Pickleball

Pickleball Paddle Approval Process

Jeff

Jennifer Lucore is a Pickleball champion and in a recent post on her blog, she explains the process paddles must go through to be sanctioned by the USAPA. There are a few points I think you might find interesting.

  • Not only do paddles need to pass inspection by USAPA officials, but they also go through third party testing.
  • Once a paddle is approved, it is listed on the USAPA website.
  • The sport is really maturing because PB is approaching a milestone of 50 paddle manufacturers.

To read the entire story and see some photos, visit Jennifer Lucore’s website

The Lucore Forehand Volley

Jeff

Jennifer Lucore, national champion pickleball player, offers her advice on the forehand volley. Of course, the first thing she emphasizes is to “get the ball in the court.”

Assuming the ready position with paddle held high and realizing that the ball is coming to the forehand while you are at the nonvolley zone line, these are the steps she advises one to use:

  • Keep your eyes and head steady

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  • Align the face of the paddle with the ball early

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  • Adjust the paddle rotation in accord with the height of the ball in relation to the net

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  • Hit the ball well in front of you

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  • Propel the ball forward and rotate your shoulders through the ball to impart the power with trunk rotation

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  • Finish of the stroke is toward the opposite shoulder with a tight rotation; no wide, loopy rotation

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  • Maintain a firm wrist and keep the paddle head above the wrist in a cocked fashion.

There is a video on Jennifer Lucore’s website demonstrating the above steps and giving a bit more detail. You can view both at the link below:

The Lucore Forehand Volley Video and Details

Shouldn’t the Forehand Always Take the Middle?

Jeff

If you follow the Pickleball Guru, Prem Carnot, then you probably know that he has a book, Smart Pickleball, (which I have read and recommend) which he now announces has somewhat of an error. (More about this later)

In his recent post:

The Surprising Strategy to Make Sure You Cover Every Shot at the Net

The PB Guru explains why, the majority of the time, a doubles team only has to cover two-thirds of the court at a time. He lists the most important elements of this strategy as follows:

  • The middle third is ALWAYS being covered.
  • You and your partner form an impenetrable WALL on the 2/3 of the court that you ARE covering. (Sounds pretty impressive, doesn’t it?)
  • You’re mentally prepared to cover that extra 1/3 if your opponents go for a low-percentage shot to that area.
  • You’re in a position to pounce when your opponents get out of position.


To get the rest of the details, read his article and share it with your partner(s). No sense in only one-half the team knowing about the two-thirds strategy.
The Surprising Strategy to Make Sure You Cover Every Shot at the Net

Also remember…once in a while the other team is going to get one past you in that difficult and open one-third, but it should be a low percentage shot and if you follow Prem’s additional advice, it shouldn’t happen often.

Prem’s Pickleball book, Smart Pickleball, is a good one and I have read it from cover-to-cover and some parts more than a couple of times. Apparently there is an error in the book and the PB Guru takes this opportunity to set the record straight as follows:

“If you’re REALLY paying close attention to what I say, you’ll come back to me and say, “But, Prem, on page 66 of your book, you have us mark the center of each half of the court and you tell us to stay that far apart. That’s 10’ apart, not 6’ or 7’. So which is it?”

See the the Pickleball Guru’s post linked above for the correct answer and solution.

So if you have the book, print out the correction and if you have the e-Book version, which I have, annotate it.

I hope you found this post of interest and that you can practice these strategies.

See you on the courts!

Learn by Watching the Pros – Dink-A-Dink-A-Do!

Jeff

The video below has some longish rallies/volleys and I think we can learn a lot about Pickleball strategy when watching some of them.

I believe Matt Staub and Kyle Yates are in the left-hand court as you watch the video. As far as I can tell, Kyle is in the white T-shirt. Both Matt and Kyle have an interesting technique which involves stepping slightly off of the court to hit a ball in the air that appears to be headed for the kitchen. By stepping off of the court to strike a ball that is near the sideline, but in the playing area, they can assume a position close to the net that would be a fault if they were inside the playing boundaries. This happens a few times during the match. You can watch for it at the 2:34-2:37 mark of the video as Kyle slams a ball back at his opponents from the “near net, off court” position.

Also note how much each side relies on the dink shot. The soft game is used extensively in this match and is something I need to focus on more than I do!


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In an interview here, Kyle Yates had this to say when asked for any tips or advice:

“People like to complicate the game with all these different techniques and styles, but we tend to forget that the object of the game is to hit the ball IN the court. Pickleball is a game of errors, not winners. All you have to try to do is keep the ball in play longer than your opponents. Strategy is involved only after you understand that concept. Strategy is involved only to make your opponent’s job of keeping the ball in play more difficult. There is a very fine line of demarcation between going for a win, and forcing your opponent to make an error.”

When watching the video, you can see this theory in action. Most of the time, Kyle’s team just tries to keep the ball in play until an opportune moment or the other team makes an error.

Pickleball – Recent Rule Revisions Wheelchair Pickleball

Jeff

Rule Additions: April 24, 2015

 

Section 16 – Wheelchair Rules

  • 16. A. Basic Play. The wheelchair is considered part of the player’s body and all applicable rules that apply to a player’s body will apply to the wheelchair except in non-volley zone as listed below. All applicable rules which apply to standing players apply to those in a wheelchair except as listed below.

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  • 16. B. Two Bounce Rule. The wheelchair pickleball player is allowed two bounces of the ball on his or her side of the net. The second bounce can be anywhere inside or outside of the court boundaries.

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  • 16. C. Service.
  • 16.C.1. Server shall be in stationary position, and then allowed one push before striking ball.
  • 16.C.2. At the time the server strikes the ball, the server shall not touch with any wheel: any baselines, sidelines, center lines or the extended center or sidelines.

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  • 16.D. Non-Volley Zone (NVZ). (two bounce rule applies)
  • 16.D.1. When a wheelchair player strikes a ball in the NVZ, on a volley, it is a fault only if the larger- rear wheels contact NVZ.
  • 16.D.2. Upon exiting the NVZ, after striking a bounced ball, the player’s larger-rear wheels must return to outside the NVZ boundaries (so no rear wheel contact is made in the NVZ) before hitting a volley, or it is a fault.

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  • 16.E. Wheelchair/Standing Pickleball.
  • 16.E.1. When a wheelchair pickleball player is playing with or against a standing person in singles or doubles, the rules of pickleball for standing players shall apply to all standing players while the wheelchair pickleball rules shall apply to all wheelchair players.

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  • 16. F. Singles Wheelchair Pickleball.
  • 16.F.1. Singles play with one or both players in a wheelchair shall be played on half court. The server and the receiver shall serve, receive and play the entire point from their respective service and receiving court.

Get a complete PDF version of the rules by clicking on the link below:

OFFICIAL TOURNAMENT RULEBOOK

Pickleball: Did you Know…about Nonvolley Zone Faults?

Jeff

Several weeks ago, I shared with viewers of my blog a post demonstrating when a ball that was in play is considered “dead.” It has since been brought to my attention that this does not apply to a ball that is in play in the nonvolley zone.

In accord with the INTERNATIONAL FEDERATION OFPICKLEBALL (IFP) OFFICIAL TOURNAMENT RULEBOOK, p. 29

9.C. A fault will be declared if, in the act of volleying the
ball, the player’s momentum causes the player or
anything the player is wearing or carrying to touch the
non-volley zone or touch any non-volley line. It is a
fault if the player’s momentum causes the player to
touch anything that is touching the non-volley zone,
including the player’s partner. It is a fault even if the
ball is declared dead before the player touches the nonvolley
zone.

Well, at least it’s not the Twilight Zone where things could really get weird!

Are You Ready for Some Pickleball? – Free Strategy Guide

Jeff

Many of my friends and acquaintances have given me some strange looks over the past year because I have developed a passion for Pickleball (PB). I am a relatively new player. I started playing because I was seeking an exercise regimen that would be more fun than my customary 15 minutes of calisthenics followed by 45 minutes of aerobics.

I began playing PB with a group of beginners and as I developed a few very fundamental skills some of my “muscle memory” from my racquetball days started to kick in and pretty soon I wasn’t making as many mistakes as I was making earlier in my development.

Because the poplularity PB was so new (even though it is celebrating its 50th anniversary!), it was hard to find good books and videos about the sport. I was delighted to find Coach Mo’s strategy guide and I think it will be helpful for any beginning to intermediate player. One of the best parts about Coach Mo’s guide is that it is free. Anyone can download it and use it.

Here is an outline of his Guide in Review section from the publication which will give you an idea of what you will learn:

1: Be in ready position early! Stopped with feet parallel to each other at the point of contact of ball on your opponents paddle.

2: Placement is more important than power. Hit at your opponents feet or bounce the ball beside them. Do not sacrifice placement for power.

3: Hit to your opponents’ weakest players weakest shot.

4: Play steady – Do not over hit or make unforced errors. Never miss your serve or return of serve. Have patience.

5: Try and anticipate your opponents out balls.

6: Punch your volleys and swing at your ground strokes.

7: When hitting a ball step toward your target. Point your front shoulder towards your target, follow through towards your target, and watch closely at the point of contact of the ball on your paddle.

8: 80% of all your hits should be volleys at the NVZ line if you are playing to win.

The guide gives more details and more ideas about HOW to accomplish the items noted above. If I had this guide earlier, I think I would have made progress much faster. I recommend this as an excellent starting point for any new Pickleball player or anyone who wants to refresh their PB skills and strategies. You can download the guide at this link:

Coach Mo’s Pickleball Guide – Print Version (Recommended)
Coach Mo’s Pickleball Guide – Web Version

For those with a more visual learning style, Coach Mo has a DVD that is very reasonably priced. With shipping and handling it is approximately the same price as some books about Pickleball, but the benefit is that you get to watch the techniques as they are explained. Read more about the video at Coach Mo’s website – http://pickleballcoach.com/coach/

Here are the topics covered in the FREE Strategy Guide:

Pickleball Strategies

  • Grip
  • Ready Position
  • Return of Serve
  • Volley
  • Drop Volley
  • Lob – Defensive & Offensive
  • Overhead
  • Footwork
  • Hitting Down Sideline
  • How to Practice
  • Poaching
  • Reduce Unforced Errors
  • Know Your Opponents
  • Mental Errors
  • Hitting Fast Balls
  • Anticipate Out Balls
  • Play the Wind

Pickleball Techniques

  • Ground Stroke Stances
  • Serving Techniques
  • Forehand Groundstroke
  • Backhand Groundstroke
  • Overhead Technique
  • Drop Volley Technique

Additional Information

  • Extra Strategies
  • Guide In-Review
  • Definitions

Coach Mo’s website – http://pickleballcoach.com/coach/

Pickleball: Improve Your Doubles Game

Jeff

If you read a number of hints from the Pickleball coaches and advanced players, they will often provide similar ideas about how to play a better doubles game.

  • One highlight is to “move together” so that there are no “gaps” in your offensive or defensive positions.

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  • Another often stated principal is to focus on placement and not so much on power. Hitting the ball where your opponents ARE NOT is a better strategy because it tends to cut down on unforced errors such as hitting the ball out of bounds, etc.

Below is a brief video from Pickleball 411 if you want to see these concepts in action:



Pickleball 411: Three Tips to a Better Doubles Team

Pickleball: Earn the Net

Jeff

When I first began to play Pickleball a year ago or so, one of the points that was emphasized to me over and over again was to get up to the net. Some proclaimed this edict with a near religious fervor. I watched those around me and they were running helter-skelter to the net as soon as they could.

After a while, I realized this isn’t always the best strategy. As Deb Harrison remarks in the video below and as others who coach have noted, you have to “earn the net.” By this they mean that you need to make a good shot in order to approach or work your way into the net.

You can’t return a serve midway into the opponent’s court directly to their powerful forehand and expect to have an advantage while running to the net. In many cases, the ball will get to you before you are ready, or it will go flying by you at a fast clip.

To win consistently, you must make an “approach” shot. That is, a drop volley or angled shot that causes the player go make a weak return, etc. which facilitates an approach to the net without the odds of an even better shot coming back at you.

Now that I have realized this, I am a bit more selective when working my way to the net with my partners and it has paid off.

Watch Deb Harrison as she demonstrates the best ways to “earn the net.”

Pickleball: Earning the Net, Deb Harrison

Do you think “earning the net” will help your game? Are you purposeful in using this strategy? Leave a comment below!