SAN ANTONIO — I will try any sport, but I was not prepared for how addictively fun "Pickleball" can be. It's sort of a weird, hybrid of Ping-Pong and Tennis. And catching on like wildfire.
"We think we have lightning in a bottle," says Tony Pichino, the manager at Chicken N Pickle. It's San Antonio's only Pickleball facility.
On this particular morning we visited, it was jammed with seniors.
Polichino says, "Anyone 55 and older can come and play from 8 a.m. to 110 a.m. for just $4. Polichino says seniors are lined up almost every morning at 7:45 a.m., beating on the gates, anxious to get on the courts.
The courts are about a third the size of a tennis court, and the rules are somewhat similar. You hit a ball across a net at center court. You're hitting a whiffle ball though, and the paddle looks more like an oversized Ping-Pong paddle.
"The biggest thing people have to adjust to is the ball doesn't bounce," says Chris Fischer, the Pickleball manager and teaching pro.
Fischer played a lot of tennis in college and says the skill flow is a lot lower than tennis.
Anyone can play, from ages 4 to 104. It's a great way to get in a little exercise, without being too hard on your body. And at the same time, having more fun than you've ever had working out.
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