Pickleball Beginnings in Vietnam

Pickleball has officially made it to Vietnam. If you had asked me about the sport this time last year I would have laughed at the idea of it gaining the popularity it has. This was a sport I had briefly played with wooden paddles all those years ago in my senior year high school PE class. I was aware the sport was gaining some popularity, but I had assumed that since my mom and her friends seemed to be the new demographic, I didn’t expect the momentum to gain. Maybe it was the recent success of a young Vietnamese pro or just curiosity for a new racquet sport, but pickleball has officially taken over the minds of young Vietnamese. In the last 6 months 100s of courts have popped up across the country, from large cities to small countryside towns.
I have been playing now for about 6 months and can say I am officially hooked. Playing a few times a week, I find it to be a fun way to connect with people in my community while getting some good cardio. I often play in the mornings, and find it to be a great way to begin my days.

Getting Started

Games are often scheduled through Whatsapp or Facebook groups, with members posting locations and times for play, and others adding their names to the list. Often people will join these groups knowing no one, but will walk away from their first games with new friends. You can meet people from all over the world that meet to play, and are often up for some food or drinks after. As an expat, it can be hard to make new friends in a foreign country, but pickleball has proven to be a great way to meet new friends. Old, young, local or foreigner, everyone comes together for some pickle.

Relevant Background

The game attracts people from all sporting backgrounds, but most common is people who used to play tennis, pingpong, or badminton. I personally think people with experience playing tennis will have more success hitting long balls from the back court, while pingpong people will have an advantage playing closer to the net. Tennis players also tend to have a better understanding of topspin, which comes in handy once you start playing with more experienced players.

If you have never played any type of racquet or paddle sport, it may be difficult to build your hand eye coordination, but most people can pick up the game rather quickly. I personally used to play tennis, and I found that helped me to jump into more competitive games faster than if i hadn't had this background. Oddly enough, I also believe that golfers and baseball players could come into this sport at an advantage, as I find a lot of similarities with how you shift your body to swing in those sports to how you generate a powerful serve in pickleball.

How to Join

I have always enjoyed sport, and I am glad that I rediscovered this one. If you have not tried pickleball before, you should give it a chance and try to find games in your area. You can either find people on facebook, join a whatsapp community or just go to a court in your neighborhood and inquire about social play times. Many courts organize times each week for people to come for public play without needing a booking or pre-organized group. It is important to be aware of the skill level of the games you will be joining, as intermediate and advanced players can be less patient with newbie players. That being said, many beginner play sessions or groups are probably already being scheduled in your area, you just need to find them.

If you haven’t given it a try, you should! I will be posting more pickleball related content in the coming months. Stay tuned :)