Happy Presidents' Day! For those of you celebrating today (also known as Washington's birthday) with a day off from work and a day on the pickleball courts, kudos to you... 🥳
Let's dive straight into your pickleball tips, strategies, stories, news, and more... 👏
#1. 3 OFFENSIVE SHOTS TO HIT WHEN THE PICKLEBALL IS BELOW THE NET
Generally speaking, the goal on the pickleball court is force your opponents to hit the ball above the net, so you can hit down on the ball toward your opponents' feet. However, at times, you may want to hit an offensive shot even when the pickleball sits below the top of the net (which can be difficult). Learn 3 shots that you can use to go on the offensive when the pickleball is below the top of the net. 💥
| LEARN THE 3 SHOTS |
#2. PICKLEBALL ACROSS THE U.S.A.: TWO PILOTS PLOT CONTINENTAL JOURNEY
Two buddies in Sarasota, Florida, who share a love for flying and pickleball have found a way to combine them in an unusual feat. Shannon Yeager, a professional private pilot, and his friend, Dean Matt, who calls himself “The Pickleball Pilot,” 🛩 are trying to set a Guinness World Record by playing one game of pickleball in each of the 48 states in the continental United States over a 48-day period. Learn more about the 48-48-48 Pickleball Challenge!
| WHAT IS THE 48-48-48 CHALLENGE? |
#3. HOW DOES THE WEATHER AFFECT THE PICKLEBALL?
As compared to indoor pickleball, outdoor pickleball has the added component of battling the elements 🌦, as varying weather and other circumstances can affect on-court play. Find more success on the pickleball court by understanding how altitude, temperature, humidity, and wind can affect your shots and strategy. 🤔
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#4. FROM DOUBLES TO COUPLETS: PICKLEBALL POETRY IS HERE
A sign of pickleball’s popularity is the way it continues to seep into the culture. You can see this in the literary world. 📚 As the game’s popularity began to grow, it spawned a market for “how to” books that explained the rules and advised players how to play better and adopt winning strategies. And now, pickleball poetry. Learn more about pickleball's poetry phase.
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#5. MURMURS FROM THE LOSERS' BRACKET: THE PICKLER LIMERICK CHALLENGE
We here at Murmurs from the Losers’ Bracket are excited about how pickleball has now become fodder for poetry. To celebrate the rise of pickleball rhymes, we are proud to announce … drum roll, please … The Pickler Limerick Challenge. And, we have some examples and prizes to help get your creative juices flowing ... 👏
| WHAT'S THE BEST YOU CAN COME UP WITH? |
#6. RULES REFRESH - MIND THE RECEIVER
This might just be the worst way to lose a match (particularly, one in a tiebreak match like the one in the video below👇 between pickleball pros Andrei Daescu—Kyle Yates and Hunter Johnson—Yates Johnson)…
As a reminder, the rules of pickleball require a particular player to be the receiver on each rally, which is based on where the correct server is on the court and what the score is. If the incorrect receiver hits the return of serve, then you will commit a fault and lose a point, just like the Johnson brothers did in the video above.
If you are not sure whether you are in the correct position on the receiving team, be sure to ask (especially if you have a referee on the court).
Bottom line – Mind your court positioning on the serve and return of serve. 🙌
#7. QUICK TIP - CLOSE THE GAP
There are times when you may, as a strategic move, consider sacrificing court positioning in order to hit a more offensive shot (to note, it is important to selectively pick your moments for this strategy). For instance, like pickleball pro Pablo Tellez in the video below👇, you may consider running around your backhand in order to hit a forehand shot, as your forehand (as opposed to your backhand) may give you more options to disguise an aggressive shot against your opponents. If you find yourself in this scenario, you will likely be moving out of position and opening up angles on the court for your opponents. As a result, these shots can be high risk (e.g., opening the court for your opponents), but also high reward (e.g., hitting a winning shot).
To help minimize the risk on these shots, it is important to close the open court space as soon as you execute your shot. In other words, after you hit your shot, step back into the court space that you vacated and expect the pickleball to immediately come back. Be aggressive in closing any gaps and retaking your positioning. Controlling your court positioning is critical to your success. ⚠️
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. 3 PICKLEBALL TIPS TO DEFEND AGAINST TOP SPIN DROPS
Pickleball players are becoming more aggressive with their shots. This includes with their respective third shot drops, such as a top spin drop. If you are on the receiving end of an aggressive top spin drop from your opponents, try these 3 pickleball tips to neutralize and defend against this shot (and avoid popping up the pickleball). 💪
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#9. HEADLINES FROM THE COURT
Serving up the latest pickleball headlines over the last two weeks... 🗞
- Pickleball is making appearances in every forum possible, including at the Super Bowl, as Franklin Pickleball promoted the game during the 2023 SB Experience. 🏈
- Speaking of football, retired NFL superstars—Eli Manning and Rob Gronkowski—squared off during a friendly singles pickleball match to settle who was better at the game. The back-and-forth trash talk is certainly relatable. Who would you pick to win?
- Crossover athletes are continuously on the rise—Warren Sapp confessed his love for pickleball (and pickleball pro Ryan “Sherbear” Sherry) and Nastia Liukin recently hit the courts.
- “A sound expert recommends that pickleball courts be installed at least 150 feet away from homes. In the case of one Scottsdale homeowner, the court is 65 feet away from their property.”
- Certain local residents of the Arlington community are accusing the pickleball players of bullying children and urinating in public (which has been denied by pickleball players). Hopefully, the community, local residents, and pickleball players can resolve their differences, which originally arose out of noise complaints.
- The question of whether pro pickleball can translate to TV is yet to be answered. Although, the eyeballs on the broadcasts does seem to be rising. With that said, there are still some skeptics, including this editor from Intelligencer and New York Magazine, who thinks “pickleball looks really dumb on TV.” 📺
- Headed to the Hamptons this summer? 🏘 The “first house built with pickleball [is] to be put on the rental market” in the Hamptons for a cool $475,000 from Memorial Day to the end of September.
#10. ON THE TOUR - SHAKING UP THE MEDAL STAND & AVOIDING TRIPLE CROWNS
In a first on the 2023 calendar year, no triple crowns were earned by any pro pickleball player. The usual suspects, Ben Johns, Anna Leigh Waters, and Parris Todd, all fell short in their respective events. As a result, new champions paved their way to the top. Learn about the latest results from the APP and PPA pickleball tours, including which names claimed gold. 🥇
- APP TOUR: Parris Todd and Hunter Johnson Collect More Silverware at the APP Daytona Pickleball Open
- PPA TOUR: Federico Staksrud Topples the GOAT at the Carvana Arizona Grand Slam Professional Pickleball Association Event
Also, fun fact - the longest rally ever on the PPA Tour played out in the men's doubles match between the Johns brothers and Riley Newman-Matt Wright, which was a whopping 97 shots long! The previous record on the PPA Tour was an 82-shot rally at their indoor national championships in 2022.
And, don't forget to mark your calendars for more pro pickleball action coming up! 🗓
#11. PICKLEBALL ETIQUETTE TIPS TO KNOW
Pickleball is a "social" sport. This generally means that pickleball is as much about interacting and socializing with people as it is about physical activity and competition. This "social" culture around pickleball is one defining characteristic of the sport itself. In connection with that unique culture, it is important to understand some "pickleball etiquette" tips before hitting the pickleball court. 🤝
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