Rules Clarification - Service Position

If confusion is the first step to knowledge, I must be a genius...

One question that I have seen/heard several times is about the boundaries restricting from where the serve must be hit. In particular, the question of hitting the ball by reaching across the imaginary extended centerline is frequently asked.

A visual might help to explain. The following image shows a server in a typical position somewhere between the extended sideline and centerline with the paddle also within the same boundaries.

No Man's Land Drill

Make drills fun...

This post continues the Jordan Briones series of drills. As with his other videos, he makes this drill a game. This makes what otherwise can be a task into a fun exercise, meaning we all are more likely to do it. 

The fourth video, Pickleball Drill | No Man's Land Drill, covers drop shots from no man's land - that area between the baseline and the NVZ line. No one likes to play from no man's land because it is easy for the opponent to hit balls down to your feet. But everyone must play in this area as they transition from the baseline to the net. Therefore, it is important to learn to hit effective shots from this area. Jordan's drill helps the learning process along.

First, what is no man's land? Jordan describes it as follows.

Health Benefits from Pickleball

Pickleball really is good for you...even if your spouse thinks you just want to be alone...

A poster of the Pickleball Forum was looking for testimonials from players with regard to their health benefits they have seen from pickleball. As I have mentioned in the past, I look for information such as this for ammunition in the development of pickleball. His post follows and the replies follow that.

Hello, I am looking for some testimonials from people who have experienced a big positive change towards their health and wellness since taking on Pickleball, I am intending to use this information to write an article to gain more interest and to present to local councils and GP surgeries. If you rather would like to email them then just send me a PM or just post on this tread. Thank you all!!

- Age 70. I suffered from painful Trigeminal Neuralgia from Jan 2017 until surgery on Sep 1, 2017. During that 8 month period I had debilitating facial pain approximately 75% of the time when I was NOT playing Pickleball. However, I had NO PAIN while playing Pickleball. I mentioned this to my Neurologist and to my Neurosurgeon and both commented that moderate exercise alleviates the pain. I played a lot of Pickleball (approx. 20 to 25 hrs/week) during this period and found much comfort from the pain relief. BTW, surgery went fine and I am now pain free and expect to return to playing PB again within a few weeks.

Nationals Dink Lesson from Ben Johns

Knowledge - a secret to success...

Some of the pros gave lessons while at the recent USAPA National Championships in Arizona. Ben Johns gave a lesson in dinking and provides some great tips. Brian Ashworth was also in the video but the sound of his statements is so low that I could not pick up much of his advice.

The major points of emphasis in the video are:

Offbeat Sunday - Caption This - The Scream

An image is only enhanced by a caption...

Time to go to the Pickleball Forum again for Offbeat Sunday material. Another photo to caption.

• My lower back! Ben Gay help me now!

Hitting a Wall with Mark

The wall never loses...

Much like Chris Wolfe showed us in yesterday's post, Mark Renneson also has a wall practice. His video perspective is...let's just say, different. So different that image captures can't do it justice. Just enjoy the video on this Thanksgiving weekend. Oh the video is called Practicing your pickleball game without a partner.

Hitting a Wall...Literally

The wall never loses...

Need a drill partner but can't find one? As our friend from Atlanta, Chris Wolfe, says: "That wall, that wall is there for you every...single..day." Let's watch him take advantage of it in his video Pickleball Wall Drills - How to Play By Yourself.

In this video, Chris places a piece of tape at 34" high on the wall and 7' from the wall on the ground. He starts his practice with dinking.

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving

 from

A Pickleball Life

Hitting a Wall...Figuratively

When a wall blocks your progress, don't bang your head on it...

Everyone I know has reached a stage in their pickleball life where progress has stopped. Those who are not satisfied with that stage find ways to break down the wall that blocks them. Sarah Ansbury talks about her fight to improve and discusses ways that we can do it too. Her article Hitting a Wall…Is Your Game Stuck? is excerpted below and can bee read in full at the link.

Hitting a Wall…Is Your Game Stuck?

I love pickleball. I am crazy about this sport, as most of you are. One of the biggest things I love about pickleball is how much I can still learn and grow. However, at times I feel like I hit a wall…I feel stuck. Does this ever happen to you?...

2018 Asheville Area Tournament Promo 1

It takes real planning to organize this kind of chaos...

I mentioned, about a month ago, that plans were in the works for a new major tournament in the Asheville/Hendersonville area.  I have not said anything since because we have been working through a lot of the background issues. But we nearing the point of making an official announcement. I have been working on a promotional video as kind of a tease. 

Before releasing it to the greater pickleball world, I will make it available to readers of this blog.  Unfortunately, it is too big to load into this blog. Please click the image below to visit the Facebook page NC Mountain Pickleball to view the video.

A Fix

This note is a quick one. I noticed that I forgot to include the video in last week's Jordan Briones' video post (Forehand Dink Drill). That has been corrected. My apologies.

Backhand Dink Drill

Make drills fun...

This post continues the Jordan Briones series of drills. As I have mentioned, he does something I like very much. He makes drills a game. This makes what otherwise can be a task into a fun exercise, meaning we all are more likely to do it. 

The third video covers backhand dinks - those dinks where a player hits cross court to the player diagonally across the net. This is done just like the forehand dink drill, but this time from the backhand side. The players position themselves at the NVZ line in their respective left courts and use the entire width of the court for this drilling "game".

Offbeat Sunday - Unexpected Pickle Foods

Behold the power of the pickle...

Sometimes, the creativity of marketers surprises us. Such might be the case with these food choices.

Pickleball Paddle Materials

The right tool for the right job...

One of the most frequent questions asked about pickleball is "What paddle should I buy?". It is also one that is impossible to answer due to personal preferences and style of play. A good starting point, though, is an understanding of how a paddle is constructed and what the relative differences are between the types of materials. For example, a player needing more "feel" and less power may choose a graphite surface instead of a fiberglass surface. Pro-Lite has a very good article on pickleball paddle materials and what they mean to your game.

PICKLEBALL PADDLE MATERIALS – WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE AND WHY SHOULD YOU CARE?

Today’s pickleball paddles; what are they made of and why does it matter you?

Focus in the Immediacy

Focus on the outcome...

Over the past year, we have talked a lot about focus, and especially the need to focus on what is directly in front of you. One of the posts I rank at the top was The Most Important Shot, in which I discussed that the next shot determines how the rest of the rally will play out. Therefore, it should be the single point of focus at that point in time. More recently, I wrote a series about targeting in which I discussed that every shot should have a purpose.

Now, the RV Picklers have added their view in the article Pickleball Focus: Here and Now. Excerpts are shown below. Please visit the link for the entire article.

Learning Pickleball Focus

Happy Birthday, Kind of

If Plan A fails, there is always Plan B...

I had plans. Good plans. This blog turned 2 years old on November 2. I wanted to celebrate with a special post. Then I forgot...until today. So anyhow, Happy (Belated) Birthday to A Pickleball Life. Its been a good 2 years. I only hope that you have enjoyed it too.

This is post # 761. Let's keep it going.

The Power of Pickleball

Sport is a preserver of health...

I came across another really good article about the health benefits from pickleball, especially for the baby boomer generation. Below are some excerpts from the article, which can be read at NPR.org.

Pickleball For All: The Cross-Generational Power Of Play

Colorado Springs Gazette/MCT via Getty Images

It's a bright fall morning in Santa Cruz County, Calif., and the tennis area at Brommer Street Park is overrun with dozens of people. But they aren't here for tennis. Instead, cadences of pick-pock sounds fill the air as doubles players — many in their 50s and older — whack yellow Wiffle-like balls back and forth on eight minicourts.

This recreational craze, which has an estimated 2.8 million players nationally, has a quirky name: pickleball...

Pickleball, which borrows from tennis, ping pong and badminton, looks more manageable, and fun.

Asking for Directions

I only learn things when I ask questions...

Since my referee experiences, I have written a couple of articles about how to solve confusion on the court, mostly about player positioning. One of the most basic ways to figure out the answer is the simplest way - ask someone. Ask a ref if available. Ask your partner. Ask your opponents. As I said in one article - "Asking is not a challenge to one's masculinity". So don't be like the stereotypical male who won't ask for directions. Use your human substitutes for a GPS.

Sarah Ansboury's article Remembering the Pickleball Score shares the same advice. Excerpts are below.

There are a lot of things to think about on the pickleball court…many of these cause us stress.  Keeping track of your pickleball score should not add to your stress.

Forehand Dink Drill

Make drills fun...

As I mentioned last week, Jordan Briones has started a new youtube channel with a series of drills. Based on the first video, he does something I like very much. He makes drills a game. This makes what otherwise can be a task into a fun exercise, meaning we all are more likely to do it. The same is true of his second video.

The second video covers forehand dinks - those dinks where a player hits cross court to the player diagonally across the net. The players position themselves at the NVZ line in their respective right courts and use the entire width of the court for this drilling "game".

Offbeat Sunday: Pickleball Fever

Eat..sleep...dream...pickleball...

Live a pickleball life. Nothing more needs to be said.

2017 Super Senior World Pickleball Championships Photos

You earn medals at practice. You just pick them up at tournaments...

Last week, I reported the results for local players in the Super Senior World Pickleball Championships played in Griffin, GA. That article contained photos from Facebook. Like the USAPA Regionals, the tournament has since released a batch of official medal stand photos and random photos from around the tournament. Local players' photos are shown below.

Scott Siewert on the left

Teri and Scott Siewert in the center

2017 USAPA Atlantic South Regional Photos

You earn medals at practice. You just pick them up at tournaments...

A couple of weeks ago, I reported the results for local players in the USAPA Atlantic South Regional played in Griffin, GA. That article contained photos from Facebook. Since then, the tournament released a batch of official medal stand photos and random photos from around the tournament. Local players' photos are shown below. You will note that the photographer had a particular favorite. Sweet outfits, PJ.

PJ Dillingham

PJ Dillingham

USAPA Nationals to be Televised

Reaching the masses...

Lots of pickleball players are of the baby boomer generation and most certainly remember the old console TV. We called ours "Woody". I think pickleball is akin to Woody's maturity level in televisions. The US Open has been televised each of the last 2 years. But that has been all...until now. The USAPA Nationals will be televised in December.

But the media world is changing. Instead of being just telecast via normal means (cable, satellite, etc.), pickleball is also being livestreamed to your computer. It has been happening for awhile - both officially and unofficially (via smartphone). Beginning tomorrow, there will be official livestreaming in addition to the December telecast.  Have fun.