Friendly reminder that Mother's Day 💐 is this coming Sunday. No better way to spend Mother's Day than on the pickleball court! Quality time and lots of laughs are guaranteed.

And, if you need a last minute Mother's Day gift idea, head over to Fromuth Pickleball and use the code “10PICKLER” to grab 10% off on a new paddle or other gear (certain exclusions apply), or sign up here for a FREE pickleball e-book on how to help your favorite mom learn to play better pickleball. 🙌

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#1. WHEN AND WHERE TO SPEED UP THE PICKLEBALL TO WIN MORE GAMES

We all like to hit the pickleball hard and speed it up at our opponents. But, pickleball is all about patience and shot selection. So, deciding when and where to speed up the pickleball (compared to staying in a dink rally) is an important skill to have on the pickleball court.

​Click here to learn tips and strategies on when and where you should speed up the pickleball to win more games on the court. 💪

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#2. MURMURS FROM THE LOSERS' BRACKET: IS THERE SUCH A THING AS "PICKLEBALL TORTURE"?

When you think of pickleball, the word “torture” probably doesn’t come to mind. However, a woman in the small Canadian town of Niagra-on-the-Lake, who lives across the street from pickleball courts, has claimed in a court (of law) that she has been “tortured” by pickleball.

​Click here to learn to read the latest Murmurs from the Losers' Bracket column with Frank Cerabino, and learn how she is "tortured" by pickleball - even when no one is at the pickleball courts. 😵

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#3. SEVEN YEARS LATER, THE US OPEN CONTINUES TO CHANGE PICKLEBALL HISTORY

The US Open Pickleball Championships, one of the best pickleball tournaments of the year, concluded this past weekend in Naples, Florida. The US Open Pickleball Championships has evolved and “changed the game” in terms of pickleball tournaments since the first year that the event was held in 2016.

​Click here to learn how the US Open Pickleball Championships has grown since 2016, and why this pickleball tournament is so impactful. 📈

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​A MESSAGE FROM OUR SPONSOR: VISTA TRAVEL & ROYAL CARIBBEAN​

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Pickleball + Sailing = Paradise 🛳

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#4. PICKLER THE PODCAST - GOING WEST COAST WITH PICKLEBALL PRO, GABRIEL JOSEPH

Top 5 singles pickleball player, Gabriel Joseph, joins Pickler The Podcast co-hosts, Stacie Townsend and John "The People's Champ" Davison. Joseph talks pickleball on the West Coast, life as a pro, why the spin serve should go, and even touches on some pro pickleball drama before giving his pick for a "winner" in the sport. Learn Joseph's story and what you can expect from Joseph on and off the pickleball court (which may include achieving his lifelong goals to play in an NBA All-Star Game 🏀 as a pro pickleball celebrity and to have a chance with Dua Lipa). Tune in ​now! 🎧

Do you have any ideas for a guest? 💡 Let us know by emailing stacie@thepickler.com!

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.

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#5. QUICK TIP - LOB TO BACKHANDS IN THE MIDDLE

You have all heard the pickleball strategy to target your opponents' backhands, which are usually weaker than their respective forehands. This is particularly true for lobs. Most players' high backhands (or backhand overheads) are usually much weaker than their high forehands (or forehand overheads).

With that in mind, one particularly effective shot when you are playing a team with one right-handed player and one left-handed player, and their backhands are toward the middle of the court, is a lob to the middle of the court near the baseline. This is because (1) as noted above, most players disfavor their high backhands, and (2) most players avoid going back for a lob on their backhand side. Most players are trained to let the player with the forehand in the middle of the court chase down a lob. So, when two backhands are in the middle of the court, a lob to the middle often causes hesitation and confusion among players. 🤷‍♂️🤷‍♀️

Bottom line - When you are playing a righty and lefty with their backhands in the middle, consider throwing up a lob down the middle.

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#6. SHOULD YOU FOCUS ON SPIN, SPEED OR PLACEMENT ON YOUR SERVE?

If you are looking to gain a competitive advantage on your serve, where should you put your time and energy? Should you put this time and energy into mastering the one-handed spin serve? Into developing more power on your serve? Or, maybe even stronger placement with your serve? Does it differ for pro pickleball players compared to amateurs?

​Click here to get the answers to these pickleball serve questions. ❓

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#7. RULES REFRESH - FAULT OR WHIFF?

Imagine that you take a big swing at high-sitting pickleball when you are standing at the Kitchen line. You completely miss the pickleball and then drop your paddle into the Kitchen. Your partner is able to get the pickleball back over the net. What is the call? Did you commit a Kitchen fault when you dropped your paddle into the Kitchen?

This situation happened on the courts and caused a bit of a debate amongst players, which we are here to settle.

If you determined that you did not commit a fault when you dropped your paddle into the Kitchen, then you would be correct. Why? Because you did not make contact with the Kitchen during the act of a volley because, well, there was no volley. There was no strike of the pickleball out of the air, as you swung and missed. So, no volley and no Kitchen violation. 👨‍🍳

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.

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​REVIEW OF MY PRO PICKLEBALL COACH SERIES: GREAT FOR VISUAL LEARNERS!​

Are you a visual learner, like the player who wrote the review below? Then, Pickler's My Pro Pickleball Coach pickleball video collection may be for you! This video collection features Coach Steve Kennedy in over 140 video lessons (or over 7 hours of lessons!), as well as a corresponding e-book, that breaks down every aspect of the sport of pickleball, including pickleball mechanics, fundamentals, strategy, advanced concepts, and drills.

​Click here to learn more about the best value in online video lessons and improve your pickleball game now! 🔝

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#8. HEADLINES FROM THE COURT

Serving up your latest pickleball headlines... 🗞

• Pickleball is "becoming big business" 🤑 from paddle manufacturers, to event operators (like pro tours), to pickleball pros, to celebrities and business tycoons, to retailers, to sports clubs, and the list goes on and on. Everyone sees the potential and fun of the sport and wants to be a part of it, and everyone is banking on explosive growth over the next decade. With growing interest also comes growing competition. Check out this article from the Sports Business Journal for a good summary of some of these competing entities.
• We have said it before, but the largest barrier to the growth of pickleball is the lack of courts, and the largest barrier to more courts is noise complaints (and money). We have seen countless news articles of noise complaints (cue the latest Murmurs article above on being "tortured" by pickleball 👆), but this week, we noticed a different take on the noise from pickleball courts that is causing "pickle-brawls"... "Pickleball can be noisy, but neighbors say they enjoy living next to the courts." Who doesn't love to see folks laughing on the pickleball court?
• Pickleball is picking up steam on college campuses, as the APP Tour hinted at a collegiate series, and DUPR announced its sponsorship of a Collegiate National Championship (with $10,000 in sponsorship prize money to win). With pickleball trending younger, collegiate pickleball tournaments could be the next big thing. 🔥
• Pickleball is also growing internationally, as Asia just hosted the first Asian Pickleball Open. With the historical racquet and paddle skills in Asia from other racquet and paddle sports, the Asian population could really propel pickleball forward internationally.
• More celebrities are seen on the pickleball court promoting the game, including YouTuber David Dobrik, rapper Waka Flocka, NFL Super Bowl champ Rob Gronkowski, Stanley Cup winner Kris Draper, MLB standout Kent Mercker, and entrepreneur Gary Vee (who has purchased a Major League Pickleball team and has teased pickleball features in his Vee Friends NFT collections). Pickleball was also featured on the beloved game show, The Price Is Right! 😎

• Pickleball also continued its press tour, hitting NBC News (Pickleball's the New Jam), US News (Health Benefits), Forbes (Selkirk's R&D), Boston.com (Most Bostonians Love Pickleball), and Pop Sugar (Don't Sleep on Pickleball).
• Large pickleball facilities are popping up across the country, as pickleball is gaining the title as the "must-have luxury amenity." The concept is largely like a Top Golf, but for pickleball, and is being replicated by different organizations under different names in lots of cities. Chicken N Pickle was the first standout in the midwest and Texas, but be on the lookout for similar concepts in Charlotte, Sioux Falls, Columbus, among others. Some towns are even getting more public facilities thanks to additional funds from the American Rescue Plan.
• Muskoka Lakes resident, Doreen Murray, celebrated her 89th birthday on the pickleball court. Happy Birthday, Doreen! #goals
• Did you know you burn 8-11 calories per minute on the pickleball court? Burn more fat with pickleball.​
• Major League Pickleball (MLP) announced that it is coming back for its second year on June 3rd through June 5th. MLP is hoping that the pickleball tournament calendar will start to settle in and identify the big tournaments that are "must sees" throughout the year. According to one team owner, tennis standout James Blake, MLP is hoping to have three of those marquee events throughout each calendar year.
• Congrats to the winners at the US Open Pickleball Championships, who had to endure through some tough brackets and long rain delays (which even unfortunately bumped the live CBS Sports broadcast to a delayed recording):
  • Ben Johns shined, as he took home the triple crown. 👑👑👑 This included going back-to-back with his brother, Collin Johns, to defend their men's doubles title.
  • Simone Jardim is back on top as the mixed doubles champion (with partner, Ben Johns). 🔝
  • Catherine Parenteau took home double gold 🥇🥇, as the women's singles and doubles champion (with partner, Lea Jansen, who also took home the silver medal in women's singles).
  • However, no one seemed to have a better week that Dayne Gingrich, who took home four gold medals 🥇🥇🥇🥇 (senior men's doubles, senior mixed doubles, split-age men's doubles, and split-age mixed doubles).

• Mark your calendars 🗓 for live pro pickleball all month long!

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#9. ASK PICKLER - TWO LEFTIES = DOUBLE TROUBLE

Question: I recently played two lefties that were partnered together. This was the first time I have ever played two lefties, and I really struggled. Any tips for next time?

Answer: About 12% of the world's population is left-handed. Assuming the pickleball population tracks the world's population (as an aside, hopefully, one day they will be the same numbers), you will certainly see more righties than lefties on the pickleball court. Since you typically play more right-handed players, you will generally have an easier time adapting to right-handed players' styles of play.

With that said, the general pickleball strategies remain the same when playing righties and lefties. But, consider the following:

• Whenever you step on to the court with new opponents, check whether they are righties or lefties. You never want to be a few points in and then realize you are playing a different handedness than you thought.
• Remember the typical targets that you are aiming for are on the opposite side if you play a lefty. In other words, a righty's backhand is a lefty's forehand (and, typically, you want to avoid forehands), and the target for the righty's "chicken wing" is on the opposite side of the lefty's "chicken wing." So, change your targets. 🎯
• Not only with your targets need to change, but also remind yourself that your opponents' shots will change. Your opponents' spin will be different and the flight path of their shots may be different.
• Find a lefty pickleball friend and drill or practice with him/her to help you get used to the different targets, spins, shots, etc.

Playing two lefties can certainly throw you off. However, stay mentally tough, stick with the pickleball strategies that you have learned (you can learn some more here!), and consciously remind yourself that the targets, spins, shots, etc. will come from the other side of your opponents' bodies.

Do you have a pickleball question? Ask Pickler. Reach out to stacie@thepickler.com. Plus, your question may be featured in the next newsletter.

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#10. PICKLEBALL PADDLE MANUFACTURERS PUSH TECHNOLOGY

There are hundreds of paddle manufacturers working to help pickleball players achieve better play by producing the “best” pickleball paddle.

​Click here to learn how paddle manufacturers are pushing the boundaries of the rules of pickleball (which include rules on size, material, surface roughness, alterations, etc.) in an effort to outpace the fast-growing competition in the pickleball paddle industry - including a recent removal of CRBN paddles from the approved paddle list by USA Pickleball during the US Open Pickleball Championships (sorry CRBN fans). 😲

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#11. WARNINGS TO PICKLEBALL FROM RACQUETBALL, THE FORMER FASTEST GROWING SPORT

Racquetball was once the fastest growing sport in the country, like pickleball is considered today. However, racquetball, the “fad” sport in the 1970s and into the 1980s, faced a steep decline after soaring into popularity. 📉 Why did racquetball face a decline in popularity? And, what can the sport of pickleball, the new fastest growing sport, learn from racquetball's decline?

​Click here to learn what pickleball can do to avoid racquetball's fate and elevate to America's pastime. 🤔

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10% OFF JUST FOR YOU

Our friends at Fromuth Pickleball give all Pickler subscribers 10% off any purchase (some exclusions apply). Use the code “10PICKLER” to claim your 10% off on new paddles and other pickleball gear... we know you need a new paddle! 🙌

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