communication

Pickleball News – 20190423 – Archived Version

Jeff


April 23, 2019

 
Hello Phoenix Area Players:

 
Archived Version of a Previous Newsletter

This is an archived version of a previously issued pickleball newsletter.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

********** City of Phoenix Parks and Recreation **********
Summer Pickleball Schedule

The City of Phoenix Parks and Recreation has published their summer pickleball schedule.



Current Schedule – Above

To download a color PDF copy of the 2019 Summer, Phoenix Community Center Pickleball Schedule, click HERE!

I want to thank the City of Phoenix Parks and Recreation Department for giving us a timely copy. ALSO…please keep in mind that “things happen” and adjustments may be made to the schedule. I know we all appreciate the summer accommodations considering that the youngsters need to have time at our Community Centers.

 

*** 2019 Minto US OPEN Pickleball Championships ***



2018 WOMEN’S PRO SINGLES Champion – Simone Jardim

Naples, Florida is hosting the Minto US Pickleball Open Championship this year from April 27-May 4, 2019 with singles, doubles and mixed doubles contests.

Information from the website linked below tells us:

  • Pickleball grew from 3.1 million players last year to 3.3 million this year.
  • Players will be coming from 48 states and 16 countries.
  • Players range from age 11 through age 86.
  • “National television: The event will be covered by CBS Sports Network and live streamed on CBS Sports Live from May 1 – May 4 on their app. CBS Sports Network will broadcast the finals at a later date.”

I believe our good friend Mark Renneson from Third Shot Sports will be one of the commentators which is good for us. Mark is often able to gather additional videos to share with his followers and I will link to them on my websites via pikcleball posts when they become available. You can look for them by following this link:

JBRish.com Pickleball

For those who use a two-handed backhand, watch to see how well upcoming pickleballer Lindsey Newman, recently highlighted by Selkirk Sports, does.



Selkirk Athlete, Lindsey Newman

To read more about the 2019 Minto US OPEN Pickleball Championships from the organizers, click HERE.

 

********** Don’t Play Pickleball Like a Tree, Move **********

The ultimate goal of both players on a team to work their way up to the NVZ and hold that position can, at times, be carried to an extreme especially when a dink game ensues. In the video below, Jordan Briones, – Prime Time Pickleball Coach – details when it is advisable to back up and move away from the NVZ line as a smart strategy.

 

********** Partner Communication **********

Wherever and whenever we play pickleball, it is always a good idea to develop some method of communicating with our partners. I have probably shared this video before, but it deserves to be repeated.

Did you ever notice how much better your “team” does when you play several games with the same partner? Generally speaking, that is because some “communication” has evolved.

Thanks to Mark Renneson from Third Shot Sports for explaining why!

 

********** Archived Versions of Previous Newsletters **********

 

Previous newsletters that may have pickleball hints, videos, rules changes, etc. are now archived at the following link. You can check out previous newsletters there.
Archived N. Phoenix PB Previous Newsletters


*** Support your Sport – Join the USAPA $20 for 1 Year ***

 

 
Join the USAPA – Click HERE for More Information

 

Join the USAPA

Picture Courtesy of Pickleball Magazine and the USAPA

 


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

 
I hope to see you on the courts!


Regards,

Jeff Ross



Pickleball – When All Else Fails

Jeff

There I was playing a game of doubles the other day. My partner and I were matched against a team that I thought was somewhat more skilled than we were. I knew we would have our work cut out for us if we were to win.

I am not that confident in my third shot drop shot or any drop shot for that matter. I can generally hit a successful drop shot about 70% of the time. I really need to work on this and get it up to 90% plus, but then again that would take practice; ugh!

So there we were playing against two people who were very good at the net. My usual attempt to use a third shot drive or other hard drives to get the ball by them was not working consistently. They were either whacking the ball back hard or dropping it short and making us really work hard to move forward and hit a shot.

We were behind, but not by that much so I decided to start using drop shots into the kitchen area. My dink game is pretty good and I don’t lose too many dink points. I thought, “After all, what have I got to lose if other shots aren’t working.?”

Much to my surprise, this became an effective strategy. I was aiming primarily for the backhands of the opponents and every once in a while, down the middle. Sprinkle in my partner’s effective lob every now and then and the game was very close.

Lucky for us we were able to win although barely.

Here’s the point:

This was recreation play and not a tournament. Winning or losing didn’t mean as much to me as did making a good show. The one strategy I generally like to use, i.e. hitting hard drives, was not working.

Changing strategies to the softer game via drop shots turned out to be a better choice. Let’s say that we continued to lose points and ended up losing. It still would have been a good chance for me to get experience with the softer part of the game.

Keeping the ball low in pickleball is the key to winning points. A low ball is hard to attack and often results in a weak return. Of course, we need to be good at the soft game as well to take advantage of this situation.

Don’t be afraid to change strategies if what you are doing is not working.

A FINAL NOTE – I often talk to my partner during the game to share ideas, strategies, etc. This keeps everyone on the same page.

What are your thoughts?

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More Pickleball Videos and Information

To See additional Pickleball Videos & Information Click Here (primarily for beginners and less experienced players)

Check out Additional Pickleball Information and Videos! (for all players including average to more experienced players)


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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 – 2018 – JBRish.com



Pickleball Video: Yours, Mine, Oh No!

Jeff

We aren’t necessarily mean, but we love it when it happens to others.

If you have played pickleball for just a few days, you will probably know what I am talking about here. It is that ball that is neither totally on one side of the court or the other. Or, it is very close to the player with the forehand even if it is a bit on the other player’s side of the court AND…

Each player on the team thinks the other is going to get it and the ball zings by scoring a point for the other team or at minimum a lost rally. Partner communication is important both before and during the game.

Mark Renneson of Third Shot Sports gives a few pointers. As the video points out, many teams will actually call “yours” or “mine” to let both players know who should and who shouldn’t go for the ball.

 

More Pickleball Videos and Information

To See additional Pickleball Videos & Information Click Here (primarily for beginners and less experienced players)

Check out Additional Pickleball Information and Videos! (for all players including average to more experienced players)


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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 – 2018 – JBRish.com



Pickleball Advice: 30 Seconds to a Better Doubles Game

Jeff

Have you ever attended a pickleball tournament? I always find the tournament atmosphere invogorating. There is a positive hustle and bustle surrounding pickleball tournaments and it inspires me to play more and and to strive to improve. I believe we can all use a bit more inspiration every now and then.

One thing that was impressed upon me when I attended my first tournament as a spectator was that the top doubles teams call each and every ball. They say “mine.” “yours,” “bounce it,” etc. They constantly communicate in advance of the ball reaching either of them.

One other thing…if my partner calls a ball, I back off even if I think that I have the better shot at it. We can discuss this after the point, but two players going after the same ball is a fast track for an errant shot!

There is one corollary to this rule – If the ball is toward the center of an area we can both cover and my partner calls it, I will try to backup my partner. What that means is, I stay back a bit and let my partner have the ball they “called,” but I keep my eye on the ball and if they miss, I will try to return it instead. This doesn’t always work, but it has saved some points every now-and-then and a point is a point! How many games would you have won if you had one extra point? I know it would have helped me a good number of times.

When I play, I also like to discuss with my partners who is going to cover lobs. I generally like my partner to cover lobs over my head on my side of the court when I am at the net. I find that the diagonal line is easier and provides more opportunity for a successful return. I then cover lobs over their head when they are at the net. I do communicate with my partner(s), but I need to do more of it so that every shot is assigned to my partner or me well before it reaches us.

Don’t forget, if your partner moves to your side of the court, you need to move over to their side to avoid leaving half the court wide open!

I recently played in a round robin tournament at our community center and there were some players I had never seen before. Sarah Ansboury has in interesting article about playing with a new partner and when we play in pickup games, it is as if we are playing with a new partner many times. As anticipated, she also highlights partner-communication and somewhat humorously, compares this to “pickleball speed dating.” Seriously though, she offers some great advice beyond partner-communication which I think can benefit all serious pickleballers. Be sure to check out the other links in her article for even more details!

You can read the article by clicking on the picture or title below!

https://www.sarahansboury.com/pickleball-speed-dating-fun/

More Pickleball Videos and Information

To See additional Pickleball Videos & Information Click Here (primarily for beginners and less experienced players)

Check out Additional Pickleball Information and Videos! (for all players including average to more experienced players)


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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 – 2018 – JBRish.com



pickleball, communication, lobs,

STATUS QUOtes — Picture Quote — 20171014

Jeff

Today’s Picture Quote

Two monologues do not make a dialogue. - Jeff Daly

“Two monologues do not make a dialogue.” – Jeff Daly

 
See previous STATUS QUOtes HERE


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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 – 2017 – JBRish.com


Pickleball Video – Importance of Communication at All Levels

Jeff

In the next installment of Jeff Shank’s 100 Pickleball Strategies, Jeff points out the importance of at least a minimal amount of communication between each team’s players even at the club or recreational level. If you have a tournament partner, I am sure you have crossed this bridge before reading this post. At least I hope you have!

Well then, what should you discuss?

  • Are any players on the opposing team left handed? If so, someone should keep track of when both opponents’ backhands are in the middle of the court and announce it to each other during play. The backhand is usually the weakest shot for most players and if each player does have a weak backhand and they are in the middle, this might be an advantage when returning a ball.
  • Which way is the wind blowing (if play is outside)?
  • Have you seen these players play? Anything unusual about their style (do they spin every ball?)
  • Do you know which player is the weakest?
  • Does one player have an especially good lob?

What words will be used to indicate that a ball is in, out, potentially going out, etc. Who will cover lobs and under what circumstances?

Watch the video as Jeff explains how to play “smart” pickleball even during recreational play. What additional hints does he offer besides those highlighted above?

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  • Did you hear what Jeff said about calling lobs “in” or “out”?
  • Why is it important to communicate when a shot is returned down the middle of the court to your team?

These are all fundamental key strategies and they can add a couple of points to your score in many games. If you didn’t pick up all of the hints and tips Jeff Shank offered in this segment of his 100 tips, it would be worth it to watch the video again!

NOTE – To find out about this series of posts, i.e. 100 Pickleball Strategies by Jeff Shank, read the first post HERE

 

To See additional Pickleball Videos Covering Many Aspects of the Game Click Here (primarily for beginners and less experienced players)

Check out Additional Pickleball Info and Videos! (for all players including average to more experienced players)