Meet the Experts: The benefits of playing pickleball with Jeff Brune, vice-president of The Pickleball Factory

Jeff Brune, vice-president of The Pickleball Factory

Photo by Aaron Eisenhauer

Get ready for The Pickleball Factory, the go-to pickleball place opening in Cape Girardeau in late summer to early fall. The name gives a nod to the fact the Thorngate building where it will be housed used to be a factory.

The 34,000-square-foot facility dedicated solely to pickleball will have 14 climate-controlled, fenced-in, USA Pickleball-approved cushion courts made from 10 layers of acrylic and cushioned technology to best support players’ backs, hips and knees. The courts help decrease fatigue when playing for long periods of time. The facility will include changing rooms, as well as a pro shop that sells pickleball gear and apparel for a range of skill and interest levels. The shop will rent paddles for those new to the game.

A kitchen and bar will be on-site, and players will have the option to order food to their court or to relax on the mezzanine with their refreshments while watching other players’ games.

Players will have access to the Play Sight camera system, which utilizes AI technology to create highlight reels shareable on social media and connects players with professional pickleball players and coaches who give pointers to help improve players’ games. Technologically-advanced ball machines will be available for individuals who want to practice by themselves, and The Pickleball Factory will host beginners’ workshops, clinics, kids’ camps, tournaments, fundraisers, and both serious and fun leagues.

The Pickleball Factory Vice-President Jeff Brune began playing pickleball at the encouragement of his personal trainers; after his first experience with the game, he bought a paddle and then started playing in leagues, and later, in tournaments.

This, he says, is the evolution for many people who start playing the sport.

“We’re going to be the mecca of pickleball, for all different types of players,” Brune says.

Here, Brune shares the benefits of playing pickleball:

1. It’s a social game.

Most times played with a partner, Brune says pickleball is a great competitive outlet, as well as a chance to meet new people and spend time with old friends.

“You’re so close proximity-wise with your partner, with the people you’re playing against, with the courts around you, so you’re talking and having fun with lots of people during your games,” Brune says. “It’s just a fun thing to do with friends, [or] with people you don’t even know.”

2. It’s a way to add movement into your day in a fun way.

A game that combines tennis, badminton and ping pong, the sport is gentle on the body while still providing a full workout.

“There’s not a ton of physical stress put on your body,” Brune says. “You’re not running the full length of a tennis court type of stuff. And it’s a lot of small movements, but you get a great sweat doing it.”

3. It keeps your mind sharp.

Brune says pickleball is “a patient game,” one where players need to figure out their opponents’ strengths and weaknesses and then think through the game to play to those weaknesses.

“It’s not typically a game of power. It can be, of course, but mostly, it’s a game of technique, court positioning, and it’s very strategic with where you place the ball and when you place the ball, at what speed you place it there,” Brune says. “It’s a very mental game.”

Brune hopes people of all skill levels will give the game a try.

“It’s a game that’s inviting for everybody,” Brune says. ”And fun for everybody.”

The Pickleball Factory
1507 Independence St.
Cape Girardeau, Mo 63703
6 a.m. to 10 p.m. every day

www.picklecape.com