35 years +/- after the fact, Barney McCallum, one of the innovators of Pickleball, and others are interviewed to tell the story of the birth of the sport of Pickleball. The video shows Joel Pritchard’s original Pickleball court. Barney also explains how he created the basic shape of the paddle which is similar to those used today. Pickleball is now played around the world!
Pickleball
Pickleball Serve: Is Variety the Advantage You Need to Win?
Many of the essays, articles, books addressing the Pickleball serve will advise players to hit the ball high and deep and sometimes the word SLOW is used in conjunction with the advisory. The idea is twofold:
- 1) Keep the opposing team away from the net and
- 2) Make them supply the pace (power) behind any return shot
The two elements above may help the serving team get to the net as quickly as possible and it is true that the idea is to gain control of the net. All else being equal, the team “controlling” the net should win most of the points.
The popularity of Pickleball is soaring and more and more young people are finding their way to the Pickleball courts. This is great for the game. With their athleticism and speed, the serve is taking on more importance as a factor in the game.
Tennis and Pickleball Coach Mark Rennseson, with more than eighteen years experience, agrees with The Pickleball Show host Chris Allen that, once again, all things being equal, the team serving the ball only has a forty percent chance of winning the point. The receiving team has a 60-40 chance of winning the serve so why not try to change those odds?
Mark also suggests that since the serve is the only time you have complete control of the ball and where it is going to go, you should take advantage of it by doing more with the ball than “just getting it in play.” He doesn’t believe serving high and deep is the way to go for everyone.
Coach Rennseson encourages the more adventurous and perhaps intermediate to advanced players, to take more of a chance to gain the advantage. By varying the type of serve, the receiver’s potential for hitting a weaker return increases thus enabling the serving team to gain the upper hand. The issue of missing the serve a couple of times a game might not be that bad if the server(s) can cause the receiving team to make enough errors.
You can listen to this discussion via the podcast of The Pickleball Show, episode 7, starting at 13:19 into the show.
As a matter of fact, the Pickleball video (below), Pickleball 411: Three Serves and Why You Need Them, provides an explanation of what the three types of serves are and reasons for using them. NOTE: This is not an instructional video of “HOW” to execute these shots, but an explanation why you might want to use them.
“In this episode (above) of Pickleball 411, our host, Rusty Howes, is joined by Jennifer Lucore, Alex Hamner and Bob Youngren who demonstrate the different serves they use and explain when and why they use them. We hope this detailed episode will help all of you take your pickleball game to the next level!”
Deb Harrison also agrees that having “the ball in your hand” on the serve warrants doing more than just getting it in. You can listen to her explanation of what to do with the serve at 13:02 minutes in to The Pickleball Show podcast 11.
To summarize:
- If you are just starting out playing Pickleball and you are playing with beginning to average players, keep the serve high and deep.
- If you are playing among intermediate to more advanced players, i.e. 3.5-5.0, you might want to try to do more with the serve. Varying the serve keeps the opponents guessing and may cause an instant of hesitation in a very fast game. In Pickleball, fractions of seconds can make the difference.
- High and Deep Serve can be used at any level and is used for a change of pace.
- The Power Serve – This serve is low, deep and hard. This serve is varied by changing location. Right, left or in the middle of the appropriate service court. Of course, one needs to practice to be able to get this serve in consistently.
- Soft Angle Serve – Once again, keeps the opponents guessing and, when done right, can force them to the outside of the court leaving a lane down which one can hit the ball.
What is your philosophy about the Pickleball serve? Have the above points changed your approach to the Pickleball serve?
Pickleball: Almost Just Like You
The link below is to the Grand Canyon State Games 2015 men’s Pickleball finals in El Mirage, AZ between Justin Rodgers & Dave Weinbach and Steve Wong & Aspen Kern.
I would encourage you to watch the video. I wouldn’t say it is an exceptionally exciting match, but there are some good observations that can be made:
These are top notch players, perhaps best in the world, and they make the same mistakes we all make. They just make them less often.
- Notice how much of the game is played in or near the non-volley zone.
- Also note how every once in a while the direction of the shot is changed by the player hitting the ball into the opposing non-volley zone. Angling the shot seems to give the offensive player better odds at getting the ball over the net and keeping it shallow and low. I have found this to be the case in my playing as well.
- Interestingly, the lob was NOT used to back the opponents off of the non-volley zone area. Beginners and some intermediate players use the lob quite often. This underscores the difficulty of making great lob shots and turning a defensive position in to an offensive one.
- The players do not serve hard, but try to serve in such a way that they can get to the net on the third shot or shortly thereafter.
Pickleball Games with Mixed Levels of Players
It has been just about a year since I first picked up a Pickleball paddle. It took me some time to become familiar with the bounce or should I say non-bounce of the Pickleball. I have really enjoyed playing and learning the game even though I am just an “average” player with a moment of flourishes every now and then.
I play in environments where there are players from many levels; beginners to 4.5 or perhaps even 5 (which is the best). One thing that has impressed me is the way that most players accept the others regardless of their skill level. Sometimes we play a “round robin” system where teams are paired at random, at other times the sides are selected by the players and often a more experienced player will ask a beginner to pair with them. Of course there are those times when the “better” players elect to play among themselves. At no time are any players made to feel bad because they have made an error or, as we all do from time-to-time, look foolish. Everyone is trying their best!
Here is how my Personal Pickleball Philosophy (PPP) has evolved. When I play with players of my own ability or better, anything goes. I have been in some matches where I was the weakest player and my anything goes philosophy degrades into one of survival.
I am always eager to teach others how to play Pickleball and thus I naturally become part of a beginner’s game. I do have a pretty good serve which varies from the high, soft lob to a much faster, just over the net shot which I can usually use to score an ace or two during a game. Of course when I do try my “harder, trickier” serve, I miss once in a while, but not often.
When playing with beginners or players of significantly lesser ability, I serve the ball so they will be able to return it. A mild serve that will bounce about waist high with no spin. Beginners do sometimes have trouble with this serve, but less so than other types. There would be no fun in trying to spin the ball or hit a hard shot to them. In some cases we also allow beginners to serve on a “first in” basis. This takes some of the pressure off of them, gives them more practice, and makes the game more competitive.
I also try to avoid slamming shots at the beginning players. If I can, I try to use placement rather than power to score points and some of the time, I hit it right to beginners just so they can practice and gain confidence.
Speaking of being more competitive, whenever we select sides, we try to arrange for a competitive match. Once again, what would be the point of pitting two strong players against two weak players? As it is, in many games, one side will often “target” the weaker player which I don’t mind if its me because that is great practice and every once in a while I surprise everyone!
If you watch many of the online videos introducing Pickleball, the statement is generally made that the game is much fun if everyone plays with players of near equal ability. This is very true. We are not talking about tournaments, we are talking about everyday exercise and play.
What is your PPP?
Pickleballers – Why you should join the USAPA
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
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?
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:
- Aeorbic exercise
- Physical exercise
- Eye-hand coordination
- Social interaction
- Mental stimulation (scoring is simple, but attention must be paid!)
– For more about how some groups enhance the social aspects, read Pickleball Reports from the Field: Being social on and off the court
For the complete article and to read all about exercise in the “older” generation, here is the link:
Pickleball – Improving Your Game No Matter What Your Level
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.
Pickleball: How to play against slammers!
Do you want to know how to combat Pickleball Slammers? How do you react to those who like to bang the ball hard? One key is to KEEP YOUR PADDLE UP! Read more at Prem’s site
It should be the first link over the next several days. But if you don’t find it, try this one!
Pickleball Communication – Partners
Once again Deb Harrison brings us some more useful Tidbits about Pickleball and Communication among partners. Thank you Deb!