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6 pickleball serve strategies to win 😎

Published over 1 year ago • 7 min read

Happy National Pickleball Day! Did you know that pickleball was invented 57 years ago? No better way to celebrate than upping your pickleball game and knowledge with this newsletter, then hitting the courts with friends.

Let's go! 🔥


#1. 6 PICKLEBALL SERVING STRATEGIES TO SET YOURSELF UP TO WIN

Most pickleball players do not think to get any advantage with their serve, but, rather, to simply start the rally. However, you are not most pickleball players… Instead of simply starting a rally with your serve, use your serve to set yourself and your partner up for success on the pickleball court.

Click here to learn the ultimate goal with your serve, as well as strategies you can use to set yourself up for success, on the pickleball court. 😎


#2. HOME IS WHERE THE PICKLEBALL IS: PICKLEBALL COURTS THE "NEW BACKYARD SWIMMING POOL"

As pickleball enthusiasm grows and public courts are strained to meet the unquenched demand, some players are looking at their homes and finding out what it takes to build a pickleball court on their property.

Click here to learn how pickleball courts are rapidly becoming the "new backyard swimming pool" 🏊‍♂️ and hear advice from homeowners adding pickleball courts to their backyards. 🏡


#3. WHAT IS POACHING? PLUS WHY, WHEN & HOW TO POACH FOR SUCCESS

In doubles pickleball, it is easy to think that one player should stay on the right side of the court, while the other player should stay on the left side of the court, and neither player should cross the centerline. However, this thinking would be ill-advised. Rather, sometimes it is better to cross the centerline and take a shot on the opposite side, which is essentially a “poach.”

Poaching should be an essential part of your pickleball strategy. Click here to learn what poaching is, why you should poach, when to poach and when not to poach, and tips to execute the perfect poach to win more points. 🔥


THE PERFECT SUMMER READ FOR A PICKLER

Are you a Pickler? If so, then this book, I Dink, Therefore I Am: Coming to Grips with My Pickleball Addiction, is for you. Have a laugh with longtime humor writer, Frank Cerabino, and grab some great pickleball tips! 📚


#4. MURMURS FROM THE LOSERS' BRACKET: GETTING BEYOND "GOOD GAME"

After every pickleball game, there is an obligatory paddle tap, where the players on the court will mutter "Good game, good game, good game." But was it a "good" game? If "good game" doesn't quite seem like the right thing to say, what should you say to your partner and opponents after a pickleball game? Murmurs from the Losers' Bracket has 10 suggestions for you... 🤔


#5. PICKLER THE PODCAST - THE RISE OF JAMES IGNATOWICH

Fresh off of his first ever gold medal on the pro pickleball tour, James Ignatowich joins Pickler The Podcast, with co-hosts Stacie Townsend and John "The People's Champ" Davison. Ignatowich discusses his rise on the pro pickleball tour, whether he will make waves on the doubles pickleball scene or whether he will just be singles pickleball specialist, his reaction to criticism for the Major League Pickleball draft pick, what drives him to improve his game, his thoughts on the pro pickleball tour, and more. Ignatowich even calls out some of his fellow pro pickleball players on the tour (but all in good fun). Learn more about James Ignatowich and why he is having the MOST FUN IN HIS LIFE! Tune in now! 🎧

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And, don't forget to subscribe to Pickler's YouTube page, so you never miss another Pickler video - whether it be a podcast, pickleball tip video, or other can't-miss video.


#6. HEADLINES FROM THE COURT

Serving up your pickleball headlines... 🗞

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  • It’s National Pickleball Day today (August 8th), which means that it’s time to hit the pickleball courts and do your part to grow the sport. #40by30 (i.e., 40 million players by 2030) 📈
  • Bill Gates was beaming as he showed off his pickleball skills of 50 years(!) on his personal blog. Gates is doing his part to encourage everyone to play—"Win or lose, I can’t think of a better way to spend a summer day than as a Pickler.” We agree!

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  • The trend of celebrity in pickleball does not seem to be slowing down. NBA Hall of Famer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was spotted court side at the MLP event this weekend, while actor Jamie Foxx was spotted at the PPA Tour event. And, even more publicity is coming into the sport with what looks like a pickleball docu-series by the PPA Tour and SportsCenter coverage by ESPN of Team Waters.
  • Another trend is also continuing, which is the pushback on pickleball from tennis players and from those that can’t stand the noise. For instance, the police even had to come out to a standoff between pickleball and tennis players in San Diego, California.
  • Rather than have paddle sport on paddle sport, we suggest following the latest suggestion from Sports Illustrated: “I’d submit that racket sports—tennis, pickleball, padel, squash—ought to join forces to take down golf. ⛳️ Or better yet Activision Blizzard. 🎮 We can divvy up court space later.
  • Plus, the great thing about the sport of pickleball is that it can be played anywhere! Just ask the TSA, where a few travelers just needed a queueing rope, a few flip flops, and a ball to play inside an airport. ✈️
  • On a serious note, be careful ⚠️ out on the pickleball court:
    • Today Show host Savannah Guthrie nailed herself in the head with her paddle. She admitted that the “Moral of the story: have rosé handy if you play pickleball. Or maybe the moral of the story is, don’t play pickleball while drinking rosé!”
    • One pickleball player recently lost an eye when playing a drop-in game. Wear eye protection—like glasses or sunglasses—out on the court. Sending prayers and positive thoughts to Darlene Headbury!
  • Lastly, on a happy note, congrats to long-time pro pickleballers, Corrine Carr and Adam Stone, who got married in Peru over the summer break! 👰🤵


#7. QUICK TIP - TRY LEAD TAPE!

Do you add lead tape to your pickleball paddle? If not, you should try it.

We haven't thought about lead tape for a while, as we have been using the same paddles that are already loaded up with lead tape. However, thanks to our friends at Selkirk, we received a new Project 003 Epic. After hitting the pickleball courts with family and we thought we would try the new Selkirk Labs paddle. However, we quickly realized that we were forgetting an important component... lead tape!

Lead tape can be used to add small increments of weight to your pickleball paddle, which will generally result in a larger sweet spot and more power (i.e. pop!) when striking the pickleball. In other words, lead tape can make your new (or used) paddle even better! To learn more about lead tape, how to use it, and where to put it on your paddle, click here.


REVIEW OF MY PRO PICKLEBALL COACH SERIES: PLAY WINNING PICKLEBALL

Click here for the best value in online video lessons and play winning pickleball now! Get access to over 140 organized video lessons (or over 7 hours of lessons!) that break down every aspect of the sport of pickleball, including mechanics, strategy, advanced concepts, and drills.

But don't take our word for it, check out our latest review below...

Good basic lessons for playing winning pickleball. Steve is a great communicator and teacher.

SALE ENDING SOON!


#8. RULES REFRESH - BOUNCE, NET... RALLY OVER!

Have you ever seen a pickleball player win a point like Matt Wright and Yana Grechkina in the video below? 😲

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If a player hits a pickleball with so much spin (like Matt Wright did) that the pickleball bounces on the opponents’ side of the pickleball court and then spins into the net, then there is a dead ball (and play stops immediately). And, the player that hit the pickleball (in this case, Matt Wright) will win the rally.

A rare occurrence on the court, but a great feeling to win a point without even giving your opponents a chance to hit the pickleball!

For a deeper breakdown on all of the rules of pickleball, check out Pickler's Ultimate Guide to the Rules of Pickleball.

Have you had an interesting rules issue on the pickleball court? Send it to us at stacie@thepickler.com, so we can share with the rest of the pickleball community in a future newsletter.


#9. ON THE TOUR: UPS AND DOWN(TIME)S ON A WEEKEND FULL OF PRO PICKLEBALL

Ups and Down(time)s on a Weekend Full of Pro Pickleball: The PPA Selkirk Labs Showdown & Major League Pickleball - Newport Beach | Pickler Pickleball Ups and Down(time)s on a Weekend Full of Pro Pickleball: The PPA Selkirk Labs Showdown & Major League Pickleball - Newport Beach | Pickler Pickleball
Ups and Down(time)s on a Weekend Full of Pro Pickleball: The PPA Selkirk Labs Showdown & Major League Pickleball - Newport Beach | Pickler Pickleball Ups and Down(time)s on a Weekend Full of Pro Pickleball: The PPA Selkirk Labs Showdown & Major League Pickleball - Newport Beach | Pickler Pickleball

This past weekend featured two pro pickleball events—the PPA Selkirk Labs Showdown and the second of three Major League Pickleball events. With two big pro pickleball events, we have a lot to talk about (and maybe a bit of "pickleball overload"). Click here to dive into the action, learn who came away victorious on the pickleball court, and learn our takeaways. 🏆

And, don't forget to mark your calendars 🗓 for a lot more pro pickleball this month!


#10. IS THE PPA TOUR FOLLOWING THE FORMULA 1 PLAYBOOK?

The Professional Pickleball Association (PPA) sent an interesting marketing email last week, which included the subject line, “Ladies and Gentlemen, start your engines…” 🏎 With all of this “engine talk,” we are convinced that the PPA Tour is following the Formula 1 playbook in an effort to explode the eyeballs and interest on the sport of pickleball. This may be a smart move. Click here to learn why now.


#11. 5 TIPS WHEN PLAYING WITH A FIRST-TIME DOUBLES PARTNER

With a jammed-pack weekend of pro pickleball featuring unique match-ups and partnerships at both the PPA Selkirk Labs Showdown and Major League Pickleball events, we are reminded of our own experiences in recreational open play, where we may find ourselves on the same side of the net with someone new or maybe even someone that we have never met before. To overcome any awkwardness and make the most of your first-time partnerships (i.e., win more games!), try these 5 pickleball tips! 💥


10% FOR YOU

Our friends at Fromuth Pickleball are giving you 10% off (some exclusions apply). Use the code 10PICKLER! 💸


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