Pickleball

Pickleball – Stacking

Jeff

Stacking is a Pickleball technique where the players take positions on the court to assure that the dominant player has their forehand in the middle of the court. If you watch the Mixed Doubles 2015 Championship video below, you can see that both sides use this technique. While the match may start bit slow, it does get exciting with Steve Wong, one of last year’s mixed doubles champions, trying for a repeat.

“This video features the Open Mixed Doubles Gold Medal Match. The pair team of Luba Zhekhovskaya of Surrey, BC and Michael Gates of Escondido, CA vs Heidi Hancock of Tacoma, WA and Steve Wong of Surprise, AZ.”

If you enjoyed watching this video and learning about Pickleball stacking, consider joining the USAPA which promotes the sport and provides the essentials for keeping the sport competitive and exciting. Click here for membership details and more information.

Pickleball – If the ball hits the net post and bounces into play; good or bad?

Jeff

This happened me today for the first time. I had never seen this before.

Here is the rule:

IFP Official Tournament Rulebook

Section 12. I. (p.38)

“The Net Posts. The net posts are positioned out of bounds. If a ball strikes the net post or anything attached to the net post, it is a fault and a dead ball is declared. This rule does not include the net, the net cable, or rope between the net posts.”

I errantly thought that the ball would be in play and good. This is not correct regarding the Net Post. If it hits a part of the net post (which should be out of bounds), then it is a fault and the player or team of the player hitting that ball loses that service. Who knew? [edited July 10, 2017 to correct an error]

Pickleball: Block Drop When You Don’t Get to Net, Deb Harrison

Jeff

This sometimes happens to me. I get caught in “no man’s land.” When I hit a return that doesn’t go where I anticipated and I am running to the net, the ball is returned prior to my best net position. Watch the video below to learn how you might be able to recover.

“Though the intent is to get you and your partner to net, you may not make it. This video covers the split step stop, and how to block drop the next shot to help you continue to move forward.”

Pickleballers – Why you should join the USAPA

Jeff

There are certain entities that people tend to love or hate with little middle ground. I think Pickleball may be one of those things. Whenever I speak to people about the sport for which I have become an enthusiastic supporter, they are either motivated to try it or pooh, pooh the idea. Once I overheard a passerby say to another: “It’s tennis for old people.” It may be true that many older people play Pickleball, but for those who make such comments, the real beauty of the sport has eluded them. Pickleball is a sport that can be enjoyed by players of all ages and all abilities as long as they are relatively evenly matched.

For those who have played tennis, racquetball or any other “paddle/racket” sport, I would encourage you to get involved with Pickleball players on your ability level to see how challenging the sport is physically. And of course don’t get me started about the scoring ; ) (wink)!

Oh, one other thing. Those with modest infirmities such as bad knees, CAN play this sport. Many of my Pickleball cohorts have had knee replacements, hip replacements, etc. and now enjoy a sport that gets them moving and challenges them.

This brings me to my next point. After playing Pickleball for a little less than a year, I decided to become a member of the USA Pickleball Association and I would like to encourage all players to join the USAPA because it is the main organization working to provide more courts and gain more acceptance for a sport that is quickly growing in popularity. They have training programs, marketing plans and assistance in a variety of areas for those who want to become Pickleball players and advocates.

Here are the benefits of becoming a member of the USAPA:

 
NEW $20 1-YEAR MEMBERSHIPS NOW AVAILABLE!

  • FREE e-mailed Copies of ‘Pickleball Magazine’ (6 per year)
  • 40% Discount (off cover price) of Mailed Subscription of ‘Pickleball Magazine’
  • $10 Discount on USAPA Net System
  • Seasonal Discounts on USAPA Merchandise
  • USAPA e-Newsletter (6 per year)
  • Expanded Member Rewards (hotels, rental cars, restaurants)
  • Member Upgrade Options (optional USAPA discount products members can select during the online registration process)
  • USAPA Rating for all Sanctioned Tournaments (coming in 2017)
  • Secondary Medical Insurance for USAPA-Sanctioned Tournaments
  • Printable USAPA Membership Card
  • Member Access to new ‘Look-Up’ on USAPA Website
  • Member Access to new ‘Partner Search’ on USAPA Website
  • Member Access to new ‘Referee Trainer Guide’ on USAPA Website
  • Member Access to new ‘Referee Handbook’ on USAPA Website

USAPA Pickleball T-Shirt Logo

You can begin the process of joining here: http://www.usapa.org/usapa-membership/

If you want to learn more about the USAPA before joining, visit the USAPA’s website and “click” on the various videos, links and tabs on the top of the page.

It just makes sense to support an organization that is supporting our sport! I hope you consider joining and becoming part of the movement. If you are already a member, I am glad to become your partner in promoting Pickleball. In any event, I think you will enjoy Pickleball if you haven’t started playing already. If you have any questions about Pickleball, please feel free to contact me via this website or by getting my email address from the last paragraph in the About section of this website (scroll down).

Can Pickleball Help You Stay Young-er?

Jeff

While the NY Times article referenced below, How Exercise Keeps Us Young, focused on cycling as a physical activity, the results are clear — exercise helps keep older people “younger.” Obviously there are some factors related to aging that cannot be reversed or denied, but according to the research, and extrapolating a bit, physical activity can help older people retain some properties of younger people.

Pickleball is a great exercise for those who want to get a good workout that is a lot of fun. I formerly peformed 45 minutes of aerobic exercises and 15 minutes of calisthenics every day. I enjoyed listening to my aerobics music, but quite frankly it was pretty boring. Pickleball, at any level, is anything but boring.

Benefits:

For the complete article and to read all about exercise in the “older” generation, here is the link:

How Exercise Keeps Us Young

Pickleball – Improving Your Game No Matter What Your Level

Jeff

I hope you had a chance to visit the Pickleball page noted at the top of the home screen of JBRish.com. If you are interested in learning more about the game and the strategy involved, I suggest you visit Prem Carnot’s, The Pickleball Guru website. While you are there, you might want to sign up for his free newsletter to get more timely tips and hints delivered to your inbox.

His latest newsletter talks about going back to the basics when your game isn’t working for you. Here is one point he makes:

Go back to the basics: As your game develops, so does the complexity of your game. Remember, pickleball is not tennis nor is is it racquetball or any other paddle sport. It has it’s own personality and it’s own set of go-to shots that produce winning points. Instead of making the game more complex, consider making it more simple. Complex shots have a higher percentage of not working, but you can still win points with the most basic of dink shots.

To read the rest of the story, 3 Tips on taking your game to the next level, click on the title. You will be glad you did.