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.