Pickleball: Is it SAFE to Play?

March 25, 2020Jeff

As our nation works its way through this national emergency I am sure there a number of pickleball players are wondering whether there is a safe way to play pickleball. Of course the word “safe” may be a relative term.

To help JBRish readers decide for themselves whether or not it is safe, I would like to offer the following resources.

NOTE the interview below is by a licensed and well-respected medical professional.

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Can We Play Pickleball Please?
********** The quick answer is NO! **********

Below is an excerpt from the above article written by the Pickleball Rocks Team. Pickleball Rocks is a long-time business that has supported our sport for many years. I am sure the information they are providing is with your best interest in mind.

To play almost 100% safely….

1) You must wash the balls before you begin your game.
2) Every person on the court would have been through 14 days of isolation directly prior to coming out to play. This would assure they have not unknowingly picked up the virus anywhere. If they’ve been anywhere around people after completing the 14 days of isolation and prior to coming to play, they could potentially be carriers again, so invite someone else.
3) Any benches or chairs at the court would need to be sanitized.
4) The courts you are about to play on haven’t had anyone carrying the virus playing on the courts in the last 9 days (supposedly that is the maximum about a time the virus can live on a hard surface). So there is no danger of the ball picking up the virus while you are playing.

Read the complete article for more information and details by clicking HERE

EP 35: Pickleball and Covid-19 – What You Need to Know
********** How Safe is it to be Playing Pickleball? **********

Please understand that the opinions expressed in this interview are not my opinions. The views are those of the interviewer, Mark Renneson and Dr. Anne Matlow (Professor of Medicine, Paediatrics, Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology at the University of Toronto and retired infectious disease physician who was on Ontario’s provincial advisory committee during the SARS outbreak of 2003.)

The interview is via telephone and some of the audio is low-volume. To go to the page with the interview, CLICK HERE and click the green arrow! I recommend listening to the entire interview to get all of the information presented.

NOTE – Mark Renneson has been a good friend to pickleballers around the world especially in the US and Canada. I have featured a number of his videos on my website and in newsletters I send to you.

In his latest newsletter Mark asks for help keeping his small business functioning. Click HERE AND SCROLL TO THE BOTTOM OF THE PAGE TO READ HIS PERSONAL MESSAGE !

Thank you for your consideration in this regard.

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Pickleball: Calling the Lines – No Do-overs!

February 10, 2020Jeff

Almost weekly I will be watching a pickleball game and a ball is hit that is very close to the boundary line. That is to say, the ball is barely “in” or barely “out. The team receiving the shot does not seem to be able to make a definitive call and a meeting at the net of all players ensues.

Humorously, at this point someone might yell “open court,” thinking that the game is over. Waiting players scurry towards the court with the committee meeting taking place only to realize that the game is not over and they dissappointedly head back to their previous spots.

Meanwhile, the players at the net decide that the call could not be conclusively made by any of the players and thus they declare a do-over!

I have seen this scenario numerous times. There are very few do-overs in pickleball and the above situation would definitely not be one of them.

Let’s quickly take a look at the rule:

6.D.3. The opponent gets the benefit of the doubt on line calls made. Any ball that cannot be called “out” will be considered “in.” A player cannot claim a “let” because the ball was not seen or there is uncertainty. A player who does not make a call may appeal to the referee to make the call if they did not clearly see the ball land. If the referee is unable to make the call, the ball is “in.” The moment the receiving player/team appeals to the referee, they lose their right to make any subsequent “in” or “out” call. pp. 28 – 29, USAPA & IFP Official Rulebook

As stated above, according to the official rulebook, any ball that cannot be called “out” will be considered “in” and thus if there is doubt that the ball was out, then it must be considered in. There should not be a do-over.

For certain nobody is going to call the police or escort the players off of the court, but if you are like me, I like to stick to the official rules. The rules provide a “fairness framework” and facilitate a smoother level of play.

Line calls are very important and if you are not sure of the nuances of calling balls in or out and which lines are valid or not, I suggest you read the article linked below courtesy of the Charlotte Dilly News, Feb 1 2020.

Line Calls by Dick Osman

NOTE: Pay close attention to Dick Osman’s last paragraph – the bottom line!

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Pickleball: Foot Position When Serving

January 28, 2020Jeff

Recently two people approached me to ask about foot alignment when preparing to serve the ball. Let’s take a look at the pickleball court layout and make sure we understand the terms used.

When standing on the court, the right-hand side is often referred to as the “even” side and the left hand side is often called the “odd” side. We won’t go into the reason for this terminology now.

The line at the very bottom of the court is referred to as the Baseline and in the diagram above, it is being pointed to by the red arrows. Likewise, the corresponding lines on the other side of the court have the same names and distinctions. The line dividing the even and the odd courts is called the Centerline for obvious reasons.

The two double-headed purple arrows mark the right and left Sidelines.

Now let’s take a look at the pickleball court and let’s assume you are Server A in the diagram above. As you know the server has to hit the ball within the rectangle, diagonally cross court, which is represented by the point of the blue arrow.

Server A is standing in a legal position in the diagram above.

Let’s consider a slightly different position for Server A.

What if server A wants to get a better angle and he or she stands outside the sideline when they hit the ball?. Well, that would be an illegal position and thus an illegal serve.

Let’s take a look at the rule governing this situation.

At the beginning of the service motion, both feet must be behind the baseline and the imaginary extensions of the baseline. At the time the ball is struck, the server’s feet may not touch the court or outside the imaginary extension of the sideline or the centerline and at least one foot must be on the playing surface or ground behind the baseline. Page 17 of the 2020 USAPA Official Rulebook, section 4.A.3

If you notice the rule says “At the time the ball is struck.” When player A hits the ball, his or her feet may not touch the court our outside the imaginary extension of the sideline or the centerline…

The sidelines and centerline theoretically are infinite and the server is obligated to stay within the appropriate boundaries created by these lines when the ball is struck.

Server A then must be standing within the blue shaded area at the time the paddle hits the ball to deliver the serve (see the diagram below).

This applies to both the even and the odd courts on both sides although only the A court is addressed in the diagram.

One last requirement is that “at least one foot must be on the playing surface or ground behind the baseline.”

Summary:

When the ball is struck to deliver the serve, the server must stay with in the corridor formed by imaginary boundary lines that define the appropriate court side (even or odd) as indicated above

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Pickleball: Is this serve “legal”? – VIDEO

December 4, 2019December 19, 2019Jeff

I can’t tell you how many times I see people using illegal serves during recreational play. A serve has several key elements:

The serve has to be done with an upward path (underhand)

The head of the paddle needs to be below the wrist when the ball is struck

Contact with the ball must be made below waist level

This is what it looks like in pictures

pickleball serve in pictures
[ From p.17 of USAPA & IFP Official Tournament Rulebook ]

Of course the server’s feet have to be appropriately within bounds and behind the baseline until after the ball is struck.

There are those who have always used a serve that would not meet all of these requirements, but others may have “drifted” away from a legal serve through bad habits or poor practice.

My serve was questioned recently and I went back to the drawing board to make sure that I was complying with all elements. I wanted to be “obviously” correct. As you can see in the video below, it isn’t always easy to tell if a serve is completely legal.

Watch Mark Renneson of Third Shot Pickleball as he demonstrates a variety of serves and discusses the differences between them and whether or not they might be considered illegal, i.e. a fault!

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Pickleball: Don’t Win the Point, Just Don’t Lose the Point!

November 14, 2019November 14, 2019Jeff

“If you’re an amateur your focus should be on avoiding stupidity, not seeking brilliance.” – Charlie Munger

While Pickleball is NOT Tennis, there may be some lessons we can draw from Tennis and apply them to pickleball.

The quotes below discuss elements from the book Extraordinary Tennis for the Ordinary Tennis Player by Simon Ramo, but are not necessarily directly from the book. The quotes were copied from the article linked below.

It has been my experience that the word pickleball can just as likely be replaced with pickleball!

“Although players in both games [ amateur and professional tennis ] use the same equipment, dress, rules and scoring, and conform to the same etiquette and customs, the basic natures of their two games are almost entirely different. After extensive scientific and statistical analysis, Dr. Ramo summed it up this way: Professionals win points, amateurs lose points. Professional tennis players stroke the ball with strong, well aimed shots, through long and often exciting rallies, until one player is able to drive the ball just beyond the reach of his opponent. Errors are seldom made by these splendid players.”**

“The amateur duffer seldom beats his opponent, but he beats himself all the time. The victor in this game of tennis gets a higher score than the opponent, but he gets that higher score because his opponent is losing even more points.”**

“In expert tennis, about 80 per cent of the points are won; in amateur tennis, about 80 per cent of the points are lost. In other words, professional tennis is a Winner’s Game – the final outcome is determined by the activities of the winner – and amateur tennis is a Loser’s Game – the final outcome is determined by the activities of the loser.”**

**Avoiding Stupidity is easier than Seeking Brilliance

In Summary

According to the above, amateur pickleballers (and of course I include myself in that group) win their games not necessarily because they make the best shots and have the best skills. They simply make less errors than their opponents. If this is not new and it is “good enough” for you, no need to read further.

For some, this might be a different way of looking at things and an inspiration to “win” the points rather than have your opponent lose them.

When I introduce people to pickleball, I often encourage them to avoid trying for the “perfect” shots within inches of the lines or those that just clear the net. Instead, I advise them to make solid shots and force the opponent to return the ball.

There will be times when their amateur opponent will miss a simple overhead, easy dink or block-volley simply because they take their eye of the ball.

Remember, we aren’t relegated to this scenario for ever. As we gain experience and improve our skills, we can seek levels of pickleball brilliance!

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How to Improve so You Can Avoid “Pickleball Stupidity”

Joe Baker has provided excellent videos for aspiring pickleballers. Watching or re-watching them will help avoid many pickleball errors.

Doubles Pickleball Strategy 101-How to Play Smart Pickleball, Ten Tips

Doubles Pickleball Strategy 102 – Smart Pickleball Vol. 2, Power

Doubles Pickleball Strategy 103: Don’t Hit Out Balls, Six Easy Rules

We can start with the videos above and hopefully play a “smarter” amateur’s game!

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Pickleball Video: Fix the hole in your paddle – watch the ball!

August 6, 2019August 6, 2019Jeff

Perhaps you have heard the phrases…

“You can’t hit it, if you can’t see it.” or “Hit it? I can’t even see it!”

This highlights a major problem in pickleball (and many other sports). We are all told that we need to watch the ball until it makes contact with the paddle. Well, that seems pretty easy and in warm-ups it can easily be done.

Once a game begins however, many players lose concentration and become so interested in seeing the results of their “hit” that they look up at the last minute and thus often do not hit the ball in the paddle’s sweet spot where it is easy to direct the ball and control the speed.

How many times has this happened to you (and me)…You think you have an easy shot and you are ready for it and when the ball comes you swing for what you think is going to be a good shot or a winner and you whiff; miss the ball completely.

Some players then look at the paddle as though there is a hole in it which the ball just happened to pass through. Most of the time this is caused because, at the last moment, the player took their eye off of the ball.

The two pictures below show highly skilled pickleball players hitting the ball. Notice where their eyes are focusing:

picture courtesy of the USAPA

picture courtesy of YouTube video: Blocking with Sarah Ansboury
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FQa0N5TtSW0&feature=youtu.be

These players are focused on watching the ball until the paddle makes contact!

Looking up just before hitting the ball can often cause the ball to hit the edge of the paddle, the handle or somewhere on the paddle face that does not enable the ball to be properly stroked to acquire the appropriate direction and/or speed.

Practicing watching the ball is important. Start with the serve because at that point, you are not anticipating a quick shot coming right back to you. Watch the ball hit the paddle. This will give you a sense and feel of what it is like. Develop this routine and go on to watching the ball on your ground stroke, backhand, lob and dink.

In the video below, pickleball coach Matty Klein discusses the importance of keeping your eyes on the ball and demonstrates how it is done to achieve the proper effect.

Tennis has been closely compared to pickleball because of some of the similarities so let’s consider a study addressed in an article Watch The Ball? How Elite Tennis Players Focus On The Contact Point by By Damien Lafont, PhD and Certified Tennis Coach, France (First published in the ITF Coaching and Sport Science Review, Dec. 2007)

“Additionally, what contrasts with previous studies is that Federer and Nadal (tennis champions of distinction [ed)] not only keep their eye on the ball up to the moment of impact, but after impact their head remains still and in the direction of the contact zone.

This ‘fixation’ of the contact zone is the trademark of elite players.

The most noteworthy finding was that elite players were able to maintain a fairly consistent control; a consistency also illustrated on the women’s tour by Steffi Graf who kept her eyes on the ball on every shot with significant fixation stage after impact.”

Source – https://www.tennismindgame.com/how-pros-watch-the-ball.html

To quote Tennis Professional Michael Emmett: “…none of these techniques are relevant – if you’re NOT watching the ball!”

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The Mental Side of Pickleball

July 2, 2019July 2, 2019Jeff

It is interesting that today I received two articles about the mental side of pickleball. Both are somewhat related and might be of interest to those who count themselves more competitive than the casual “lets go out and get some exercise” players. Of course there is nothing wrong with just wanting to play to have fun and get exercise. That is one of the wonders of pickleball…it can be enjoyed on many levels!

Sarah Ansboury’s post, Being Present addresses a situation that I have been in at one time or another, but thankfully not that often. What I am talking about is letting something that happened on a previous point affect future play. It doesn’t make a difference if it is in the same game, the last game, the game last week or several months ago.

As Sarah points out, successful athletes have the ability to compartmentalize situations and focus on the here and now. Here is a quote from her article:

That point is over. Whatever happened, happened. That moment in time cannot affect the future unless we choose to let it. If a player focuses on a bad shot, the fact that their last serve did not go in, or what they consider a bad line call they cannot focus on the task at hand, i.e. the current point. To focus all your energy on the current point you must learn to turn off the thoughts that don’t contribute to the moment at hand.

I have played in games when after the game a player focuses on some of his or her mistakes disregarding the very good plays they made. I think that is part of the human condition. At the end of her article Sarah Ansboury says: “There is always something you did well. Focus on that, and forget the rest.” It may be hard to do at first, but its a skill that needs to be developed.

Read the entire article Being Present

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On a related topic, In2Pickle.com talks about the Dreaded 9. If you have been playying pickleball for a significant amount of time, you may have been in this situation on one side or the other.

A team is winning by a fair amount, let’s say 9 to 5. Realizing that you only need two points to win, you begin to become more aggressive and end up losing. Tony, of In2Pickle.com, explains the strategy he would use to avoid losing in this situation. I have been on both sides of this scenario and I have noticed the momentum shift.

This too is part of the mental mindset behind winning pickleball. Read Tony’s article, The Dreaded 9!

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Pickleball – 2019 Minto US Open Videos

June 6, 2019Jeff

Pickleball is a very popular sport and it is growing and growing. Although pickleball has been evolving for more than fifty years, it hasn’t reached full maturity. It is still finding its way in the sports and entertainment arenas.

The recent 2019 Minto US Pickleball Open, for example, had some of the best competition and numerous people would have like to watch many of the medal matches including bronze and gold contests in a variety of categories. Sadly, many of these were not broadcast live. Certain categories have not been placed on YouTube or Facebook, even though the championship was months ago.

To their credit, CBS Sports did televise some of the exciting gold medal matches (Thank You CBS Sports!). The unfortunate aspect of this scenario, as far s I can discern, is that this was not widely communicated in the pickleball world.

For those who might have missed the action and would like to view it, here (below) are as many videos as I could find online. Please bear in mind that the quality of the videos varies. I also want to point out that I tried to find matches in all age groups, i.e. women, men, young, senior etc. What I found was a limited sample of players represented in the current available videos. You can search on your own periodically as some of the videos may be released at a later date.

NOTE – Some of the Facebook pages have more videos listed and linked on the sidebar (right-hand side). You can watch those as well!

When weather or other obligations keep you from playing pickleball, you can watch exciting matches to see what the Pros do!

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Doubles

MEN’S DOUBLES 19+ Gold Medal match from the 2019 Minto US Open Pickleball Championships NOTE – Action doesn’t start until the 8:28 (+/-) mark so feel free to move ahead to avoid the “advertisements” and intros.

Kyle Yates and Brian Ashworth vs. Marcin Rozpedski and Aspen Kern

CBS Sports Broadcast – PRO Men’s Doubles Gold – Minto US Open Pickleball Championships

Kyle Yates and Matt Wright go head-to-head with Dave Weinbach and Marcin Rozpedski

FULL VERSION! PRO Women’s Doubles GOLD – Minto US Open Pickleball Championships

Now you can enjoy the ENTIRE Pro Women’s Doubles GOLD match including the missing points that didn’t air on CBS Sports Network. This exciting match goes to 3 games and features the top women’s pickleball players in the world. Lucy Kovalova and Irina Tereschenko square up against Simone Jardim and Corrine Carr for an intense battle for the gold medal.

2019 US Open Pickleball Championships – Pro Senior Women’s Doubles GOLD

Jennifer Dawson and Cammy MacGregor take on Kris Anderson and Lisa Naumu

2019 US Open Pickleball Championships – Pro Men’s Senior Doubles GOLD

Dave Weinbach and Barry Waddell take on Scott Burr and Brian Staub

MIXED DOUBLES 25+ Gold Medal match from the 2019 Minto US Open Pickleball Championships powered by Margaritaville with Catherine Parenteauand Joey Farias vs. Christine McGrath – Morgan Evans

Singles

2019 US Open Pickleball Championships – Men’s Singles PRO Gold Match

Tyson McGuffin and Ben Johns

2019 US Open Pickleball Championships – Pro Senior Men’s Singles GOLD

Scott Moore and Paul Olin

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Here is a link to all of the winners in each of the categories of the 2019 US Open!

2019 Minto US Open Pickleball Championships Winners

Pickleball: Review, Repeat, Reward – The Dink

April 6, 2019Jeff

The cast of a Broadway show involved in a long-run hit is called together on a routine basis, perhaps twice a month or more, to walk through the script repeating their lines and discussing issues that might have arisen since the last review. One might ask why, after performing so many shows over the course of weeks, would they need to go over the script in a rehearsal mode.

The answer is rather simple. Over time, words in a script get dropped or modified and over time, a sentence may take on a meaning that was not intended by the author. This type of review is not unusual, but standard operating procedure.

What does this have to do with pickleball?

I think the answer is relatively simple. From what I have read and witnessed, most pickleballers are not tournament players. They like recreational pickleball and enjoy the fun and benefits of social, competition and exercise.

When we learn to play pickleball, many of us are taught certain skills such as the proper dink technique and unless you are a serious competitive or tournament player, the odds are you don’t “practice” much and that’s OK. Many of us just enjoy playing and don’t enjoy (or desire to) practice.

Although I prefer to play more than practice, I am interested in improving and doing better and therein lies the rub. Every once in a while, I like to review how to execute certain skills such as dinking, the overhead smash, serving, etc. That doesn’t mean I am going to spend hours practicing. What it does mean is that I will pay more attention to how I execute certain shots and focus on proper technique when I do play. Hopefully I will pick up a tip or two (or just a reminder) that will help me improve my current skill set so that I can perform better.

With that in mind, I am including two videos for those who want a refresher on dinking skills. This is an important, yet often overlooked part of the game that tends to favor the more dramatic power shot.

Best Pickleball Dink Technique

When you are at the net and receive a low ball, you must be careful not to pop up something high and attackable. A dink (yes, that’s what it is called) is a great response to a low ball since it makes it hard for the other team to pounce. In this video from Third Shot Sports, coach Mark Renneson breaks down some key elements to a great dink.

Pay attention to the following:

* Point of contact
* Short stroke on the shot
* Stiff (stable) wrist (and arm)
* Maintain proper balance

Dinking Strategy – 3 Steps to Dominate with Dinks & the #1 dink you must avoid

Jordan Briones of Primetime Pickleball explains some of the more modern strategies behind the dinking game. Learn what a dead dink is and how to avoid them.

I hope you have found this review useful and that it helps you enjoy your play even more!

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Pickleball: Kitchen (NVZ) Help

March 18, 2019Jeff

After a pickleballer plays their first several games, they soon understand that the Non-Volley Zone (see diagram below) is often referred to as the Kitchen.

Picture Courtesy of School Specialty – Modified for this post.

It is interesting to me that I will often be approached by a pickleballer who asks me: “Do I have to wait until the ball bounces to go into the kitchen?” or “When can I go into the kitchen?” At times, these are people who have been playing for years. Somehow a number of players are under the impression that it is a fault just to step into the kitchen; anytime.

As always, let’s check to see what the rulebook tells us about this situation. SECTION 9 of the 2019 USAPA & IFP Official Tournament Rulebook (pp. 36-37) goes into detail about the non-volley zone rules.

It seems to me there are four important subsections regarding this discussion.

9.A. All volleys must be initiated outside of the non-volley zone.

It is a fault if a person volleys the ball (hits it in the air. i.e without a bounce) while standing inside the NVZ. NOTE: It would also be a fault if a player volleys a ball and their foot is touching any part of the NVZ line even if the rest of their body is not in the kitchen.

9.E. A player may enter the non-volley zone at any time except when that player is volleying the ball.

It is not a fault to enter the NVZ at any time as long as that player does not volley the ball. A player can remain the NVZ the entire game if they wish. Of course this is not a good strategy and would be a rather absurd behavior, but there is no rule against it.

9.F. A player may enter the non-volley zone before or after returning any ball that bounces.

A pickleballer is allowed to enter the NVZ to return a ball that bounces. They may enter either before or after the ball bounces to return a ball that has bounced in the NVZ.

9.G. A player may stay inside the non-volley zone to return a ball that has bounced. There is no violation if a player does not exit the non-volley zone after hitting a ball that bounces.

A player may remain inside the NVZ after a bounced ball is returned. They do not have to exit the NVZ at any specified time interval.

NVZ Best Practice in General

Most accomplished players remain very close to, but not in, the NVZ during much of the game. If a ball falls into the NVZ and bounces, they quickly go after the ball, return it and then step back out of the NVZ. This enables the player to volley a ball that comes their way because they have vacated the NVZ.

I would be remiss if I didn’t point out another important, and often misunderstood nuance about the NVZ highlighted below in section 9C.

9. C. – It is a fault if the player’s momentum causes the player to contact anything that is touching the non-volley zone, including the player’s partner.

9.C.1. It is a fault even if the ball is declared dead before the player contacts the non-volley zone.

A player’s momentum cannot carry them into the NVZ after a volley or it is a fault. Even if the ball is dead at the time, their momentum cannot cause them to step into the NVZ after a volley. A player may not touch their paddle down in the NVZ or drop anything into the NVZ or that too is a fault if it is done in the act of volleying.

NOTE – These are not the ONLY rules regarding the NVZ. I only selected those sections that help to answer the underlying basic question of when a player can enter the NVZ without creating a fault.

I believe any serious pickleball player can learn quite a bit by reading the USAPA & IFP Official Tournament Rulebook. You can order your copy HERE! You can also download a free PDF HERE.

If you have questions, leave them in the comment section and I will do my best to answer them.

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JBRish.com – quips & queries

A life of musings, queries, quips and quandaries

Pickleball

Pickleball: Is it SAFE to Play?

More Pickleball Videos and Information

Pickleball: Calling the Lines – No Do-overs!

More Pickleball Videos and Information

Pickleball: Foot Position When Serving

More Pickleball Videos and Information

Pickleball: Is this serve “legal”? – VIDEO

More Pickleball Videos and Information

Pickleball: Don’t Win the Point, Just Don’t Lose the Point!

More Pickleball Videos and Information

Pickleball Video: Fix the hole in your paddle – watch the ball!

More Pickleball Videos and Information

The Mental Side of Pickleball

More Pickleball Videos and Information

Pickleball: Review, Repeat, Reward – The Dink

More Pickleball Videos and Information

Pickleball: Kitchen (NVZ) Help

More Pickleball Videos and Information