It might sound ridiculous, but pickleball is a rapidly growing sport and it's attracting some big names and big dollars.
So what is pickleball and who's getting involved?
What is pickleball?
Think tennis, but more close quarters.
Pickleball was invented in 1965, and is a paddle sport, similar to tennis, badminton and padel, played on a smaller court with a net, using a perforated plastic ball.
It's been described as the fastest-growing sport in the United States in recent years.
What are the rules?
It's not too complicated if you've played any tennis or table tennis.
Like other racquet sports, it can be played in singles or doubles.
You have to serve underarm and cross-court, returners have to let the ball bounce, and their return needs to be allowed to bounce on the other side of the net before being hit again.
After that you can volley the ball, which is an important skill, because the plastic ball doesn't bounce very well. But there is a no-volley zone near the net called the kitchen, and if you have a foot in there, you have to let the ball bounce before hitting it.
Pickleball is usually played to 11 points, and you have to win by two, a la volleyball. And you can only score points on serve.
Why is it called that?
There has been some contention about this but, according to Joan Pritchard, the wife of one of the game's founders, the sport is named after a pickle boat.
Wait …
What's a pickle boat?
It's a rowing crew made up of the leftover members of a team that weren't good enough to be named principal team members.
Kind of like a team of misfit cast-offs, in the same way that pickleball's rules are pieced together from tennis, badminton and table tennis.
The sport was invented by Joel Pritchard, who later became a US congressman, along with friends Barney McCallum and Bill Bell.
Pritchard's wife, Joan, described the sport's inception at their property on Bainbridge Island in Washington state's Puget Sound.
"There was a badminton court on the property at the time, and Joel and Bill went there, where Joel lowered the badminton net to his hip height," she wrote for The Parkersburg News and Sentinel in 2008.
"Next they headed for a nearby shed, retrieved some plywood, and Joel drew the pictures of two paddles. They then cut out the paddles and headed for a store to buy the perfect ball for the game. They tried everything, not finding an answer.
"Along came a young neighbour, Dick Greene, who was carrying a plastic bat and a whiffle ball. The inventors asked to borrow the whiffle ball and found it was perfect for a knock over the net."
And the rest is history.
Who is buying in?
A host of athletes and celebrities are investing in Major League Pickleball (MLP), which was started last year.
NBA legend LeBron James and NFL superstar Tom Brady have invested, and two-time NBA champion Kevin Durant is the latest to have bought an expansion team in the league.
"[35 Ventures] is committed to investing in the future of sports and emerging opportunities, and Major League Pickleball is a league we are incredibly excited about," Durant's business partner, Rich Kleiman, said.
"We can't wait to build this team from the ground up, as well as work to elevate the sport and the league to unprecedented heights. As an avid pickleball player and fan, the interest in the sport was a natural fit."
The MLP is expanding from 12 to 16 teams in 2023, and other team owners and partners include four-time tennis grand slam winner Kim Clijsters and former NFL quarterback Drew Brees.
Total prize money is expected to exceed $US2 million ($3.2 million) next season.
Why the sudden interest in pickleball?
While the sport has been around for more than half a century, pickleball saw a massive spike in participation in the US since the start of the pandemic, according to a report last year by the Sports and Fitness Industry Association.
Proponents of the sport say it's easier for beginners to pick up and less taxing on the body than other racquet sports such as tennis or squash.
In socially distanced times, it has the added benefit of being an outdoor sport, where competitors aren't miles away from each other and can actually chat and socialise.
What's the state of pickleball in Australia?
Australia has only picked up the pickle bat quite recently.
According to Pickleball Australia Association (PAA): "The sport has had a gradual introduction into Australia since 2015, with a small group of enthusiasts starting the first incorporated association in 2017."
But, since then, the sport has enjoyed "rapid growth", leading to the establishment of the PAA in 2020.
"Associations and playing groups in every state and territory in Australia are now well connected with the rapidly growing pickleball community worldwide," the PAA said.
