Author: Jeff

Pickleball News – 20230214– Archived Version

Jeff


This section of Jbrish.com is no longer active. News will be distributed via email ONLY. Sorry for any inconvenience!!


 

 

Latest N. Phoenix Pickleball News – February 14, 2023


Archived Version of a Previous Newsletter
OLD NEWS


 

This is an archived version of a previously issued pickleball newsletter. The most current N. Phoenix Newsletter is available by clicking HERE!

 

Latest N. Phoenix Pickleball News – February 14, 2023

Hello N. Phoenix Pickleball Players:

I hope everyone is doing well and enjoying the moderating weather in the Valley! This will be a busy area for pickleball over the next few months and several important tournaments have already been held



Misleading Information About the
***** Non-Volley Zone Lines *****

It has been brought to my attention that some misleading information about the non-volley zone line is being disseminated. As former Ambassador and now pickleball enthusiast, I enjoy playing according to the OFFICIAL USA Pickleball Rulebook and I believe most players feel the same way.

Here is the rule about which balls are considered “in play” and “good” as related to the court lines.

6.B. Except the serve, any ball in play that lands in the court or touches any court line is in. (p. 30 – 2023 USA Pickleball Official Rulebook)

When it comes to the serve, this is the rule about the non-volley zone line:

4.A.2. Placement. The server must serve to the correct service court (the court diagonally opposite the server). The serve may clear or touch the net and must clear the NVZ and the NVZ lines. The serve may land on any other service court line. (p. 17 – 2023 USA Pickleball Official Rulebook)

NOTE – In RECREATION play, modification of the rules can be made as long as everyone understands and agrees before play begins. Once again, it has been my experience that most players stick closely to the USA Pickleball Rulebook.


***** USAP Pickleball Association Rulebook & Official Rules *****
Download your FREE PDF copy HERE



Humorous Pickleball
***** Public Service Announcement Video *****


SOME OF THE TERMS EXPLAINED

Stacking – Explanation

Erne – Read a description HERE Video example HERE

ATP – Around the Post Shot – A player can return the ball by “hitting the ball around the net post” and not over the net. Video example HERE



***** Finishing the Pickleball Point *****

Pickleball player, coach, blogger and podcaster Mark Renneson has written a very informative article:

5 Skills to Finish More Pickleball Points

Here is just one of the suggestions he makes:

The person who is cross court from you is farther away than your down-the-line opponent. And all things being equal, the person closer to you will have less time to get ready for your ball than the one who is on the diagonal. So unless you have a great reason to hit crosscourt, you should drive this ball down-the-line…

All things being equal, when you are trying to finish a point with speed aim toward the person that is closer to you — they’ll have less time to prepare for the ball.

If you want to read the entire article, you can find it HERE!



***** Desert Ridge Open Pickleball Tournament *****

When I am not playing pickleball, I enjoy watching the best of the best play pickleball. Some of the finest pickleball talents were on display at the recent Phoenix, Desert Ridge Open Pickleball Tournament.

It is understandable that these athletes have excellent offenses, but what struck me most, was the defensive shots. When a pickleball team or player is in “trouble” because they are being “attacked” by fast, hard-hitting shots, they try to RESET THE POINT. What this means is that they return the ball in such a way that it can no longer be hit hard toward them in a completely offensive position (often into the non-volley zone).

If you want to see this on clear display watch the women’s or men’s doubles finals. These players are so good at resetting the point and getting out of trouble.



******* DESERT RIDGE PICKLEBALL TOURNAMENT VIDEOS *******

Desert Ridge Open – Gold Medal Match – Women’s Doubles – Waters/Parenteau vs. Jansen/Jones

Desert Ridge Open – Gold Medal Match – Men’s Doubles – Johns/Johns vs. Wright/Newman



Desert Ridge Open – Gold Medal Match – Mixed Doubles – Johns/Waters vs. Wright/Kovalova


Desert Ridge Open – Gold Medal Match – Women’s Singles – Anna Leigh Waters vs. Catherine Parenteau


Inclusive Trounament Video
******* More than Five Hours Long *******



HERE ARE THE TIME STAMPS FOR THE VIDEO ABOVE as posted on YouTube – NOTE – Some of these are not accurate – YMMV

0:00 – #11 Zane Navratil/James Ignatowich #21 Derek Shearer/Grant Bond
21:45 – #1 Ben Johns/Collin Johns vs. #32 Nico Montoya/Adrian Legarreta
38:13 – #4 JW Johnson/Dylan Frazier vs. #13 Connor Garnett/Wesley Burrows
1:06:11 – #2 Riley Newman/Matt Wright vs. #15 Pesa Teoni/Kris Heddings
1:32:45 – #1 Ben Johns/Collin Johns vs. #8 Jay Devilliers/DJ Young
1:59:10 – #4 JW Johnson/Dylan Frazier vs. #5 Erik Lange/AJ Koller
2:29:22 – #3 Tyler Loong/Callan Dawson vs. #6 Thomas Wilson/Julian Arnold
3:08:22 – #2 Catherine Parenteau/Anna Leigh Waters vs. #7 Irina Tereschenko/Meghan Sheehan-Dizon
3:35:02 – #1 Ben Johns/Collin Johns vs. #4 JW Johnson/Dylan Frazier
4:08:23 – #2 Riley Newman/Matt Wright vs. #3 Tyler Loong/Callan Dawson
4:48:01 – #17 Bobbi Oshiro/Sarah Ansboury vs. #4 Lea Jansen/Allyce Jones
5:25:41 – #2 Catherine Parenteau/Anna Leigh Waters vs. #3 Anna Bright/Vivienne David

 


********** That’s All for Now **********

 

Stay Well and Play Safely!

Regards,

Jeff Ross
N. Phoenix Pickleball Enthusiast

Latest N. Phoenix Pickleball News – April 4, 2023

Jeff

Latest N. Phoenix Pickleball News – April 4, 2023

Hello N. Phoenix Pickleball Players:

Here is some timely information about Pickleball that may be of interest to many of our players.



April 15th — April 22nd, 2023 in Naples, Florida
***** US OPEN CHAMPIONSHIPS *****

This is the Internet Link for the US Open Pickleball Championships


Here is the schedule of events.

Last year, many of the quarter final, semi final and final matches were carried on the Internet, but that information has always been elusive. The finals did make it to one of the major streaming television channels. You can try the Professional Pickleball Association’s YouTube channel.

On the tournament website this notation appears, but it only pertains to the finals and I am not certain how
“complete” it is.





***** More pickleball terms *****

In the last newsletter, the terms Stacking, Erne and ATP were explained. Well, here are a few more with video examples:

The Tweener – a ball that a player hits that goes between their legs. In the video below, watch the player in the even court, bottom-right.





The Bert – When one partner jumps over to the other player’s side in front of that player to take the ball out of the air. The idea is to surprise the opponent and cause an error. Once again, watch the player in the even court with the blue shirt, bottom-right.





The Scorpion – When a player (usually at the NVZ) makes a shot by holding the paddle high at head-level or slightly above, and with the paddle flat hits the ball downward at the opponent. It looks like a scorpion’s strike with its tail. Watch the player in red closely!





Rally Scoring May Be
***** Coming to a Pickleball Court Near You *****

There are two hot topics in the pickleball world; regulations regarding the approval of paddles and the adoption of rally scoring. The paddle issues will need to wait for more clarity, but rally scoring has been adopted by the Major League Pickleball (MLP) and has picked up some momentum. I don’t think it will become the “official” scoring method in pickleball for some time, but it has been used by some clubs, tournaments and now the MLP.

Watch this video for a very brief overview:

GAMES

RULES GUIDE | MLPLAYTM 01/10/22 *

For 2023, each Game will be played with rally scoring to 21 points (win by 2). Players will change ends when one team reaches the score of 11. This format and order are subject to change. Rally scoring will be played until a team reaches 20, at which time the team reaching 20 is subject to a freeze on rally scoring and must score all future points while serving. If the trailing team reaches 18, that team too will be subject to a freeze on rally scoring and must score all future points while serving. If both teams are tied 19-19, then both teams are immediately frozen when it becomes 20-19. All Games must be won by 2 points.

*Excerpted from the MLP website.

** Obviously this format is designed for MLP and will need to be adjusted or modified for recreational play. The main idea of each player remaining on their designated side during the entire game will probably remain a part of all rally scoring.

Feel free to download the complete MLP rules and regulations at this link. Page 4 contains most of the pertinent information.

If you have never watched a MLP match between two teams, you will find that it is a bit more “hectic” than most pickleball matches. To witness how rally scoring is used and how MLP games are played, watch the women’s doubles video below. Pay attention to the main rally scoring rules, i.e. serving team does not switch sides after winning on their serve with each player remaining on the odd/even side of the court for the entire game.**

In the first game, the NY Hustlers (Anna Bright and Lacy Schneemann) go Against the LA Mad Drops (Catherine Parenteau and Irina Tereschenko) the game ends at the 19:01 mark.



**There are some exceptions to the players staying on the same side of their court for the entire game, but it is too long to explain here. If you are interested, download the MLP Rules and read page 5 -see link above.

So, what is the benefit of rally scoring? Consistency. Game lengths are more consistent with rally scoring. We have all been in games where they go to 12, 13 or even 14 points because teams must win by two and on their serves. According to statistical analysis of 173 MLP games, rally scoring shortens this extension of traditionally scored games. ***

*** https://www.thedinkpickleball.com/by-the-numbers-rally-vs-traditional-scoring/

If you have gotten this far, you might want to read Paddletek’s article which details the pros and cons of rally scroing Should Rally Scoring Be the Norm of Pickleball?



***** The Point of the Ages? *****

The point bellow has been called A Point for the Ages by some. Do you Agree?

[You can enlarge the video window by placing the pointer on the video and then
clicking the square corners on the bottom-right of the frame]


– AND –

How about this WILD Point Anna Leigh Waters (pink) vs Catherine Parenteau in singles?



 



********** That’s All for Now **********

Stay Well and Play Safely!

 
Regards,

Jeff Ross

North Phoenix
Pickleball Enthusiast

STATUS QUOtes — 20230403

Jeff

“Platitudes? Yes, there are platitudes.
Platitudes are there because they are true.”
— Margaret Thatcher —

***************

 

Today’s STATUS QUOtes

 

“Birds build nests because they cannot fly forever.”  —  Matshona Dhliwayo

“My definition of ‘made it’ is when you no longer have anxiety dreams about showing up to a school final exam and realizing you haven’t been to the class all year.”  —  Sahil Bloom

“When you choose to collect experiences rather than things, you never ever run out of storage space.”  —  Joshua Becker

“Every Sunday morning, Jeff (Bezos) makes pancakes. He wakes up early. He gets the Betty Crocker cookbook out every time, and I’m like, ‘OK, you’re the smartest man in the world; why don’t you have this memorized yet?’ But he opens it up every time: Exact portions make the best pancakes in the world.”  —  Derek Blasberg via Lauren Sánchez

 

***************

“I love quotations because it is a joy to find thoughts one might have, beautifully expressed with much authority by someone recognized wiser than oneself.”
— Marlene Dietrich —

 
See previous STATUS QUOtes HERE

Thousands and thousands of quotes delivered since 2011!

 
**********

All original content on this blog is copyrighted by Jeffrey B. Ross with ALL Rights Reserved. While reference links back to JBRish.com are appreciated and encouraged, please acquire approval for any reproduction of original content from this website.

©Jeffrey B. Ross 2014 – 2023 — JBRish.com


STATUS QUOtes — 20230401

Jeff

“Platitudes? Yes, there are platitudes.
Platitudes are there because they are true.”
— Margaret Thatcher —

***************

 

Today’s STATUS QUOtes

 

“If you want to be different nowadays, just act normal.” — Evan Esar

“You must live in the present, launch yourself on every wave, find your eternity in each moment. Fools stand on their island of opportunities and look toward another land. There is no other land; there is no other life but this.” — Henry David Thoreau

“Every intelligent being, whether it breathes or not, coughs nervously at some time in its life.” — Terry Pratchett

“I didn’t lie, I was writing fiction with my mouth.” — Matt Groening

 

***************

“I love quotations because it is a joy to find thoughts one might have, beautifully expressed with much authority by someone recognized wiser than oneself.”
— Marlene Dietrich —

 
See previous STATUS QUOtes HERE

Thousands and thousands of quotes delivered since 2011!

 
**********

All original content on this blog is copyrighted by Jeffrey B. Ross with ALL Rights Reserved. While reference links back to JBRish.com are appreciated and encouraged, please acquire approval for any reproduction of original content from this website.

©Jeffrey B. Ross 2014 – 2023 — JBRish.com


STATUS QUOtes — 20230330

Jeff

“Platitudes? Yes, there are platitudes.
Platitudes are there because they are true.”
— Margaret Thatcher —

***************

 

Today’s STATUS QUOtes

 

“Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.” — Max Ehrmann

“The same principle leads us to neglect a person of merit that induces us to admire a fool [ed].” — Jean de La Bruyère

“Before beginning a hunt, it is wise to ask someone what you are looking for before you begin looking for it.” — A.A. Milne

“The family. We are a strange little band of characters trudging through life sharing diseases and toothpaste, coveting one another’s desserts, hiding shampoo, locking each other out of our rooms, inflicting pain and kissing to heal it in the same instant, loving, laughing, defending, and trying to figure out the common thread that bound us all together.” — Erma Bombeck

 

***************

“I love quotations because it is a joy to find thoughts one might have, beautifully expressed with much authority by someone recognized wiser than oneself.”
— Marlene Dietrich —

 
See previous STATUS QUOtes HERE

Thousands and thousands of quotes delivered since 2011!

 
**********

All original content on this blog is copyrighted by Jeffrey B. Ross with ALL Rights Reserved. While reference links back to JBRish.com are appreciated and encouraged, please acquire approval for any reproduction of original content from this website.

©Jeffrey B. Ross 2014 – 2023 — JBRish.com


STATUS QUOtes — 20230328

Jeff

“Platitudes? Yes, there are platitudes.
Platitudes are there because they are true.”
— Margaret Thatcher —

***************

 

Today’s STATUS QUOtes

 

“The truth doesn’t hurt unless it ought to.” — Bertie Charles Forbes

“Because behind this expansion [of knowledge ] there is a great asymmetry: what is knowable but still unknown will always be larger than what we already know, meaning there are more possibilities waiting to be discovered than have already been discovered. This asymmetry in knowledge is reason to be optimistic, because it means there are no limits to our improvement.” — Kevin Kelly

“In my heart I had the thorn of a passion. I managed to take it off one day. I no longer feel my heart.” — Antonio Machado

“The concept of best-friendship is responsible for the worst birthday party of my life. I was 11 and hosting a sleepover. We were all having fun, eating pizza and comparing our Beanie Babies—until someone referred to someone else as her best friend. Suddenly, we were at war.” — Jaya Saxena

 

***************

“I love quotations because it is a joy to find thoughts one might have, beautifully expressed with much authority by someone recognized wiser than oneself.”
— Marlene Dietrich —

 
See previous STATUS QUOtes HERE

Thousands and thousands of quotes delivered since 2011!

 
**********

All original content on this blog is copyrighted by Jeffrey B. Ross with ALL Rights Reserved. While reference links back to JBRish.com are appreciated and encouraged, please acquire approval for any reproduction of original content from this website.

©Jeffrey B. Ross 2014 – 2023 — JBRish.com


Pula’s Ancient Heritage

Jeff


File Courtesy of Wikipedia.org

Pula, the largest city on the Istrian Peninsula in Croatia, is a major tourist destination. The most iconic landmark is the Amphitheater built by the Romans under the reign of Emperor Vespasian during the first century AD.



Originally constructed on the outskirts of town, it now finds a place among more contemporary buildings and parks.



The Amphitheater has been given the nickname of the Arena because of the sand covering the floor of the structure.



According to Wikipedia, the Pula Amphitheater is the only one in the world that has all four side towers intact.





Considering the age of the Amphitheater, it is amazing that the walls are still standing in “relatively good” condition.



As visitors walk around and through the infrastructure, they can easily imagine long-gone attendees sitting on stone benches.



Among the artifacts in the subterranean gallery is a wall of aged jugs.



Built between 1929 and 1931, St. Anthony’s Church stands in sharp contrast to the Arena and would probably be considered an “architectural infant” within that comparative framework.



Although the Amphitheater is ancient, the ability to seat 5,000 attendees enables it to serve as a venue for current film festivals, sporting events and concerts.

Another ancient structure in Pula, built between 29-27 BC, is the Roman Triumphal Arch of the Sergii which leads to Pula’s Old Town. The arch, originally constructed as a city gate, was built to commemorate the three Sergii brothers who were participants in the naval Battle of Actium.



Old Town has a main street lined with many merchants. Closer to the center, there is a picturesque side street with a number of restaurants.



The town center originally served as a meeting place and is currently used to host public events.



The Temple of Augustus is pictured on the left of Forum Square. The town hall, partially shown on the right, stands where the Temple of Diana stood during medieval times.



A number of Old Town buildings show signs of retrofitting to accommodate more modern lifestyles.

Perhaps a lesser known arch is the Porta Gemina (Twin Gates), a city gate built by the Romans between the 2nd and 3rd century as part of they city wall which had ten portals of entry.



Next stop – Our tour of Croatia nears the end in the stunning fishing port of Rovinj!



Rovinj

**********

See Previous Posts in this series:


Dubrovnik, Croatia – Pearl of the Adriatic

Old Town Dubrovnik – Above it all

Old Town Dubrovnik – The Low Down

Dubrovnik from the Adriatic and Mt. Srd

Montenegro & The Walled City of Kotor

Mostar – Bosnia and Herzegovina

Coastal City of Split, Croatia

Zagreb – Capital City of Croatia

Ljubljana – Capital of Slovenia

Slovenia – Cookies, Castle, Caves and Cuisine

 

STATUS QUOtes — 20230326

Jeff

“Platitudes? Yes, there are platitudes.
Platitudes are there because they are true.”
— Margaret Thatcher —

***************

 

Today’s STATUS QUOtes

 

“The purpose of life is to experience things for which you will later experience nostalgia.” — FedSpeak via Twitter

“What to do when adversity strikes? There is only one thing to do. Stand steady and see it through. Stay steadfast, constant, and true. The real tragedy in the whirlwinds of life comes only when we allow them to blow us off our true course.” — David S. Baxter

“Every step of progress which the world has made has been from scaffold to scaffold, and from stake to stake.” — Wendell Phillips

“Delaware: A state that has three counties when the tide is out, and two when it is in.” — John James Ingalls

 

***************

“I love quotations because it is a joy to find thoughts one might have, beautifully expressed with much authority by someone recognized wiser than oneself.”
— Marlene Dietrich —

 
See previous STATUS QUOtes HERE

Thousands and thousands of quotes delivered since 2011!

 
**********

All original content on this blog is copyrighted by Jeffrey B. Ross with ALL Rights Reserved. While reference links back to JBRish.com are appreciated and encouraged, please acquire approval for any reproduction of original content from this website.

©Jeffrey B. Ross 2014 – 2023 — JBRish.com


STATUS QUOtes — 20230324

Jeff

“Platitudes? Yes, there are platitudes.
Platitudes are there because they are true.”
— Margaret Thatcher —

***************

 

Today’s STATUS QUOtes

 

“Discovering the unexpected is more important than confirming the known.” — George Box

“Life does not begin on Friday night and end Monday morning.” — MJ DeMarco

“Mom had always taught all of us to examine decisions by reversibility–that is, to hedge our bets. When you couldn’t decide between two things, she suggested you choose the one that allowed you to change course if necessary. Not the road less traveled but the road with the exit ramp.” — Will Schwalbe

“The bathtub was invented in 1850 and the telephone in 1875 … In other words, if you had been living in 1850, you could have sat in the bathtub for 25 years without having to answer the phone.” — Bill DeWitt

 

***************

“I love quotations because it is a joy to find thoughts one might have, beautifully expressed with much authority by someone recognized wiser than oneself.”
— Marlene Dietrich —

 
See previous STATUS QUOtes HERE

Thousands and thousands of quotes delivered since 2011!

 
**********

All original content on this blog is copyrighted by Jeffrey B. Ross with ALL Rights Reserved. While reference links back to JBRish.com are appreciated and encouraged, please acquire approval for any reproduction of original content from this website.

©Jeffrey B. Ross 2014 – 2023 — JBRish.com


STATUS QUOtes — 20230322

Jeff

“Platitudes? Yes, there are platitudes.
Platitudes are there because they are true.”
— Margaret Thatcher —

***************

 

Today’s STATUS QUOtes

 

“Virtue consists not in avoiding wrong-doing, but in having no want for it.” — Democritus

“There is no such thing as luck; there is only adequate or inadequate preparation to cope with a statistical universe.” — Robert Heinlein

“When you take a flower in your hand and really look at it, it’s your world for the moment. I want to give that world to someone else.” — Georgia O’Keeffe

“The difference between America and England is that Americans think 100 years is a long time, while the English think 100 miles is a long way.” — Earle Hitchner

 

***************

“I love quotations because it is a joy to find thoughts one might have, beautifully expressed with much authority by someone recognized wiser than oneself.”
— Marlene Dietrich —

 
See previous STATUS QUOtes HERE

Thousands and thousands of quotes delivered since 2011!

 
**********

All original content on this blog is copyrighted by Jeffrey B. Ross with ALL Rights Reserved. While reference links back to JBRish.com are appreciated and encouraged, please acquire approval for any reproduction of original content from this website.

©Jeffrey B. Ross 2014 – 2023 — JBRish.com