Pickleball Is Ready for Prime Time

As the sport continues to gain popularity, companies are looking to cash in.

There’s a moment in the most recent season of “Curb Your Enthusiasm” when the character Hal Berman (Rob Morrow), seeking support for his ill father, tells Larry David that the point of country clubs is to feel a sense of togetherness in a time of need.

“I joined for the golf,” Mr. David, who plays himself on the show, counters plainly. “And you know what? I’m enjoying pickleball, too.”

Invented in the summer of 1965 on Bainbridge Island, Wash., pickleball is played with a wiffle ball and is a cross between tennis, badminton and Ping-Pong. It has long enjoyed a cult following on the fringes of American sporting life.