Pickleball

Pickleball at Thompson Peak Park, Scottsdale

Jeff

I finally made it to Thompson Peak Park in Scottsdale to look at the new pickleball courts and I am posting an introduction of sorts for those who want to know more about the facility.

Thompson Peak Park
20199 N. 78th Pl.
Scottsdale, AZ 85255

Here is a link to a Map showing the park location.

This is the link for the Thompson Peak Park Meetup group which enables players to see who intends to be at the park at certain dates, times, etc. and which also provides news and updates about the park.

This is the link for the Calendar explaining which groups (beginner, intermediate, advanced, etc.) meet on which days and at what times.

https://www.meetup.com/Scottsdale-Thompson-Peak-Pickleball/events/

There are two gates available when walking from the parking area to the basketball court and pickleball court areas. When I arrived, the gate leading directly to the pickleball courts was locked, but the basketball court gate was open and a secondary internal gate then allowed entrance to the pickleball playing area.

As you can see below, the courts are two-toned which I think makes it a bit easier to define the kitchen area during certain aspects of play. The paint patterns seem a bit more exaggerated in the photos than I remember, but I thought the courts were quite playable and the paint should not be a distraction.

Here is another view.

Note that the perimeter fence is not as high as most other venues and there may be some ball chasing necessary for players like me who, once in a while, tend to miss their overhead smash! I can sometimes get them over the highest fences anyway!!

A shorter fence separated the pickleball courts from the basketball area which has lines for three additional pickleball courts for those who have their own nets.

The black lines are for the pickleball court. I have drawn a red line on the picture to indicate approximately where the net would be.

Below is a picture of the middle pickleball court marked on the basketball area.

I returned to the park one evening to assess the lighting. The courts were well lit except the northernmost dedicated pickleball court which had a light out and was dark. The other two courts were fine. The basketball area, lined for three courts, was very well lit (see picture below).

I also wanted to check out the bathroom situation. There are bathrooms and they were open at 6:45PM so my assumption is they are open all day. It is a bit of a walk as they are located between the baseball fields to the south.

There are water fountains nearby…

and benches inside the pickleball court fence.

The courts are oriented east-to-west which may prove problematic when the sun is at certain angles. All-in-all though, I think Thompson Peak Park would be a very good place to play.

Pickleball Ball Speed – Fast, Faster, Fastest!

Jeff

As a pickleball Ambassador for North Phoenix, Arizona, I am privy to much information that is shared among the various ambassadors via the USAPA Pickleball Ambassador’s Forum. In a recent posting some information was disseminated that I think would be of interest to the pickleball community at large.

When we are playing pickleball and all players are standing just behind the boundaries of the non-volley zone, we are only about fourteen or fifteen feet apart. If there is a heated volley exchange, that ball can come flying by pretty fast. Did you ever wonder how fast that ball is traveling when it whizzes toward you?!

Well, a couple of USAPA Ambassadors have done some research based on speed tests using a radar gun and here are the speeds of balls in various sports.

**NOTE** All numbers presented are MAXIMUMS. Obviously, the ball could be hit with less power and thus be slower.

    Pickleball

  • Most volleys at the kitchen line are somewhere between 30-40 mph. The reaction time at the non-volley zone would be approximately .24 of a second.

  • Other volleys (not at the non-volley zone) would most likely be somewhere in the 25-30 MPH range with the fastest balls probably approaching the 40 MPH limit.

    •  
    How About Other Sports?

  • – tennis serve = 167.3 mph
  • – baseball pitch = 105.1 mph
  • – baseball hit = 120.5 mph
  • – ping pong ball = 69.9 mph
  • – badminton shuttlecock = 306 mph
  • – jai alai pelota = 188 mph
  • – golf ball = 208 mph

**NOTE** – A baseball can be thrown more than 90 mph, but the distance between the batter and the pitcher is 60.5ft. This would allow a reaction time of nearly half a second at the faster speeds.

Pickleball – How to Reduce the Speed of a Ball to Reset the Point

Jeff

Defend Against Hard Hitters by Taking Pace off the Ball – Pickleball 411

I think most of us will recognize this situation…

We are facing an opponent who is more skilled than us and they are able to really bang the ball back in a hard, sharp line with plenty of speed. We try with all of our might just to get the ball back onto their side of the net when it comes our way.

Even if we manage to return the ball, it seems to be hit or miss or, at best, a weak return. The video below describes one way to “slow the game down” by reducing the speed of the ball and getting it back in a place where instead of being on defense, you have a chance of being on equal footing with the banger.

NOTE – I have read other techniques which require a loose grip on the paddle to absorb the impact of the banger’s shot to take the speed off of the ball. This technique, however, asks the player to hold the paddle firm, but barely move the paddle, i.e. bunt the ball back.

“Bunting the ball” will cause it to fall with less depth and pace onto the other side of the court where, theoretically, it is harder to bang it back at you and may lead to a dink series where the odds of you winning the point are increased. Watch the video to see if this can improve your percentage of winning points.

 

To See additonal 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)

Jeff Shank’s Pickleball Strategy Video – Third Shot – Major Skill

Jeff

In the last post taken from Jeff Shank’s tips, the role of the non-receiving partner during the serve was covered. You can watch that video tip at the following link:

The non-receiving partner’s role

After learning the basics of pickleball, i.e. double bounce rule, non-volley zone, keeping score, volley, lob, ground stroke, etc. one of the next essential skills that proves to be hard to learn, but very necessary, is the third shot drop shot.

Everyone, including Jeff Shank in this video, acknowledges that hitting a good third shot drop shot from the baseline is a skill that is hard to perfect for most people. Keep in mind, however, that hard does not mean impossible. The video below contains a good number of Jeff’s hints pertaining to the the serving team’s third shot.

Listed below are some of the key points presented in the video. See if you can find the answers as you watch! (stay with the video because it does have some very good ideas throughout.)

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  • As a member of the serving team, where should you be standing after the serve?
  • Who has the advantage according to each team’s relative position on the court?
  • What are the three possibilities when attempting the third shot into the kitchen and which of the three needs to be avoided.

    •  

    NOTE – Jeff points out that one does not need to get to the non-volley zone on the first attempt after a drop shot.

  • What should you do when your partner is the one hitting the third shot? Where should your team be standing? What are the options? (I see the mistake Jeff points out all of the time especially with beginners. I sometimes make the mistake as well, but I have learned to try to avoid it.)
  • At the 16:25 mark, Jeff shows a technique for practicing the third shot drop shot. I have found this helpful and I think most players will also benefit from starting this type of practice to improve their third shot skill.

    •  
    Key points when hitting the the successful third shot:

  • Where are the safest/best places to hit the ball?
  • When to avoid hitting the third shot into the kitchen or NVZ?

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)

Pickleball Video – WOW! Points from the USAPA Nationals VIII

Jeff

If you enjoy pickleball, I think you will be transfixed when watching the video below containing what the creators call “jaw dropping points” from the 19+ men’s doubles gold medal match at the USAPA Nationals VIII. The match features the teams of Wes Gabrielsen and Kyle Yates against Daniel Moore and Matt Staub.

I think I have had entire games that were shorter than the first point shown in the video (…just kidding!)

**NOTE** – One thing I found interesting is how the players used the soft game to set up the power game. It seems to me that there were very few (if any) points won off of the soft game. Most were won with the power shot set up by the soft game; worth noting!

 

To See 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)

Jeff Shank’s Pickleball Strategy – The Non-receiving Partner

Jeff

In this very brief video, Jeff Shank describes the role of the non-receiving partner on the team that is receiving the serve. The non-receiving partner is not a passive participant! There is a role to play. Watch the video and find out what your responsibility might be if YOU ARE the non receiving partner.

Did you pick out the two major responsibilities of the non-receiving partner?

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

 

To See additonal 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)

Pickleball – You Make the Call – 20161101 – The Answer

Jeff

The Question:

A ball is hit onto your side of the court into the non-volley zone. It is a short shot so your partner goes to get it on a bounce and successfully returns the ball to the opponent’s side of the court.

In the act of hitting the ball back to your opponents, however, your partner’s foot goes under the net and touches the opposing team’s side of the court. The foot does not touch the net.

Is this a legal return or is it a fault? You make the call?

 

The Answer:

According to Mark Renneson of Third Shot Pickleball and Rule 12.J.2, which states:…The player is also allowed to go around the net post and cross the imaginary extension of the net so long as he or she does not touch the opponent’s court.

The shot above, therefore, is a fault!

To see 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)

Pickleball – You Make the Call – 20161101 – Q & A

Jeff

The Question:

A ball is hit onto your side of the court into the non-volley zone. It is a short shot so your partner goes to get it on a bounce and successfully returns the ball to the opponent’s side of the court.

In the act of hitting the ball back to your opponents, however, your partner’s foot goes under the net and touches the opposing team’s side of the court. The foot does not, however, touch the net.

Is this a legal return or is it a fault? You make the call?

Leave your answer in the comment section! The answer will be presented next week in a follow-up post.

 

To see 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)

Jeff Shank’s Pickleball Strategy – Return of Serve

Jeff


In the last post from Jeff Shank’s tips, he addressed where to serve the ball. In this portion of his 100 Pickleball Strategies, he provides pointers regarding the return of serve.

Not only does Jeff discuss where to return the ball, he explains how to handle different types of pickleball players such as those who hit the return of serve hard, i.e. bangers and those with weak backhands.

He also talks about one of my favorite service returns and that is down the middle, slightly to the even server’s side to cause confusion. Watch for this at about the 5:08 mark.

Jeff also gives some pickleball pointers for those who are a bit slower getting to the Non Volley Zone (NVZ).

NOTE – To find out about this series of posts – 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)

Skinny Pickleball, What?

Jeff

Jordan Briones is a 5.0 pickleball player and coach. Jordan has created videos suggesting ways to improve pickleball skills. In the clip below, he demonstrates a version of the game he calls “half-court singles.” Others have referred to it as “skinny singles.”

This caught my eye because it is something I have done in the past. Basically, this version of pickleball is for two players and requires both players to play on ONLY half the court.

It can be played several ways:

A) – Stay on one side of the court for the serve and subsequent hits. Any ball hit on the other side (half) of the court loses. An additional nuance is to change sides after even and odd serves, but still keep to only the one side of the court.

B) Play cross court. Each player needs to keep hitting the ball diagonally for the entire point. Any ball not hit diagonally into the appropriate court loses.

C) Serve diagonally and then move play to the receivers half of the court for all subsequent shots for that point.

D) A similar variation of your own choosing and design restricting the area of play to encourage accuracy.

The game can be played to a score of five, seven, etc. or any number up to eleven.

The benefit of this version of the game is that it forces players to be more accurate.

Watch the video and see what you think.

 

**NOTE** This is an excerpt of one part of the video that I found particularly useful. It is excerpted and published here with the permission of Jordan Briones. If you wish to watch the entire video, you can click on the YouTube icon on the bottom-right of the video window or visit this link – https://youtu.be/plerTAwoYXM

 

To See 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)