The Pickleball Starter-Kit Checklist

What a beginner truly needs

Pickleball has one of the lowest starting costs in sport, which is great news for a gift buyer — you can assemble a complete "everything to get started" gift for well under $100. Here is the whole list of essentials, in order of importance:

• A paddle. The core item. A forgiving beginner paddle is ideal; two people need two paddles.
• Balls. Cheap, consumable, and required. A pack of outdoor balls covers most players — see the best balls.
• Court shoes. Not strictly required on day one, but the biggest comfort-and-safety upgrade. Regular sneakers work to start; proper court shoes come next.
• A bag. Once they play regularly, a bagkeeps paddle, balls, water, and keys together. A nice "phase two" gift.
• A paddle cover. The cheapest item on this list and the one nobody buys themselves. A sleeve from our paddle covers page stops the face texture being sanded off by the other paddle in the bag.

The shortcut: a paddle setbundles the paddle(s), balls, and often a bag into one box — the single easiest way to give "everything to start." The one thing no box includes is knowing how to call the score, which is the part that actually stops new players, so send them our how to keep score in pickleball page with it.

What they don't need (yet)

Just as valuable is knowing what to skip, so you do not overspend or buy something that sits in a garage:

• A net. Most people play on public or club courts that already have nets. A portable net only makes sense for someone with their own driveway or yard and a real commitment.
• A ball machine. A wonderful gift for a devoted player, but total overkill for a beginner.
• An expensive paddle. A $150 pro paddle can actually make the game harder for a newcomer. Save it for later — or never, if a mid-range paddle keeps them happy.

Build a complete beginner gift

Want to give a thoughtful "all set to play" bundle? A reliable formula: start with a paddle set, add a fresh multipack of balls, and — if you know their size — a pair of court shoes. That is a genuinely generous gift for around $60–$120 that leaves them with zero excuses not to play. If you would rather it arrive as one tidy present, browse gifts for a beginner. Three pages fill in the detail that trips buyers up: our best beginner sets page compares the boxed sets, what to wear to play pickleball covers the clothing side, and because balls are a consumable rather than equipment, how long pickleball balls last explains why you should buy more of them than you think — in the right type, which our indoor balls page covers for anyone playing in a gym.

Two more pages worth having open if you are assembling this for a pair rather than one person. Our best pickleball paddle sets of 2 page is cut for exactly that buyer - a couple, two roommates, a parent and a teenager - and sorts the two-paddle kits by what is actually in the box rather than by price. And once the kit exists, the question becomes what goes in the bag on the day: our guide to what to bring to pickleball is the packing list, which is a different list from the buying one.