Last time we looked at the Outdoor pickleball and its characteristics.  This time we look at the Indoor pickleball.

Indoor pickleball characteristics

• Tailored for smoother indoor court surfaces and the still air of indoor play
• Are made from softer plastic
• Lighter
• Have larger, fewer holes – usually about 26
• Don’t bounce as high
• Allow for more control in your serve – though with less power, that can lead to longer rallies than a more hard-hitting outdoor game
• Weighs about 0.8 ounces
• Wears out by going soft, versus going out of round or cracking
• Hurt less if you get hit by one!

Players playing socially actually can chose the ball that fits them best, usually based on their level of play.  The softer indoor ball may fit for outdoor play as a player increases their skills.  You will likely want to ultimately transition to the outdoor ball as your skills improve.  As you move indoors during inclement weather or colder seasons of the year you want to use the indoor ball on slicker floor surfaces.

Outdoor pickleball balls are heavier, harder, made of smooth plastic and have 40 drilled holes. Due to their weight and construction, outdoor pickleballs are less effected by wind.

Outdoor pickleballs come off the paddle faster and harder than indoor balls. They are easier to hit hard due to having less drag. However, outdoor pickleballs are more difficult to control and require finesse to place accurately. With outdoor balls, rounds are typically shorter.

Outdoor balls sometimes crack or go out-of-round. Outdoor balls can last a few rounds or much longer. Lifespan depends on players’ style, playing surface, and even the temperature. To check roundness, hit a ball up into the air with spin and watch how the ball moves.

Since outdoor balls are slightly larger, heavier, and harder, they’re noisier, and getting hit with one hurts more than an indoor ball.

Next:  The In-door Pickleball

Here are three key considerations for everyone considering what pickleball paddle to purchase.

#1 Price. Good composite pickleball paddles start at $50. There are three categories of paddles – wood prices range from $13-$36, composite from $45-$145 and graphite from $60 – $145. Note on wood paddles – Wood paddles are the least expensive, however they are super heavy paddles with a solid plywood core. They don’t provide the wonderful pickleball POP that players love. After playing with the wood paddles and testing out other players’ composite paddles players quickly change to a composite or graphite paddle. If you’re new to pickleball and looking for your first paddle, go for an inexpensive composite or graphite paddle right away.

Fort Lowell played a pivotal role during the Apache providing additional protection for the Tucson area. Far too large and well-manned to be attacked directly, Fort Lowell provided supplies and manpower for outlying military installations. During its eighteen years of operation, the fort averaged thirteen officers and 239 enlisted men. Among the units present during this period were the 2^nd, 4^th, 5th and 6^th Cavalry Regiments, as well as the 1^st, 8^th, and 12^th Infantry Regiments.

The orientation of the post was set according to magnetic north. It featured a large parade grounds, officers’ quarters, quartermaster and commissary storehouses, corrals, quarters for enlisted men as well as for married non-commissioned officers. The most prominent building on post was the hospital, the adobe remnants of which still stand under a protective structure. A lane lined with cottonwood trees, aptly named Cottonwood Lane, graced the area in front of the officers’ houses.

Among the more well-known officers to have served at Fort Lowell were the young Walter Reed, the Army physician famous for his yellow fever research, and Charles Bendire, the amateur ornithologist after whom Bendire’s Thrasher is named.

After the Army decommissioned the post in 1891, Mexican families from Sonora soon moved north to take advantage of the free housing. This occupation has become known as the El Fuerte Period.

Located on the site of the historic Porter property, Reader’s Digest named Tucson Botanical Gardens as the BEST Secret Garden in America. Among mature trees and expertly cultivated foliage, specialty gardens such as the Cactus & Succulent Garden, Barrio Garden and Herb Garden highlight the diversity of native plants while offering a lush oasis in the heart of Tucson. Tropical butterflies from around the world are featured in the Cox Butterfly & Orchid Pavilion Oct.–May. Experience year-round tours, community events, classes, and art exhibits, as well as the creative, seasonal menu of Café Botanica. Now celebrating 40 years of living beauty, The Tucson Botanical Gardens is a unique gem not to be missed.

Kitt Peak National Observatory (KPNO), part of the National Optical Astronomy Observatory (NOAO), supports the most diverse collection of astronomical observatories on Earth for nighttime optical and infrared astronomy and daytime study of the Sun. Sharing the mountaintop site with the National Solar Observatory, KPNO, founded in 1958, operates three major nighttime telescopes and hosts the facilities of consortia which operate 22 optical telescopes and two radio telescopes. (See the Tenant Observatories list.) Kitt Peak is located 56 miles southwest of Tucson, AZ, in the Schuk Toak District on the Tohono O’odham Nation and has a Visitor Center open daily to the public however it is temporarily closed.

Tombstone is a historic city in Cochise County, Arizona founded in 1877 by a prospector in what was then Pima County, Arizona Territory. It became one of the last boomtowns in the American frontier. The town grew significantly into the mid-1880s as the local mines produced $40 to $85 million in silver bullion, the largest productive silver district in Arizona. Its population grew from 100 to around 14,000 in less than seven years. It is best known as the site of the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral and presently draws most of its revenue from tourism.

Under the surface in the mining town were tensions that grew into deadly conflict. The mining capitalists and the townspeople were largely Republicans from the Northern states. Many of the ranchers (some of whom were also rustlers or other criminal varieties) were Confederate sympathizers and Democrats. The booming city was only 30 miles (48 km) from the U.S.–Mexico border and was an open market for cattle stolen from ranches in Sonora, Mexico, by a loosely organized band of outlaws known as The Cowboys. The Earp brothers as well as Doc Holliday, arrived in December 1879 and mid-1880. The Earps had ongoing conflicts with the Cowboys. The Cowboys repeatedly threatened the Earps over many months until the conflict escalated into a shootout on October 26, 1881, the famous Gunfight at the O.K. Corral.

Tucson, Arizona is home to the nation’s largest cacti. The giant saguaro is the universal symbol of the American west. These majestic plants, found only in a small portion of the United States, are protected by Saguaro National Park, to the east and west of the modern city of Tucson. In 1994, Saguaro National Park was designated to help protect this species and its habitat.  Here you have a chance to see these enormous cacti, silhouetted by the beauty of a magnificent desert sunset.  The saguaro is a tree-like cactus species that can grow to be over 12 meters tall.  It is native to the Sonoran Desert in Arizona, the Mexican state of Sonora, and the Whipple Mountains and Imperial County areas of California.  The saguaro blossom is the state wildflower of Arizona.  The cactus proliferates over 4000 feet in elevation.

Saguaros have a relatively long lifespan, often exceeding 150 years.  They may grow their first side arm around 75-100 years of age, but some never grow any arms.  Arms are developed to increase the plant’s reproductive capacity.

A saguaro can absorb and store considerable amounts of rain water, visibly expanding in the process, while slowly using the stored as needed during times of drought.

A visit to Saguaro National Park is well worth the time to see these iconic plants of the West

The Mount Lemmon SkyCenter is Tucson’s best stargazing destination and home to the largest dedicated public telescopes in the United States. Stargazing programs are offered nightly, year round. Come stand with us on the shores of the cosmic ocean and stare into the vastness of space. Most of humanity never have the opportunity to see the Universe as clearly as visitors do through our Schulman and Phillips telescopes. The rings of Saturn, nebulae and spiral galaxies are all encountered as part of the tour. Guests also enjoy a light dinner, a beautiful sunset from 9,157 ft, and the use of binoculars throughout the evening. Reservations are required and tickets can be purchased at SkyCenter.arizona.edu. This five hour experience is typically appropriate for participants older than 7 years of age. $75 for adults and $50 for youths younger than 18 years old. For many this is a life-transformative experience.