Pickleball is played using a paddle to hit a whiffle ball over a tennis net. The paddle is similar to an oversized, juiced-up ping pong paddle. Forest Gump has got nothing on us. If you are just starting out, check out two of our most helpful posts for how to start playing pickleball: Ultimate Beginners Guide to Pickleball and What Does Pickleball Look Like.

Because it’s a blast! And pickleball is also great exercise while having said blast. And you get to play with friends while making new friends. In other words, pickleball is the holy trifecta of fun. It’s what Crossfit could be–minus the grunting.

The basics of pickleball are easy to pick up. You grab a paddle and some pickleball, find a court, and you’re basically ready to play. It’s a sports that great for people of all ages and athletic ability. But what about the rules? There are some unique rules, but you really only need to know a few of them to start. You can learn the rest along the way. And the best way to learn to play is to, well, play. So get out there!

Pickleball is played on a smaller court than tennis using oversized paddles (not rackets). While playing tennis can be great exercise, it often involves a lot of running and wear-and-tear on our joints. Pickleball still gets the heart rate up. You can get a good sweat going without the joint damage. It’s a great game for all ages (kids to seniors). It’s much more a game of strategy and technique, which evens the playing field for people of all skill levels.

You may have noticed that we have an obvious disdain for Mavis. But who is Mavis? Is she our real-life nemesis on the court? No, Mavis isn’t real, but she represents a reality for all of us. Mavis is the hurdle we are each working to overcome. And Mavis is probably different for each of us. For you, Mavis may be the person that you just can’t beat on the pickleball court. We want to help you own her. Let’s start working toward that today. For others, your Mavis may be something totally different–she may be the constant nagging injuries that take you off the court. Mavis can be such a soul-sucking drag, can’t she? No matter who or what Mavis is to you, we are here to help you face her. And we’re going to stick it to Mavis together.