"Ah, sorry," Kris Mitchell yells, as she swings and the pickleball goes bouncing off the court.
"I'm still used to a tennis ball."
The vice-president of Queanbeyan Park Tennis Club and her committee are showing off their pickleball skills on their brand new courts.
They've just finished building the first purpose-built pickleball courts in the ACT region.
"I think it's fair to say that myself and most of the committee have had no experience of pickleball. At all," Ms Mitchell said, grinning.
"It's a very different game. It's a cross between badminton, tennis and table tennis."
"When you think you're about to go for a nice big smash you can completely miss the ball."
It's a whole new game for the committee, who had their first hit last week.
The club is capitalising on the current craze taking over the country.
Pickleball has become an increasingly popular sport, with its accessibility and relaxed community.
Ms Mitchell said despite their limited experience, the committee was excited to introduce a new sport to locals.
"We're keen to build our own pickleball community in Queanbeyan and the region," she said.
"It's a sport for tennis players and non-tennis players, for people who had given up ball sports because of physical limitations, for everyone."
It's clear the committee are passionate. As we take photos of the courts, some local mums walk past and Ms Mitchell calls out to them: "Want to try pickleball?"
ACT pickleball coach Robbie Manzano said the new courts were an exciting upgrade for the region. He currently has to mark up courts and set up nets each session in Canberra, which can take up to 40 minutes.
"With purpose-built courts in Queanbeyan we would love to have something similar here in Canberra in the future. It would be fun having across the border battles with our NSW counterparts.
"It is an exciting time to be a pickleball player and coach. The future for pickleball is looking bright and I cannot wait to hit on the Queanbeyan pickleball courts."
The tennis hub has been renovated with shiny blue surfaces and small courts that at first glance look like a children's game.
It's a big step up from the old facilities, which club president Wendy Grant described as "derelict" after being all but washed away by the 2010 floods.
While she's not sure how many people in the community are ready to pick up a paddle, Ms Grant said the group has had lots of interest.
"People have been walking past the court renovations and asking, 'What's going on, what's happening'?" she said.
"We have a launch day next week, and there's been a big reaction to that, and people have seen our signs and been sending emails into the club asking when they can join a comp.
"The reaction has been very positive, it's very exciting."
Pickleball ACT president Stuart Campbell agreed. Their organisation now has more than 400 members since starting in 2021, and players have been competing interstate and overseas.
He said the sport was hugely addictive.
"It's relatively easy to learn, is good exercise, can be slower-paced or high intensity, is affordable, and is absolute fun," Mr Campbell said.
"We're all busy, but busy people need pickleball."
The Queanbeyan Park Tennis Club is holding a pickleball launch day on Saturday, March 23. Head to their Facebook site for more information.
