So, you want to play in your first pickleball tournament? I did. And here’s what I learned.
After playing in several leagues and learning more about pickleball over the past few months, I finally did it: I played in my first pickleball tournament. The outdoor event had me in the 35+ 3.5 doubles division, where the organizers would match me with a partner. The weather here in New York was 85ﾟ and sunny, with minimal wind.
If you are considering playing in an upcoming tournament, I learned a few things that I’d like to share.
You’ve read the hype and are ready to start playing pickleball. The problem? You’re not 100% certain about what you need to do next. So relax. Pickleball Rookie has you covered with everything you need to step onto the pickleball court this week. There are no silly questions, and we’ll keep it super basic with this Pickleball 101 lesson.
Pickleball is more than a recreational sport to me. I aspire to make it part of my profession; how I make money.
And I am a realist.
I am not going to be a professional pickleball player. I’m not going to make money from playing in tournaments. And, as of today, I don’t have the money to open up my dream pickleball hall that serves up draft beers, dim sum, live music, and features state-of-the-art courts.
Hey, a guy can dream.
However, there has to be a way to tap into my entrepreneurial spirit and connect pickleball to my career. The seeds are this very blog that you are reading. Pickleball Rookie is my attempt to take what I know–creating content that people and search engines enjoy–and leverage the site to build relationships and uncover opportunities that help spread love for the sport. Filling my heart with joy would be nice, too.
As I approach the six-month anniversary of playing pickleball for the first time, it is time to set several goals for the remainder of the year. So here they are, laid out in public glory for all to see. That’s my brand of accountability!
Pickleball doubles scoring uses three numbers: [Serving Team Score] – [Receiving Team Score] – [Server Number 1 or 2]. You only score points when your team is serving. The game always starts at “0-0-2” because the starting team only gets one server before a side-out.
The very first time I picked up a pickleball paddle and drove down to my local tennis center to take a group lesson, the instructors warned, “you will all leave knowing how to play the game, but learning to keep score will take you months.”
Perhaps a bit of an overstatement, but I did wonder at the time if the scoring system was devised to filter out a segment of people unwilling to learn something new.
I recently chatted with a neighbor looking to add a makeshift pickleball court to his property on a limited budget. With minimal asphalt to work with, he asked me, “can you play pickleball on grass?”
My answer was abrupt, “hell no!”
But after taking a beat, I started to wonder…if the grass is short enough and the pickleball ball was swapped out for something with a bit more bounce, could it work?
If you are getting beat at the net, it’s usually not because your reflexes are slow—it’s because your paddle is in the wrong place. “Hand Speed” is actually Paddle Position Efficiency. To win the firefight, you must eliminate your backswing, keep your paddle in the “11 o’clock” position (The Shield), and practice until your reaction becomes automatic. The fastest way to improve? Ten minutes a day against a wall.
Are you wondering how to increase hand speed to level up your pickleball game and dominate your opponents? Or at least give yourself a fighting chance to win some points against higher-level players?
If so, you’re in luck! This blog post will explore some exercises and training advice that can help increase your hand speed. Hand speed is essential for playing well in pickleball – if you can’t hit the ball quickly, you’ll be at a disadvantage against more skilled players.
When I first embarked on my pickleball journey, one of the first questions I needed to answer was how to practice pickleball alone.
Even though I come from a recreational tennis background, the thought of showing up to the court never having held a pickleball paddle was a frightening proposition. My first step was to develop several pickleball drills to do by yourself. I started by hitting the ball against a wall in my house using nothing but some painter’s tape at the 3-foot mark to indicate the height of the net (a pickleball net is actually 34 inches high in the middle).
The pickleball lob is a strategic shot designed to push your opponents back to the baseline, opening up the court for an attack. It is most effective against players with limited mobility or when the sun is in their eyes. To execute it safely, you must disguise your motion and aim deep into the opponent’s backhand corner.
The pickleball lob shot can be the key to victory–or the reason why you aren’t invited back to play! The lob is one of the most frustrating pickleball shots for many players to defend against. This post will examine when to lob, when to avoid it, and how to execute it to perfection.
This post is about winning points and matches, not necessarily “playing nice.” While many players find the lob the “easy way out,” it can be a fantastic tactic if you pick and choose your moments.
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.
Playing pickleball doubles can be a lot of fun, but it takes some practice to get good at it. To play well with a partner, you need to communicate effectively and work together as a team. Here are five tips for playing better pickleball doubles.
