Pickleball Rules Refresher: But my friends said it was in!

   I heard from some friends who played in a pickleball tournament last year in a non-medal match, hence no ref's; and their opponents kept questioning their calls, and there seemed to be questionable line calls on his end as well. At one point the opponent said, "You don't believe me? Just ask my wife, and her sister on the bench, even she saw it was in!" So when I'm playing a game tournament or not, if i am unsure about a line call on either side, can I just ask somebody on the sideline about their opinion?
   According to IFP (USAPA) rules it states:
6.D.3. Spectators should not be consulted on any line calls. Spectators may be prejudiced, unqualified, or not in position to see the call, and therefore cannot participate.

What does Pickleball International do?

 

Pickleball International aims to be the best possible resource to pickleball players across North America, and hopefully internationally. We sell new & factory second pickleball paddles from S-Type sports, pro-lite sports, pickleball Inc., Spikes ZZT sports, and possibly new brands in 2012, including our very own Canadian made custom pickleball paddle. We sell indoor & outdoor balls, grip replacements, portable nets, shirts, and maybe some pickleball jewelry in 2012 as well. We are available to attend any pickleball group in the lower mainland to advise of paddle sales, and are looking at attending tournaments and trade shows in the New Year. This blog has become THE destination for those folks who want to advance their pickleball game with helpful tips on: rules, strategies, paddle reviews, and upcoming tournaments.

The world is full of pickleball choices...Let us be yours!

Pickleball Rules Refresher: Imaginary lines?

I played with a partner the other day who would serve from just outside the "imaginary service side lines." He said he does it to maximize his ultra slice & spin serve. He also said that as long as he was behind the baseline he could serve from anywhere. Is that true?
According to the IFP rules it states:

4.D.    Service Foot Fault. During the serve, when the ball is struck, the server’s feet shall not:


4.D.1.Touch the area outside the imaginary extension of the sideline.
4.D.2.Touch the area outside the imaginary extension of the centerline.
4.D.3.Touch the court, including the baseline.

Pickleball Strategy: Hitting the overhead

Never........never........never..... back up while facing the net in an attempt to hit an overhead. You are to likely to lose your balance leaning back and fall and hit your head. This is especially true for  seniors that are less agile on their feet than they used to be!

1. As soon as you see the lob coming, turn the shoulders and therefore the body and feet and get into a sideways position immediately.
1. This will allow the younger player and advanced senior players to move back athletically and jump off the back foot with a scissors kick.
2. The rest of us will try to back up sideways and then step forward with the front foot to hit the overhead.
3. On any lob that is high enough for you to move over and hit a forehand overhead, you should do so. Only use your backhand overhead when the ball is so low that you don't have time to move around it.
2. As you turn sideways, you should put both hands up high. The front hand should be up and is often described as pointing at the ball. Even if you don't actually point at the ball, which many players don't, it will serve to keep your head up and is good for balance. Keep your eyes on the ball looking over your left shoulder at the ball.
3. Don't forget to move your feet. Try to get right underneath the ball so that if you didn't swing at it, it would hit you on the forehead as you stepped into it with your front foot.
4. As you step forward and swing at the ball, your front hand comes down out of the way and you end up facing the net just as if you had thrown a ball.

Other Tips on hitting the overhead

Don't aim too close to the lines and make a lot of errors. Have patience and wait for a short lob before taking a chance.
If you often hit your overheads long, it is usually because you are not hitting the ball far enough ahead of you.
If you often hit your overheads short, it is usually because you are hitting the balls to far in front of you.
Use the middle. In Pickleball, it is often difficult to hit the ball away from two good defensive players. If your opponent hits a lob that makes you hit a smash from 3/4 court or farther, don’t try to do too much with your reply. Hitting a solid overhead down the middle can be a smart and effective way to keep your opponents on the defensive. The opposing team might be confused as to who should handle the overhead, and it draws them into the center of the court, creating more angles for your next shot. They will usually hit another lob, and if you get to hit it around the no-volley line, you are more likely to hit a winner from there.

Pickleball Strategy: Bop-it Bounce!

So for Christmas I got a neat gift from my eldest son to help keep my eye on my paddle and ball. The game is from Hasbro, who make an endless supply of board games every year. It's called "Bop-it Bounce." If you have ever tried the other bop-it games where you have to twist, pill, hit, and speak to it, this is an entirely different breed. This game involves a red hard foam ball (larger than a golf ball, and slightly smaller than a pickleball) and a trampoline fabric desert plate with a handle. I know sounds weird, but it's a really neat game. There are 6 different electronic games that all involve bouncing & keeping the red ball on the soft plate. Some of the games involves hitting the ball as many times in 30 seconds, or bouncing the ball as high as you can whilst keeping it in control, or where you have to hit the ball: low, medium, high continuously. I've taken some time to head outside, or in a large space indoors where I can focus on hitting the ball. In pickleball when I'm playing, there is alawys distractions: people yelling, balls flying past your head, bright lights, people walking in and out of your periphery; so we need to learn focus...like hitting a little red ball on a tiny plate. I know I can get distracted through other sources at pickleball, or my own playing mood can also affect my focus. But those are the times you take that break, take a breath, stretch, grab a drink of water, tie your shoes again. It gives you that edge to refocus not on hitting the red ball on the pklate thingy, but watching & hitting the"Holey" pickleball off you paddle.

A Pickleballer's last minute Santa list

 

As the children await the arrival of Santa Claus...what would a pickleballers list look like???

1. That I wouldn't hear anymore about Apikes & Hush!
2. A serve that slices, turns, and drops at all the right times.
3. A lob that hits right in front of the baseline and doesn't get slammed back.
4. That once in a while my hand and brain would work to hit the same ball.
5. That my drop shot will skim over the net effortlessly and stick to the opponents NVZ.
6. That I can find a great partner for my upcoming tournaments.
7. That I will get along famously with everyone at pickleball.
8. Those shiny new court shoes will be under my tree.
9. I can keep away from most of the treats...at least until March.
10. I can get a cool new paddle for all my family.

Pickleball International want to wish everyone a Merry Christmas, and thank-you for all you have done to teach me about new pickleball skills, getting exercise, having fun, and doing life together.

For me, Grant, I will celebrate with my family the true meaning of Christmas, beyond Santa, lists and commercialism. Jesus was born a baby tonight in Bethlehem that the earth could be saved.

Merry Christmas

Pickleball Strategy: Keep the score straight!

How many times have we been playing a pickleball game and an opponent shouts out the score, and there is lots of confusion? I know it has happened many times to me. Many times when there is confusion about the score, the score is off by one. If you knew whether the score should be odd or even, that would help you to know the correct score. There is a way to always know whether a team’s score should be odd or even.

At the start of each game, make a mental note of the player that served first for each side. If the rotation is done correctly, a team’s score will always be even when that player is on the right and odd when that player is on the left. As you call the score, use the player position as a double check on whether you have the correct score. If every player would use this technique, it would put an end to those long discussions about whether a team’s score should be 3 or 4.

As an aid to help everyone to keep the score straight, call the score before every serve, including the server number. It helps to call the score well before the serve to give everyone a chance to make a correction. It is very distracting to call the score while you are in your serving motion, especially if the score is wrong.

Pickleball Rules Refresher: Hand ball?

The other night my partner was struck in such a manner accidently that it was unsure where it struck him, and discussion ensued about whether that was legal hit or not. My partner declared that it struck the back of his paddle hand as he was returning a backhand. What does the pickleball rules say?
7.F.The ball in play strikes a player or anything the player is wearing or carrying. There is one exception to this rule: if the ball strikes the player’s paddle hand below the wrist, the ball is still in play. If the ball strikes a player standing out of bounds before a fault has occurred, that player loses the rally. In doubles, if the serve strikes the receiver’s partner, it is a point for the serving team, providing it is not a let serve or a fault serve. This rule also includes balls that appear to be hit out of bounds: during play, if you catch the ball or try to stop it from heading out of bounds, you lose the rally.
IFP Comment: If the player is in the process of changing hands with both hands on the paddle, or is attempting a two-handed stroke and either hand is hit below the wrist, then the ball is considered in play.

Pickleball Strategy: Good Spostsmanship

All of us can practice good sportsmanship when it comes to pickleball, or anything for that matter. Sometimes we get a little too serious in our games, and we forget our manners. Read through this list, and see if you need to put your attitude in check.

1.  The server should clearly call the score proior to each point.
2. Line calls: When calling a line shot in or out, if it is not clearly out...it must be called in.
3. Non-Volley Zone line: If you step on or over the NVZ line you must call it on yourself even if the opponent doesn't see it. 
4. Congratulate your opponent when they make a good get (Shot.)
5. Learn as much as you can about the pickleball rules.Play by its rules.
6. Talk politely and act courteously toward everyone before, during, and after game.
7. Eliminate accusing body language.
8. Do not question your opponents line calls, even if you are sure he/she has cheated you.

Pickleball is a great game that has new people joining daily, and Pickleball Canada taglines pickleball as: A game for all!" Petty fights on the court, bickering about shots we thought were in, it needs to stop. Some people define good sportsmanship as the "golden rule" of sports — in other words, treating the people you play with and against as you'd like to be treated yourself. You demonstrate good sportsmanship when you show respect for yourself, your partner, and your opponents.

Pickleball Strategy: Bend your knees

Bend your knees! But Why? 

• Bending your knees helps keep the paddle face square to the flight of the pickleball, which increases likelihood of solid contact. More control & placement of your shots.
• Preparing low allows you to hit with more power. Because force is generated with help from the ground, bending your knees places your body in better position to help trunk, hip, and shoulder rotation.
• Keeping your body closer to the ground allows for better balance because your center of gravity is lower. Not only does it give you more control, it allows you to recover faster.
• Bending your knees helps you cover the court better because it puts your body in optimum position to spring for the ball.

 

Pickleball Strategy: Punching

Obviously, we are not saying that we want to add a new element to the pickleball game through punching; but instead we are talking about striking the ball in such a way that it resembles a punch shot.
There are always those opponents that we all face that want to drill the ball at our heads, or other soft tissue areas, and we need to react quickly with how to return the ball, or jump out of the way to allow the ball to sail out. Most times the opponent is winding up their power death shot from the baseline, where he is on the defensive and just trying to return the ball. We should be at the net on the offensive in the ready position (knees bent, shoulders set, and paddle up by our chest.)  As the ball comes our way we literally have our fist in a punch mode (knuckles up - thumb down) with our paddle parallel to our body, and we give a solid punch at the ball. If we over swing the punch, we will fall forward on our face, if we are mamby-pamby about our grip the ball will bounce off our paddle, and give our face a right cross. If we are solid in our hits, the ball can easily be hit to either side slightly, or straight down the middle line.

Pickleballs = Jingle Balls

 

I don't usually do these videos, but it's the holiday season, and everyone needs a Christmas holiday diversion right?

Pickleball Strategy: More singles play

At right is Chris Miller, a Washington state resident who has been the reigning mens open singles champion for pickleball in the last few years. I've watched a video on his playing, and can see why he is the best. He is also a high ranking men's doubles player as well. He enjoys playing doubles, but longs for the singles games where you truly put your own pickleball strengths and weaknesses to the test. Singles uses the same size court as doubles, but forces you to make all your shots count, not relying on a partner. Pickleball singles is definitely about proper placement, and shot selection.

There has been a cry amongst our men's group for more singles play, and Pickleball International is looking for a new day and location to practice singles matches. Stay tuned! But for now, take time every week to play a game or 2 of singles for a great cardio & mental workout.

Pickleball Strategy: Buy court shoes

Every week it amazes me when people walk in off the street, and proceed onto the indoor court with the same shoes. It brings in dirt, water that can cause somebody, even you to slip on.
The major advantage in using the indoor court shoes are that
the outsole is made of non-marking material and this would not damage the indoor court surface. These shoes are also good in providing great lateral stability for perfect starts and stops that are needed in the sport.

Due to the fact that indoor court sports include quick and unexpected direction changes, indoor court shoes accomplish with multi-directional aspects like traction, stability, ankle support etc.

Moreover in the case of indoor games, they put lots and lots of stress on the shoes that are not common in conventional sports. However indoor court shoes are facilitated with sole reinforcement to meet all the hardships. Best gum rubber material is used in the soles.

Indoor court shoes keep your feet stay cool all the time and help you to play on any surface without slipping or making damage on the court surface by providing excellent grip. They also allow greater maneuverability.

Ankle injuries are very common in indoor court plays. However the indoor court shoes help prevent ankle injuries like Achilles tendon injury, metatarsal bone breakage, heel pain etc. They ensure you secure and sure footing. The excellent lightweight nature of the indoor court shoe is apt for making any move you need. The players enjoy the comfort all the time while using this kind of shoes in courts. 

Indoor court shoes can be purchased from any sports store locally from $50 +.

 

Pickleball Rules Refresher: Using a badminton court

Can a Badminton Court be used for a Sanctioned Pickleball Tournament?

You might be surprised to find out that the answer is No. If the tournament chair of a usapa sanctioned Pickleball Tournament used an indoor badminton court, he would be in violation of rule 2.A. of the USAPA Official Tournament Rule Book.

Official Dimensions of Badminton Court

“What? I thought you said a badminton court and a Pickleball Court were the same size.” Yes they are. The outside dimensions of a badminton court are 20 feet X 44 feet and so are a Pickleball Court (see diagram above). However, the front (short) serve line for badminton is only 6.5 feet from the net. That same line becomes the NV-Line for Pickleball.

That means the NV-Line is six inches closer to the net than it should be for a legal Pickleball court.

It has been considered moving the non-volley line from 7' to 6.5'. At the present time there is no intention of making this change. For the players with a longer reach it gives them that much more of an advantage at that line. With good players the dynamics of the game changes considerably when the line is moved to 6.5'. With that said any sanctioned tournament needs to play on courts with the 7' line. Most are doing this by putting down masking tape at this 7' line for Pickleball play.

I am not sure about you, but with the number of lines you find on a badminton court, life is already difficult, and now we have to add a new line 6 inches back from the short serve line, for 6 inches because it might give an advantage to a player with long arms.

It seems that a very short comment under Section 2.A. allowing a shortened NV-Line to be used for indoor play would be a simple solution to accomodate the rapid growth of indoor Pickleball.   

I understand that the majority of the play in the US is still outdoors on either dedicated Pickleball courts or tennis courts painted with proper Pickleball lines so they have no pressing need to change.

 

 

Excuse me, I guess I'll go take my

truck for a walk and stretch my arms.

 

Pickleball Strategy: 2 for 1 doubles play

"Most pickleball games are played as doubles. (You singles players out there can either skip this posting or keep it in mind for when you do play with a partner.) Doubles is a team sport, and I believe two players working well together will usually beat two players who don't work together as a team, even if the latter are each better individual players. I did a little research online to back up my thinking. While the statistics I found have to do with tennis, I believe they probably apply to pickleball as well.

The top men’s doubles tennis teams at the professional level don’t usually include players who are ranked very highly as singles players. There are exceptions and, in the case of the women’s teams, at least one of the doubles players is often a great singles player, too. But statistics indicate that two players who work well together often beat two players who may be individually better than they are but don’t work as well as a team.

 When we pair up with someone on the court, we almost never spend enough time discussing strategy or figuring out how we can capitalize on our combined strengths and minimize our combined weaknesses, yet that would be the logical thing to do since it would win us more points. Even people who have been playing with the same person for a long time should occasionally take a look at how they play together and examine their strategy critically to see how it could be improved."        Gale Leach (The Art of Pickleball.)

The Canadian National Tournament is in July 2012, now is the time to start finding & getting in sync with a partner for best results.

Pickleball Humour: Pickle Jokes

Q:  What's green and swims at the bottom of the ocean?
A:  Moby Pickle

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Q:  What's green and goes slam, slam, slam, slam? A:  A four door pickle.

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Q:  What's green and green and green and green? A:  A pickle rolling down a hill.

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Q:  What's green and goes click-click? A:  A ball point pickle

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Q:  What do you call a frozen pickle hanging from the roof? A:  An icepickle.

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Q:  What do you call a pickle who is a bad loser? A:  A sour pickle

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Q:  What is green and carries a gun.? A:  Marshall Dill

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Q:  What is green and flies through the air? A:  Super Pickle.

Pickleball Strategy: Smile!

AAARRRGGGHHH! Lately at Tuesday night competitive pickleball there have been picklers who are great players but are coming across like they themselves have been pickled!
Pickleball is a great game that can be played by all, and everyone should spend some time with the beginners to help teach the game, and in return you can play some good old fashioned, sweat filled, cardio-busting, ball smashing games with the intermediate and advanced...but smile, and make everyone know that this the great game that it is. Your smile is a great ambassador, your anger or bad tongue might make for some boring games with you and the wall.

I'm just saying!?! Am I right? Or am I right!!!

Pickleball Rules Refresher: The double hit carry

Last week at Pickleball there was discussion about whether a carry in returning the ball is legal?
A Carry you say?
Carry – Hitting the ball in such a way that it does not bounce away from the paddle but tends to be carried along on the face of the paddle during its forward motion.. We could also say this is a double hit. We know that striking the ball twice is illegal, so would a carry be considered illegal?
The IPF (International Pickleball Federation) states:
12.A. Carry and Double Hits. Balls can unintentionally be hit twice or “carried”, but this must be during a continuous, single-direction stroke. If the stroke is not continuous, not single-direction, or if it is a definite second push, the hit is illegal.

Pickleball Paddle Review: Pickleball Inc. "Kryptonite II"

Pickleball Inc. "Kryptonite II"

• The Paddle weighs 7.25 to 7.75 oz.
• Its strength is tied to high quality,dense core that does not come from the aircraft industry.
• The surface material is carbon fiber. The surface is the only part of the paddle made of these materials and is thinner than your finger nail. It's the quality of the core material that makes a great paddle.
• The handle is smaller in the center to better "cradle" your hand and give you a firmer hold.

Available in many colors: pink, yellow, green, black, blue, crimson. Please specify your color preference and we will send you that color, or as close to that color as posible. We cannot guarantee all colors are available.

The Kryptonite II is a very stable paddle that plays with that "POP" that comes with graphite paddles. I love the cradle handle, and the rainbow of colours available.

The Kryptonite II sells for $65 each.

Paddle Review: Pickleball Inc. "Predator"

The PREDATOR has been widely used in the Florida pickleball community for many years and has only recently become available in significant quantities to be offered nationally.
The PREDATOR has a hybrid carbon-fiber material knowing it resists wear then put over the composite core with the thickest density on the market to give the PREDATOR a much longer life.
Features

• Tapered  handle to make the center of the grip slightly smaller. This feature gives the player a unique hand cradle for superior paddle control.
•  Deluxe cushion/ribbed/vented gamma grip to reduce ball-on-paddle trauma. 
•  Double glued the edgeguard on every PREDATOR to reduce premature edgeguard departure.
• Tested many brands of premium industrial paints before finding one that gives us the exceptional anti-chipping qualities we were looking for. You're gonna love this paint!
• The PREDATOR weighs 8 to 8.5 ounces, is painted gray, crimson, and green with a black edgeguard and black screen print.
  
  The PREDATOR plays very nice: solid, powerful, and shorter grip with contours.
  It sells for $70 CDN.
  

Pickleball Canadian Nationals 2012 Announcement

2012 Pickleball Canada National Open Championship will be held on July 7 - 8, 2012, hosted by Abbotsford Recreation Centre, 2499 McMillan Road, Abbotsford, B.C. The 2012 Pickleball Canada National Open Championship will be open to all players including USA. There will be open (singles and doubles), 55+, 60+, 65+, 70+, under 55 in mixed, mens and womens doubles divisions.
There are 20 events with limit of players:



OPEN Singles Mens,
OPEN Singles Womens,
OPEN Doubles Mixed,
OPEN Doubles Mens,                                            
60+ Doubles Mixed,
60+ Doubles Mens,
60+ Doubles Womens,
65+ Doubles Mixed,
65+ Doubles Mens,
65+ Doubles Womens,
70+ Doubles Mixed,
70+ Doubles Mens,
70+ Doubles Womens
OPEN Doubles Womens,
Under 55 Doubles Mixed,
Under 55 Doubles Mens,
Under 55 Doubles Womens,
55+ Doubles Mixed,
55+ Doubles Mens,
55+ Doubles Womens,
60+ Doubles Mixed,
60+ Doubles Mens,
60+ Doubles Womens,
65+ Doubles Mixed,
65+ Doubles Mens,
65+ Doubles Womens,
70+ Doubles Mixed,
70+ Doubles Mens,
70+ Doubles Womens

You can register at Abbotsford Recreation Centre 2499 McMillan Road, Abbotsford, B.C.
Spaces are limited. Please register early !!!

We know the best pickleball players are from BC, so may as well give all the medals to us right?!?

Pickleball Strategy: Paddle position

Regardless of the stroke being used in pickleball, the position of the paddle in relationship to the ground and the net is crucial in determining where the ball is going to go. Assuming that you are hitting a straight shot and not putting spin on the ball, the ball will always come off of the face of the paddle at a right angle to the paddle face. When the head of the paddle is perpendicular to the ground, it is said to be a “square face” and the ball will come off of the paddle parallel to the ground. If the head of the paddle is angled down, the paddle is “closed” and the ball will travel downward from the paddle face to the ground. If the head of the paddle is angled up, the paddle is “open” and the ball will travel in an upward direction. Knowing this is important to the player who is attempting to correct his own errors. For example: if he is consistently hitting a ground stroke into the net, he needs to pay attention to the position of his paddle at the moment of contact with the ball. It’s highly likely that his paddle is in a “closed” position rather than “square”.

Pickleball Strategy: Putting the ball in play!

Whether you are playing pickleball recreationally or are interested in competing in tournaments, your object every day should be to “keep the ball in play”!  So many errors are committed by players who are intent on “putting the ball away” or “playing the perfect shot” with the result being the ball hit into the net or out-of-bounds.  When you commit an error, you’re giving the opponents the advantage by either giving them the serve or by giving your team only one more opportunity to serve.  Always hitting the ball over the net and in bounds puts the burden of “making the good shot” on the opposing team.  I’m not saying that you shouldn’t be aggressive offensively!  But work on keeping the ball in play first and, when you’re able to do that consistently, then think about “putting the ball away”!

Pickleball Rules Refresher: Server interference

At the mini-tournament and at past pickleball sessions there has been some discussion about interference when serving.  If your team is recieving the ball, and the ball is supposed to be hit to your partner's court, but it comes over the net cleanly and strikes you, or let's say, "I knew it was way out, so I caught it." NO!No!No!

Section 4c of pickleball rules states: 4.C.2.    Interference. If the serve clears the net and the receiver or the receiver’s partner interferes with the flight of the ball on the serve, it is a point for the serving team.

It is good practice to learn to not interfere in any way with the serve (Don't let it hit you! You're not playing baseball!) Yes, you might have to walk 10 extra feet to get the foul ball, but we could all use more exercise.

Tuesday Night Mens mini pickleball tournament Nov. 29, '11

This past Tuesday 11-29-11 at Pickleball we had a mini round robin tournament for the first 16 men that came. Anticipation was building to the blind draw pairings of doubles partners that would give each team 7 games. We started 20 minutes late, but gave everyone a few minutes to warm up, be friendly until competition began, then started into the night. We had no seeding, but instead lumped everyone into the same category, just to try out tournament mode, and playing with new partner pairings, and opponents. We could have easily had more guys, but next time.



Final results and pairings were:

•  1st         Warren P. & Rhys M.  (6 wins)
• T2nd      Brian & George,    Matt Khan & Mike Krab.,       Henri & Matt A.        (5wins)
• T5th       Matt Krab. & Warren Z.          Nathan K. & Gene L.    (3 wins)
• 7th         Justin M. & Pat T.   (2 wins)
• :)           Victor K. & Andre  (Had Fun!)

A great time was held by all and we finished on time!!! ARC staff was amazed and very happy:) Mini-tournaments teach us how to play with different partners, how to anticipate different opponents, and help us find that edge. We will try to do a tournament on Tuesday nights once a month trying different formats each time. And yes ladies...we will involve you next time.