The longevity of a pickleball paddle is based on the frequency of play, the aggressiveness of your strokes, temperature, common-sense care, and several other variables.
The issue never occurred to me until two weeks ago when I was having a dreadful night on the court. Rather than self-reflect and recognize that I was tired, distracted, and frustrated, I did the next logical thing–I blamed my paddle. Equipment malfunction!
I often marvel that NFL players can take monster hits and get back to their feet unscathed. Meanwhile, I’ve pulled muscles getting out of bed, making a cup of coffee–even sneezing! But I digress. The point is that many articles surrounding pickleball being a dangerous sport are clickbait. Or worse yet, these awful articles are designed to undermine the sport’s growth. If you’re living and breathing, you are prone to injury. And there will always be freak accidents. But that said, people who play pickleball are prone to specific injuries. Here are the eight most common pickleball injuries.
Pickleball terms and terminology don’t differ all that much from tennis and other sports. Well, except for the occasional ‘dink’ or ‘Erne!’ 🙂
The sport known as “ping pong on steroids” brings a vernacular as unique as the game itself. Here is a running list of pickleball terms to help keep you in the know.
Please let us know if we missed one of your favorite pickleball vocabulary words.
Looking for a good time off the court? Use our printable Pickleball Word Search puzzle. And grab the answers here if you get stumped.
Ace – A serve untouched by the receiver, granting a point to the service player.
ATP (Around-the-Post) – Often the result of a super-wide dink, this shot is hit around the net post; the ball may or may not travel over the net.
Backcourt – The part of the pickleball court that lives close to the baseline.
Backspin – A ball struck in a manner that gives it a backward spin. These balls tend to stay low to the ground but tend to float if not executed properly.
Backswing – The extension of the arm before hitting the pickleball.
Banger – A pickleball player who relies on forceful hits as opposed to dinks or soft shots. Think POWER over placement.
Baseline – The 22-foot line furthest from the net.
Block Volley – A volley that is carried out by moving the paddle in the path of the ball and deflecting it back into the opponent’s kitchen.
Carry – A legal paddle strike that occurs in a continuous motion but could see the ball ‘carry’ on the face of the paddle or even double hit.
Centerline – The 15-foot line down the middle of the court dividing the even and odd service courts.
Dead Ball – A ball that can no longer be returned; the point is over.
Dink – A shot often hit from your kitchen line that lands in your opponent’s non-volley zone.
Dink Volley – When you return a dink on a fly and softly volley it back into your opponent’s non-volley zone.
Double Bounce Rule – Exclusive to pickleball, the ball must bounce twice: once on the serve and once on the service return before a player is allowed to hit the ball out of the air.
Double Hit – Hitting the ball twice during the same stroke; the offender does not get the point. See “Carry.”
Drop Shot –A soft shot, often with spin, that lands in your opponent’s kitchen. It is designed to change the pace of play or make your opponent advance towards the net.
Erne – A volley hit close to the net by a player positioned outside the left or right boundary of the non-volley zone. Named after Erne Perry, the shot’s ‘inventor.’
Even Court – When facing your opponent(s), this service area is on the right side of the court.
Fault – A serve being hit out of bounds or into the net; a fault results in a “dead ball.”
First Server – The person on the right during doubles serves first.
Foot Fault – There are two types of foot faults: when the server’s foot is touching the baseline when serving or when a player’s foot touches the non-volley zone during play.
Footwork – How your feet move and react to execute shots and balance.
Forehand – The opposite of the backhand; executed by swinging the paddle across the body with the hand moving palm-first.
Ground Stroke – A ball strike after a single bounce that typically occurs from or near the baseline.
Half Volley – A shot that is hit immediately after the ball bounces creating contact well before the ball peaks.
IPTPA (International Pickleball Teaching Professional Association) – One of two sanctioned pickleball certification programs for instructors.
Kitchen – Jargon referring to the Non-Volley Zone.
Lob – A shot hit over your opponent’s head designed to send them back towards the baseline.
Midcourt – The area of the court between the kitchen line and the baseline, aka “transition area” or “no man’s land.”
Mixed Doubles – Male/Female vs. Male/Female
Non-Volley Zone – The 20′ x 7′ area near both sides of the net where the ball cannot be hit on a fly, and you may not purposefully enter– aka the “kitchen.”
Overgrip – Griptape placed over existing grip tape on a paddle’s handle to increase the size, provide an additional cushion, or absorb sweat.
PPA – Professional Pickleball Association; tour consists of professionals competing for payouts
Paddle Tap – Opponents tap the butts of their paddles at the net after a match.
Passing Shot – A groundstroke that passes an opponent positioned at or near the kitchen line
Poach – When a player moves across the court, possibly in front of their partner, to hit a volley
PPR (Professional Pickleball Registry) – One of two sanctioned pickleball certification programs for instructors.
Ready Position – Knees bent; feet shoulder-width apart; paddle in front of your body as you wait to hit the ball
Second Server – The person on the left during doubles serves second.
Sidelines – Two 44-foot lines that run down both sides of the court from baseline to baseline.
Side-out – When the serve opportunity shifts to the other person or team.
Singles – One vs. One
Skinny Singles – Pickleball practice or a game that uses only one-half of the court vertically.
Slice – A shot hit with undercut/backspin.
Smash – Overhead shot favored by ‘bangers.’
Stacking – A strategy used where doubles partners position themselves to keep one player on a particular side of the court as opposed to standard positioning.
Third Shot Drop – A shot that arcs upwards and lands softly into the opponent’s non-volley zone.
Topspin – The ball will continue to travel forward when it lands, unlike topspin which can redirect or slow down.
Two Bounce Rule – After the serve, each side must let the ball hit their side of the court first before the first volley is performed.
Unforced Error – Exactly what it sounds like. 🙂
Volley – A ball hit out of the air before it bounces.
Have we missed one of your favorite pickleball terms or sayings? Please let u know if the comments section, and we will continually update this post.
Why is it called pickleball is a question that has sparked much debate, particularly over the past few years as the sport has grown. Today, pickleball is played by over 37 million people in the U.S. and more around the world, all of who enjoy its fast-paced and competitive nature. So where did the awesome game get its salty name?
The drive is an essential shot in pickleball. From catching your opponent off-guard with speed to set up your follow-up shot, a solid pickleball forehand drive is a must in your arsenal. So when is the best time to get aggressive and drive the pickleball?
While Merriam-Webster foolishly chose “gaslighting” as the word of the year, I like my choice better: pickleball.
The three-syllable noun defined my 2022. I started with the sport in March, yet it feels much longer, and that’s a good thing!
I set a goal to play the sport with minimal expectations. But I fell in love; all-consuming love!
Over the past year, it has been impossible to escape the pickleball fever that has swept the nation. But, as the fastest-growing sport continues to claim more pickleball addicts, many people are wondering why is pickleball so addictive.
You probably find yourself playing more and more if you are a player. And when you’re not playing pickleball, you are thinking about pickleball or talking about pickleball or dreaming about pickleball. What gives?!
I finally figured out why I’ve run into a bit of a wall on my pickleball journey during one of my casual weekly leagues: I’ve become a marked man.
At first, it was my age. Despite being in my mid-forties, I was one of the younger players. This would often lead to players making excuses about their lack of mobility or agility when losing, but it did not stop them from attempting to slam the ball in my face. I was a target.
We’ve all been told countless times that a basic pickleball strategy is to get to the kitchen ASAP. And it’s great advice! But there’s more to it than just rushing up the court. Getting to the kitchen quickly is important, but effectiveness is key. If you make a poor approach, an experienced player will exploit your error more often than not.
