Vietnam catches pickleball fever

The sport first appeared here six years ago in 2018, but it’s only in the last six months that it’s developed a growing following that’s collecting freight-train momentum. Pickleball promoters riding the snowball effect in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minch say the number of players this summer is several hundreds of times higher than it was at the end of last year.

Hanoian Tran Quang Khai, the head of a pickleball club in the capital’s Cau Giay District, said he opened a cluster of nine courts earlier this year in January. Initially, only a few players showed up each day.

Over the past month, however, Khai said the number of interested parties gathering at his fields has surged to several hundred daily. And those figures double or triple on weekends.

“New players usually hire a coach for VND300,000 (US$11.83) per hour, while a 10-15 session course costs a few million dong,” Khai said.

He noted that this might be Vietnam’s trailblazing first new sport with a significant number of female enthusiasts leading the charge in signing up for lessons.

Crowds playing pickleball at a court in Cau Giay District, Hanoi, at 5 p.m. on July 9, 2024. Photo by VnExpress/Thanh Nga

Pickleball originated in the U.S., first played in Washington State in 1965. It has since become one of the fastest-growing sports in the country, with over 50 million players competing annually.

As observed by VnExpress, from January to July 2024, over 200 new pickleball courts have opened in Hanoi, alongside several hundred more in Ho Chi Minh City, in order to accommodate the increasing number of players. On local social media, there are dozens of groups dedicated to pickleball, each attracting tens to hundreds of thousands of members.

Duc Quang, 39, from Cau Giay District, said his entire family has been “addicted” to the game for four months. His family of eight, from his parents in their 70s to his children down to age 12, all head to the court three to four times a week.

Quang described the game as a blend of badminton, tennis, and table tennis – all historically popular racket sports in Vietnam – with simple and easy-to-understand rules. When serving, the contact point between the paddle and the ball must be below the waist. After the serve, the receiving side must let the ball bounce once before returning it, and vice versa. Points are scored when the opponent fails to return the ball.

According to Quang, the game involves short strokes and does not require as much strength or energy as tennis. Pickleball paddles are solid like table tennis paddles and are made from lightweight materials like composite or graphite. The ball, which has holes and is made of plastic, is easy for both the elderly and children to handle and hit.

“Instead of jogging for exercise, my parents, who avoid strenuous activities, now have a new form of light exercise, hitting the ball back and forth, as gently as duong sinh (a Vietnamese form of breathing and yogic-style exercise, similar to Tai Chi),” he said.

American Derek (L), 48, enjoying pickleball at a court in Cau Giay District, Hanoi, on July 9, 2024. Photo by VnExpress/Thanh Nga

As a pickleball coach with over 20 years of experience in tennis and table tennis, Khai confirmed Quang’s observations. He explained that pickleball shares some techniques with tennis, such as the forehand (continuous motion involving the coordination of feet, hips, shoulders, and arms), the backhand (similar to the forehand but using the non-dominant hand), and the smash (a powerful overhead shot), as well as the dink technique (a soft shot) from badminton.

However, pickleball requires less strength and speed. Players often focus on short strokes, dinks, and volleys. As the game’s plastic ball moves more slowly compared to the tennis ball, and the paddle is lightweight, players find it less difficult to control.

“It might take five years to play table tennis well, and two to three years for tennis,” Khai said. “But for pickleball, you can learn to play in just 5-10 sessions.”

After nearly 10 years of playing tennis, Bich Dao, 47, from Thanh Xuan District, Hanoi, switched to pickleball a few months ago because she could learn the game in just two or three sessions. And she describes it as a more fun and less expensive alternative to tennis. She mentioned that renting a court for pickleball costs just over VND100,000 per session, while for tennis it takes a few hundred thousand dong.

“Pickleball enables adults to play with children, regardless of age,” she said. “I often play in groups of four, making the court rental more affordable for all of us. And the balls cost only VND30,000 to 70,000.”

Not only is it accessible, but pickleball also offers numerous health benefits. Josh York, 40, CEO of GYMGUYZ, a company providing personal trainers at home, said that playing pickleball improves flexibility. Regular exercise, including playing pickleball, can enhance cardiovascular health, blood pressure, and reduce cholesterol levels.

Ha Dung (R), 11, from Ba Dinh District, Hanoi, learning pickleball with his father under the guidance of a coach at a court in Cau Giay District. Photo by VnExpress/Thanh Nga

During summer vacation, instead of traveling or staying at home playing video games, 11-year-old Ha Dung from Ba Dinh District, Hanoi, enjoys going with his father to the city’s pickleball grounds a few times a week. Dung said the game is easy because the size of the court, which is significantly smaller than that of a tennis or badminton court, means even gentle light strokes are enough to get the ball over the net.

“I used to play badminton, which required a lot of movement and was very tiring, let alone its high net,” he said. “Meanwhile, the pickleball net is only less than a meter high.”

Visiting a pickleball court in Cau Giay District, an American man identified as Derek, 48, said he was surprised that so many Vietnamese people, from all demographics and walks of life, loved the sport. He thought it was only popular at home.

Derek has now frequented the court over the last two months. He’s made new friends, whom he can be seen playing, chatting, and competing with on any given day. He said the game and the chats he has with his new friends help him relieve stress and get better acquainted with understandings of local traits and customs.

“Back in the U.S., I had never played pickleball,” he said. “In Vietnam, strangers and acquaintances alike teach and compete with each other, which has made me really happy and fond of this sports culture that promotes bonding.”

 

 

Vietnam catches pickleball fever

Người thành thị sốt Pickelball