Playing pickle ball has become part of Lincoln Hills resident Harold Ramsden’s daily routine, improving his quality of life over the past six months.

Ramsden, 71, suffers from Parkinson’s disease, which is a brain disease he said causes tremors in one hand “on a good day.”

“When you’re having a bad day, you get it in your left hand and your leg, and you’re really not having a good day,” Ramsden said.

Ramsden was diagnosed with the disease nine years ago and is currently treated with medication.

Stepping onto the pickle ball court for the first time in May, Ramsden was hesitant to try out the sport.

“My wife wanted me to go play with her. At first, I said, ‘That’s crazy. I’m not going to go whack that ball around,’” Ramsden said. “When I started, I liked it.”

Ramsden said pickle ball is a cross between ping pong and tennis.

After taking to the sport, Ramsden said, he plays seven to eight games a day at the pickle ball courts in Sun City Lincoln Hills.

In addition to the hour he puts in at the gym daily, Ramsden said, pickle ball is “good exercise,” helping him shed 17 pounds in six months.

“I was worried I couldn’t play,” Ramsden said. “I’m 71-years-old but I do pretty good running around.”

There is also a social aspect for Ramsden when it comes to playing pickle ball.

“I’ve met some wonderful people and everybody is friendly,” Ramsden said. “I’ve made lots of friends.”

Ramsden’s hobbies also include fishing and bridge.

His wife, Gail Ramsden, said playing pickle ball has “been so good for him.”

“There are a lot of things he can’t do here (at home), but when he’s playing pickle ball, it all goes away,” Gail Ramsden said. “Mentally and physically, it’s just really good for him.”

At first, Gail Ramsden said she wasn’t sure if her husband could navigate the court.

“I was very surprised that he could run and not fall, and I was shocked he could have the coordination to use the paddle to hit the ball,” Gail Ramsden said. “It’s amazing that he can really play. When he gets out there, he’s almost a different person.”

Marty Rubin, a fellow pickle ball player, said Harold Ramsden “was afraid to move and couldn’t hit the ball very well” when he first started playing.

“As he’s played, the transformation is unbelievable,” Rubin said. “He runs for the ball and hits it hard.”

Ramsden is also known around the pickle ball courts as a high scorer, according to player Frank Castellano.

“It’s given him so much confidence,” Castellano said. “To see somebody like that come back from a serious illness is a big plus.”