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Scaredy Cats … It’s a Cucumber – Surprise

Jeff

Apparently cats are terribly afraid of cucumbers. The video below shows cats being surprised and/or scared by finding one so close to them. According to a recent article on Gizmodo, my source for this video, some knowledgeable “cat people” feel that scaring your cat this way may cause psychological damage. Anyone who has ever owned a cat understands that cats don’t need any further assistance in this area! So…pet owners beware – Don’t Try This At Home!

NOTE – All of the cats in the video are scared while eating or drinking. Could this be related to scaredy-catness; i.e. The Hunger Games?

Pickleball: Watch the USAPA Nationals LIVE

Jeff

Hello Pickleball Fans!

I have recently learned that the USAPA National Pickleball tournament will be available for free viewing via live stream. **Check the disclaimer at the bottom of the post.

Here is the website to register and watch:
https://enetlive.com/usapa/

For more details, check the above website.

Have fun watching!

**Disclaimer: I am passing this along as a point of information. I have not used this service, I do not recommend this service and I am not associated with this service whatsoever. My thinking is that if it is supported by the USAPA, then it would be fine, but the above caveats apply!

Pickleball: How to Warm Up

Jeff

Pickleball — Standard Warm Up with Mark Renneson

The lack of a standardized warm up causes confusion for many pickleball players. It also prevents people from effectively preparing to play the game. Here is a quick demo of what a standard warm up could look like. Each players warms up groundstrokes, volleys, overheads and dinks in under two minutes.


Approximate List of Strokes Suggested based on video:

  • 6 – 10 dinks each back and forth alternating between forehand and backhand
  • Move back to mid–court and practice ground strokes 5-6 each alternating to forehand and backhand
  • Player 1 moves to the net to catch some volleys from half court ground strokes 7 – 8
  • Player 1 receives lobs to practice overhead smash – 5-6
  • Player 2 moves to the net to catch some volleys from half court ground strokes 7 – 8
  • Player 2 receives lobs to practice overhead smash – 5-6


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Click the link to register to receive the Third Shot Sports Pickleball Newsletter

Click the link to see Third Shot Pickleball Past Newsletters.

Click the link to visit the Third Shot Sports Pickleball website.

*This information is being presented with permission from the author, Mark Renneson. Mark is a 5.0 pickleball player, coach and advocate. He is the founder of Third Shot Sports which provides first-class tennis and pickleball training. He lives in Collingwood, Ontario, Canada. You can reach him at mark@thirdshotsports.com

Thanks to Mark and Third Shot Sports for allowing this to be presented on JBRish.com

Pickleball Picker-Upper – DIY

Jeff

Admittedly I am not the handiest person in the world. I do OK with some things, but anything that is involved, gives me pause. I must say that I think I could make one of the pickleball retrievers presented in this brief Gear Talk Video by Steve Paranto.

I you can’t bend down easily to retrieve pickleballs, especially if you are practicing with a number of them, then perhaps this will help.

Ready for A Hoverboard?

Jeff

You might be asking yourself: “What is a Hoverboard?” A hover board is a personal transportation device that is like a smaller, lighter, less robust cousin of the Segway. Think of it as a motorized skateboard of sorts.

Below is a video that demonstrates the basic function of a hoverboard. Some of the points highlighted in the video include:

  • Device weight…
  • Maximum speed…
  • Range..
  • Max Load…
  • Price…

Once you have your hoverboard, and if you practice enough, perhaps you will be able to use it to create a YouTube viral video like the one below. Good luck with that!!!

Disclaimer – Any device that is motorized and/or offers transportation options has the potential to cause physical and financial harm. Take due precautions and considerations when using such a device. Parental supervision is strongly recommended.

Huge Hug – Hug of the Century Perhaps

Jeff

The story attached to this video explains that the woman found the lion sick and near death and took the lion with her to nurse it back to health. Once the lion was restored to good health she made arrangements for the lion to live at a “zoo.” When she returned to visit some time later, the lion had quite a hug for his friend.

NOTE – The soundtrack may be a bit loud so you might want to turn it down or off!

Read more details about this story at White Wolf Pack

Trey Ratcliff’s Drone Photography in London – Seven Dials

Jeff

T. Ratcliff Drone Shot of Seven Dials-London

 

The picture above was a screen shot taken from Trey Ratcliff’s video below. It is of an area in London referred to as Seven Dials. Here is what Wikipedia reports about the area:

“Seven Dials is a small road junction in Covent Garden in the West End of London where seven streets converge. At the centre of the roughly circular space is a pillar bearing six sundials, a result of the pillar being commissioned before a late stage alteration of the plans from an original six roads.”

If you are interested in how Trey uses a drone to get some amazing pictures, the video below shows his team in action in London. Drones, of course, are not always popular and have gotten some negative press of late, but no one can deny the awesome views they enable.

Video – African Wildlife Photography Workshop

Jeff

The video below has a wide array of beautiful scenes including animals, landscapes, aerial portraits of interesting geographical areas and a vibrant soundtrack. If you like music, animals or photography, you will probably enjoy this video.

At about the seven minute mark of the video, a very light hued, young male lion comes running toward the people as though there is going to be a confrontation, but apparently this scene and the following were filmed in an area of a wildlife park where the animals interact with humans…still amazing to be that close to such a powerful animal.

African Wildlife Photography Workshop from Martin Harvey on Vimeo.

The Vimeo website for this particular film includes the following description:

A ten day photo safari starting in the Lewa Wildlife Conservancy Kenya. A short helicopter safari to north Kenya. Then in South Africa to Glen Afric, the Lion Park and ending in Tswala Kalahari Reserve.

With thanks to R.C. , Sirikoi Game Lodge, Tropic Air Kenya, Mario Magongo, Vicky Brooker, Glen Afric, Alex Larenty, Lion Park, Tswalu Game Reserve.

Additional aerial footage supplied by Tropic Air Kenya.

By Martin Harvey wildimagesonline.com

Pickleball Dinking Drill with Matt and Brian Staub

Jeff

Two of the nation’s best Pickleball players, Matt and Brian Staub, present a video detailing how to practice dinking. For many dinking may mean getting the ball just over the net to land short in the kitchen, but as you watch this video, notice how the Staubs hit most of their dink shots with some force to get the ball near the opponent’s kitchen line. Also take notice of how good they are at following the ball and hitting those short volley returns out of the air.

How many dinks like those they hit can you do in a row?

Quoted from the YouTube Video Notes (emphasis added):

Matt and Brian Staub practice dinking. Staying compressed is crucial during all dinking drills, this keeps you in a ready position and prevents your head from bobbing up and down which changes your eye level. This is also a great way to practice your short-hopping and blocking technique.