Happy Monday!
We avoided a government shutdown it appears! Could this be due to the power of pickleball? Pickleball has the power to unite, even political parties. A bipartisan group of senators has formed the Senate pickleball caucus. The group leaves politics off the court during their weekly play. 🏛️
Now, let's dive straight into your pickleball tips, strategies, stories, news, and more... 👏
Hand speed 👋 is paramount in pickleball as it directly influences a player’s ability to react swiftly to the fast-paced and dynamic nature of the game. Whether it is reacting to powerful smashes, delicate dinks, or sudden changes in ball direction, players with enhanced hand speed have a significant advantage. As a result, improving and maximizing your hand speed will have a direct impact on your ability to make fast, precise shots and win more games on the court. 🏆
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It's always important to exhibit grace in defeat. Let’s face it, most pickleballers get a lot of practice in losing. And in the end, if you’re playing rec-level pickleball, the score’s not important, anyway. All that matters is whether or not you’re having a good time. It’s not whether you lose, it’s how you lose. So, chin up. 👍
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Sometimes, during competitive play, your opponents can employ a strategy where they will target you over your partner. In other words, your opponents will hit most of their shots in your direction and not to your partner. When this happens, there are a few strategies that you can employ to involve your partner and relieve pressure off of yourself. 🎯
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Experience a new level of Pickleball excellence with the Selkirk Semi-Permanent Pro Pickleball Net, a game-changing offering derived from the renowned Selkirk Labs 001 Carbon Fiber Pro Net System. Built on the same cutting-edge technology, this version boasts a corrosive resistant aluminum frame for maintaining the exceptional quality that Selkirk is known for. Crafted with precision and innovation, the Selkirk Semi-Permanent Pro Pickleball Net brings the future of Pickleball to your own backyard or private facility and ensures a top-tier playing experience for players of all skill levels. It's the ideal choice for those who seek the perfect balance of quality and convenience. 🥅
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The sport’s top threat to growth is the lack of pickleball courts to match the demand to play. With that said, one of the barriers to further court development is the concerns around the noise 🔊 that accompanies the game—particularly, in residential and/or urban areas. In the hopes to address this critical concern, USA Pickleball has introduced a “Quiet Category” for pickleball products. 🤫
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As you may know, one of the cornerstone rules of the sport is that you may not volley the pickleball while making contact with the Kitchen or the Kitchen line. In summary, the rule—at its most basic level—is very simple and clear: No volleys are allowed in the Kitchen. 🚫 Enforcing the rule is more difficult, especially when players have a high level of precision in court positioning. The “elf toe” creates a tiny margin between a legal play and a fault. 👟
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A lob can be used when you are under pressure, out of position, facing an aggressive shot, or otherwise generally in a “pinch” on the pickleball court. In these circumstances—when you are considering using a defensive lob—go high into the air and around the middle of your opponents’ side of the pickleball court. The extra air time will give you and your partner more time to reset and get ready to defend another shot, while also giving your opponents more time to “think” about the shot 🤔 and potentially make a mistake (as they could become somewhat disoriented by having to track the pickleball for so long in the air).
🔑Bottom line – Go high and middle when using the defensive lob.
Have a laugh and learn some great tips to take to the pickleball court with longtime humor writer Frank Cerabino's book I Dink, Therefore I Am: Coming to Grips with My Pickleball Addiction! Plus, this book makes a great gift for your favorite player or partner! 📚
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You can play pickleball just about anywhere these days… even in a manure tank? Unique pickleball settings showcase the sport’s versatility and ability to adapt to various environments, making it accessible and enjoyable for people of all ages and backgrounds. Discover other interesting and unique places where pickleball has been played. 📍
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By Mark Peifer, USA Pickleball Certified Referee; Past Chairman, USA Pickleball Rules Committee
QUESTION: "I saw on one of your videos that the volley serve can be tossed up in the air and then legally hit below your waist. Some of my Pickleball club members say that the ball has to be dropped and it cannot be tossed even for a volley serve. Can you clarify this for me as the official pickleball rules don’t address this specifically." 🤔
ANSWER: The reason the official USA Pickleball Rulebook does not specifically address tossing the ball up for a volley serve is because the Rulebook typically only provides actions or behaviors that are not allowed. If the Rulebook was written to include everything a player can do on serves (or any other aspect of play), the Rulebook would, as you can imagine, be unwieldy long. Please see number 3 in the Rulebook Appendix, page 69.
In the case of the volley serve, the rules provide a short list of service motion requirements that must happen for a legal volley serve. These are rules 4.A.7.a-c.
All of these must be followed for a legal volley serve. Notice that the rules make no mention of tosses, so by implication, and keeping in mind the aforementioned number 3 above, any upward toss for the volley serve is legal. You just have to comply with the requirements of Rules 4.A.7 a-c as the ball falls.
On the other hand, tossing the ball up while performing the drop serve is not legal because the rules explicitly say so in Rule 4.A.8.b.
The countdown is on for the 2024 US Open Pickleball Championships! 🗓️With 3,038 players and 41,000 spectators representing 50 states and 29 countries, 2023 was a record breaking year for The Open. Be sure to mark your calendar for the Biggest Pickleball Party in the World April 13th-April 20th, 2024 in Naples, Florida! 🥳
One common pickleball strategy is to target the left foot of the right-sided player on the court (assuming two right-handed players). Why is this a common strategy or target? How do you implement this pickleball strategy? Learn the art of targeting the left foot of the right-sided player on the pickleball court now. 👏
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Check out the latest headlines to stay in the know on all things pickleball 📢
Two pro events headed to the peach state 🍑 over the last two weeks with Major League Pickleball kicking off its second series of 2023 in Peachtree Corners, Georgia, and the APP Tour traveling to Atlanta for The 2023 APP Atlanta Metro Open. Major League Pickleball’s first event of season two featured new teams and partnerships. The Premier League saw The Orlando Squeeze 🍊 come out on top after going undefeated in the group stage and defeating The D.C. Pickleball Team in the finals in a Dreambreaker. The SoCal Hard Eights went undefeated to win The Challenger League.
Parris Todd and Megan Fudge were both back in action and back on the winner's podium at the APP Atlanta Metro Open after facing injuries at the APP New Jersey Open. Fudge won her first women's singles gold medal of 2023, while Jhonnatan Medina Alvarez, also earned his first gold medal in men's singles. 🥇
For a full recap on these events, check out the following:
Don't forget to mark your calendars for more pro pickleball action in OCTOBER! 🗓
Up your game by grabbing 10% off a new paddle, shoes, and more pickleball necessities from Fromuth Pickleball (some exclusions apply) with the code 10PICKLER! 💸
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Happy Thursday! 🎉 Even though school is still out for summer, some students in Maryland might be looking forward to the upcoming school year more than expected. This fall, all 25 high schools in Montgomery County, Maryland are introducing pickleball as a varsity sport. 👏 Pickleball can provide equity and access among students, and Montgomery County is highlighting this by inviting students with and without disabilities to participate. Do you think we will see more schools following in their...
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