Day 1: Taking a Swing at Pickleball in Macomb

Patch Spring Tour Day 1: Monday, May 16, 9:30 a.m.

My first adventure took me to the , where I applied my rather limited athletic skill to the increasingly popular sport of .

I joined the regulars in the Rec Center's gym and U.S.A. Pickleball Association Ambassador Stanley Helzer showed me the finer points of lobs, dinks and other Pickleball shots.

Partnered with three-year player Karen Kelly, I managed to hold my own with only a few slip ups.

I've compiled my adventure into a video diary and I invite you to watch and be amused. Maybe I have inspired you to try out Pickleball, too.

Senior Pickleball is played weekly from 8 a.m.-2 p.m. on Mondays at Thursdays at the Rec Center. Beginners can polish their skills Monday and Thursday mornings from 8-10 a.m. and beginner clinics are held the first and third Monday of the month from 9-10 a.m, and the second Thursday monthly from 9-10 a.m.

The program is free for Recreation Center members. First-timers can borrow a paddle, or buy one at the gym.

Due to weather, instead of taking my Schwinn to for of the tour, I'll be parking myself with a cup of Joe at the on Hall Road, near Romeo Plank Road from 3-5 p.m. See you there!