no reservations. The gymnasium also hosts indoor play.
Call 615-862-8698 for access, fees, and that day's gym setup. The center is open 6 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 6 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Friday, and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday. Outdoor hours are not posted separately, so ask before you go after dark, even though the courts have lights.
This fall's activity schedule lists gym pickleball Mondays and Wednesdays from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., Tuesdays from 6 to 8 p.m., and Saturdays from 1 to 3:30 p.m., plus beginner adult play from 6 to 8 p.m. on the first and third Wednesdays. That schedule can change, so confirm, especially on Wednesday evenings. Many center activities are free, though the fitness center has published fees. Ask what applies to pickleball.
The court, and what you need
A standard court is 20 feet wide and 44 feet long for both singles and doubles. The net stands 36 inches high at the sidelines and 34 inches in the middle. On each side, a 7-foot strip along the net is the non-volley zone, better known as the kitchen. Bring a paddle and a ball. Official balls are plastic with 26 to 40 holes.
How to play
The serve. Each rally starts with an underhand serve, struck below the waist, diagonally into the opposite service box. Your arm should move in an upward arc, and the paddle head should not be above your wrist at contact. A drop serve, letting the ball bounce first, is also legal. You get one serve attempt, with at least one foot behind the baseline.
The two-bounce rule. The receiver must let the serve bounce before returning it, and the serving side must let that return bounce too. After that, either side may volley or play it off a bounce.
The kitchen. You may stand in the kitchen anytime you like, just not when you volley. If you volley and then your momentum carries you, your clothing, or your paddle onto the kitchen or its line, that is a fault.
Faults and line calls. A fault ends the rally. Common faults include a serve that lands short, long, or outside the diagonal box; a ball into the net; a volley before the two bounces; a ball hit out or left to bounce twice; a volley from the kitchen; touching the net while the ball is in play; or a ball that hits a player. A ball that touches a line is in, except a serve that lands on the kitchen line, which is short.
How to keep score
In standard scoring, only the serving team can score. Games are normally played to 11, win by 2. Tournaments sometimes play to 15 or 21, still win by 2.
Doubles, the three-number score. Before each serve, the server calls three numbers: serving team's score, receiving team's score, and server number (1 or 2). A game starts at 0-0-2, or "zero-zero-two."
That "2" is there for a reason. To keep the first serving team from getting too big a jump, only one partner serves on the opening turn and is called the second server. When that player loses the rally, the serve goes straight to the other team. After that, both partners get a turn. The first serve of each side-out comes from the right-hand court. After a point, the same server switches sides and serves again until they lose a rally, then the partner serves. When the second server loses a rally, it is a side-out. When your team's score is even, that team's starting server should be on the right; when odd, on the left.
Singles. The score is two numbers, server then receiver, starting at 0-0. Serve from the right when your score is even and from the left when it is odd.
A word about rally scoring. Traditional side-out scoring is still the official USA Pickleball standard, and what you will hear on most rec courts. Rally scoring, which awards a point after every rally, has been provisionally approved as an option, mainly for certain tournament formats.
See you on the court
You need a paddle, a little patience with the kitchen, and a willingness to say "zero-zero-two" out loud. The courts are right here in 37138, behind a community center this town waited two years to get back. Call 615-862-8698, check the latest schedule, and come on over. Somebody will be glad to explain the rest between points.
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Photo credits
Cover photo: Pickleball courts in La Crosse, Wisconsin, by Wikideas1. Public domain, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Court photo: Pickleballs on a court, by Stephen James Hall. Public domain, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Scoring cheat sheet: original graphic by The Old Hickory Citizen, based on USA Pickleball official rules.
A clearly licensed public photo of the Old Hickory Community Center courts was not available, so these freely licensed court photos are used instead of copyrighted news images.
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