Ed Stabler of Manchester, MA plays the ball off the wall during a doubles paddle ball game at the Essex Country Club in Manchester.

Players boast about how easy the sport is to pick up, the opportunity to get outdoors and exercise regardless of the weather, and the game’s social aspects.

The Greater Boston Platform Tennis League, which began in 1978 with five clubs, has expanded twice to its present roster of 12 clubs.

Today, platform tennis features a court half the size of a traditional tennis court (30 by 60 feet, instead of 60 by 120) with heaters underneath to prevent snow and rain from icing over the playing surface.

The game’s popularity accelerated when former players on the pro tennis tour, like South African native du Randt (currently the country’s top-ranked player), started playing with a paddle, and winning.