Practice with an inflatable beach ball first. That's always fun. The harder ball is only if you know what your doing. I've seen someone dislocate their thumb because they don't know how to hit. But once you get used to it, it's really fun. And only play it outside on the beach, not inside. Some people think it's the same but it's not. You need sand, bathingsuits, and of course NO CEILING. And it's also nice to jump in the water after a good game.