Happy Monday! 🤗

In case you missed it, the Sports & Fitness Industry Association (SFIA) announced its numbers on the growth of pickleball and, as expected, pickleball continued to be America’s fastest-growing sport for the third year in a row! Pickleball participation almost doubled in 2022 (to 8.9 million players, which was an 85.7% increase). 📈 No surprises here…

Let's dive straight into your pickleball tips, strategies, stories, news, and more... 👏

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#1. 5 EASY WAYS TO CHANGE MOMENTUM ON THE PICKLEBALL COURT

Pickleball is oftentimes described as a game of momentum swings, where one player or one team can go on runs and string several points together. Learn 5 easy ways to control this momentum and win more games! 🤔

LEARN THE 5 WAYS

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#2. YOUNG & FOOLISH: THROWN PADDLE ENDS IN GROUNDBREAKING FINE FOR PICKLEBALL PRO

Pickleball hits another rite of passage - it joins the ranks of other sports that have arrived at monetary responses to player conduct issues. Learn more about the first pro pickleball player fine, as DJ Young was fined for his paddle toss during a recent pickleball tournament, and how this compares to other pro sport fines. 💸

READ MORE

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#3. 2 CRITICAL WAYS BALANCE AFFECTS YOUR PICKLEBALL GAME

There are two critical kinds of balance ⚖️ in doubles pickleball. And, both are equally important to your success on the court. Learn what these two types of balance are and how to improve them to win more points!

LEARN NOW

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​SELKIRK SPORT: QUALITY PADDLES FOR BEGINNERS AND PROS ALIKE​

Selkirk Sport pushes the boundaries for both excellence and creativity and constantly improves the pickleball community as a whole, by providing uncompromising quality in both their high-performance paddles and the first of its kind pickleball app, Selkirk TV, which features live stream matches, past tournaments, pro lessons, podcasts, and on-demand shows! Learn more about Selkirk and their quality paddles for pros and beginners alike! And, if you're a beginner (or want to encourage another to get in the game), start here with Selkirk's Best Paddles For Beginners. 💥

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#4. MURMURS FROM THE LOSERS' BRACKET: THE PICKLER LIMERICK CHALLENGE HEATS UP

We here at Murmurs from the Losers’ Bracket are happy to report that the ongoing Pickler Limerick Challenge is drawing lots of entries. It makes sense. After playing pickleball, the thing that pickleballers like most is talking (and rhyming) about playing pickleball. Read some of the rhyming frontrunners and submit your limericks before the challenge ends! 🔥

JOIN THE LIMERICK CHALLENGE!

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#5. PICKLEBALL AND THE PICKLE BALL PAY IT FORWARD

The sport of pickleball—which is centered around community, inclusiveness, and social interaction—seems to be uniquely positioned to power “good.” Learn about one Florida couple's mission to use this power with the Youth Pickleball Alliance and how The Pickle Ball is furthering the sport with the next generation. 🕺💃

LEARN ABOUT THE PICKLE BALL

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#6. RULES REFRESH - PLAY ON OR FAULT?

There are a lot of rules when it comes to the net on the pickleball court. This includes whether the ball is "live" if it travels between the net and the net post, like it did in the singles point below 👇 between James Ignatowich and Jay Devilliers... 🤔

If the pickleball travels between the net and the net post (rather than around the net post - i.e. an ATP), then the player that hit the ball commits a fault and loses the rally. As a result, Ignatowich lost the rally in the video above.

For more rules on the net, see below:

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#7. QUICK TIP - NO NEED TO RUSH!

Since most points are won at the non-volley-zone line, it is imperative that you work your way to there as soon as possible! However, make sure you are moving in to the kitchen line under control, which may mean that you could be forced to split step in the transition area. It is okay to take a few shots in order to make it all the way to the kitchen line. Pickleball players generally make errors in “no man’s land” because they are trying to move in too much or too quickly. Reduce these errors by moving in under control and remaining calm in the transition area. ⚠️

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​DO YOU HAVE A PICKLEBALL ADDICTION?​

If so, then have a laugh and get great pickleball tips with longtime humor writer Frank Cerabino's book I Dink, Therefore I Am: Coming to Grips with My Pickleball Addiction! 📚

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#8. HOW TO DEFEND AGAINST THE "CHICKEN WING" ATTACK

Have you ever experienced a “chicken wing” attack from your opponents? Learn how to defend against these tough attacks now! 🐥

LEARN NOW

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#9. HEADLINES FROM THE COURT

Serving up the latest pickleball headlines over the last two weeks... 🗞

• The sound of hitting a pickleball has divided neighbors. Now, sound experts are weighing on why the “pop, pop, pop” sound is annoying to some—and it is not because of the volume. Rather, it is the pitch and psychology. Learn more. 🔊

• With the explosion of pickleball players across the country (which, again, almost doubled in the last year), the need for places to play—in other words, the demand for courts—is on the rise. 📈 Although public facilities are growing, private clubs are on the rise, as investors and property developers create pickleball clubs from Florida to New York and everywhere in between. Read more about the need for courts—which is the #1 threat to the sport.
• Pickleball is also exploding on college campuses, such as the University of Florida and the University of Tampa. And, employers are using pickleball courts to coax employees back to the office after years of remote work.
• Freak accidents can happen on the pickleball court, which is what happened when one state judge barreled into a concrete wall that was close to the boundary lines of the pickleball court at a town’s senior center, breaking his neck and ribs. 🏥 The judge sued the town and his instructor for negligence, which has now been settled. The takeaway for facilities and instructors may be to beware of minimum required buffer zones between boundary lines and any concrete walls, and be sure to add pads to any hard walls near the court.
• Coupled-up pickleball pros, Megan Fudge and Ryler DeHeart, have taken their family on the road in an RV in order to fully commit to their careers as pro pickleball players on the APP Tour. Take a glimpse inside the Fudge-DeHeart RV life. 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦

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#10. ON THE TOUR - DOUBLING UP INDOORS

The PPA Tour took it indoors with its latest stop in Lakeville, Minnesota, and new faces shined at the PPA Indoor National Championships. Learn about the latest results, which included double golds for pickleball pros Catherine Parenteau and James "Big Poppa Jimmy" Ignatowich. 🥇🥇

Don't forget to mark your calendars for more pro pickleball action this month! 🗓

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#11. USA PICKLEBALL 2024 RULES REVISION PROCESS IS UNDERWAY...

USA Pickleball has announced 📢 that its 2024 rules revision process has begun. USA Pickleball members "are encouraged to submit any input and/or comments they may have in regards to the 2024 pickleball rulebook in an effort to make the sport more accessible and inclusive for all players involved." The window to propose rule changes and comment on those submitted opened on March 1, 2023, and will end on May 30, 2023.

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE REVISION PROCESS

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​GRAB 10% OFF!​

Grab 10% off a new paddle, shoes, and more pickleball necessities from Fromuth Pickleball (some exclusions apply) with the code 10PICKLER! 💸

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BALL'S IN YOUR COURT...

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