[Friday, October 10, 2025 08:57]

Introducing: Pickleball expert Stefan Kornhaß (Image 1)

Pickleball Special - Introducing: Our expert Stefan Kornhaß in an interview

After providing you with the most important information about this new trend sport in the first part of our pickleball special , we're now introducing you to our pickleball expert, Stefan Kornhaß, in part two . In our conversation, he reveals how he got into pickleball himself, why tennis players are just as good at it, and why he's convinced that pickleball will become more popular in Germany than padel. All this and more, plus some very interesting insights from Germany's "Mr. Pickleball," can be found in the interview. Incidentally, Stefan recently achieved an outstanding 3rd place in his age group at the Pickleball European Championships in Rome. So, there's a wealth of pickleball expertise behind him!

In conversation with our pickleball expert Stefan Kornhaß

Stefan, please introduce yourself briefly

I started giving tennis lessons when I was 16. From 18, I did it full-time for over 25 years. First at a tennis school, then for 10 years as a regional coach in the competitive sector, and later at my own tennis school.

In 2009, I started handling distribution for the Gammasports USA brand. Initially, this involved only tennis products, but since 2018, we've also offered pickleball. We now collaborate with numerous tennis and pickleball coaches and clubs. At the beginning of this year, I opened my own pickleball club, "thePickle," where I also offer professional pickleball training (www.pickleballclub.de).

How and when did you get into pickleball?

I got into pickleball back in 2016 through distributing the Gamma brand. By 2018, we had already started a pickleball group in Gifhorn, which had almost 40 players. I then immediately began playing in tournaments abroad.

What fascinated you about the sport?

As a tennis player, I was able to implement everything very quickly. A small court with high dynamism. Long rallies and short breaks make pickleball more interesting than tennis, especially for beginners. The special rules with the non-volley zone make pickleball a true game of strategy and patience.

What successes have you already celebrated as an active player?

My most recent successes are a 3rd place in singles and a 4th place in mixed doubles at the European Championships in Rome. Since pickleball can be played in different categories and skill levels, I've already had successes in lower divisions at my first tournaments. I'm a member of the German national team for the Men's 50+ category

Match point Stefan!
Match in court 3 at the Pickleball European Championships

Why do tennis players learn pickleball so quickly?

A good tennis player's training allows them to execute every movement with a racket. But beware: anyone playing tennis on a pickleball court won't be able to beat good pickleball players. The hardest thing for a good tennis player is adapting to pickleball. It took me years.

What are the differences compared to tennis?

The rules make all the difference. No serve and volley, don't run right up to the net because there's a minimum distance for a volley, the typical volley with a step forward leads to a kitchen error, the slice volley flies too slowly and high into the opponent's shot. A tennis player has to unlearn all these differences. You wouldn't believe how frustrated a very good tennis player can be when they only have to lift a slow ball over the net but end up pushing it in.

Can we already speak of a pickleball boom in Germany today?

Yes, we are definitely at the beginning of a boom. Many clubs have now taken notice of pickleball and are focusing on building pitches and providing playing opportunities. The number of players can quickly grow from 10,000 to 100,000.

How do you think pickleball will position itself in Germany – especially in relation to tennis and padel?

Pickleball is five years behind padel. Many who have invested in padel are now looking into adding pickleball. There are definitely clubs that initially planned to build padel courts, but have changed their minds about pickleball after a cost-benefit analysis.
Pickleball tournaments in Europe already attract 200-400 players. I believe pickleball will become much bigger than padel.

Do you have any questions about pickleball?

Then simply send us your question via our form. Our acne expert, Stefan Kornhaß, will be happy to answer your questions.

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Everything at a glance

On our pickleball inspiration page you will find all blog posts on the topic of pickleball as well as current pickleball camps and TennisTravellerhotels where you can play pickleball perfectly.

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