Pickleball Ruling....Another Good Day

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Another day of good participation.  18 players showed up (including two new first time Pickleball players).  The two stayed the entire time and one said to me when they were leaving, "this is a better workout than tennis."  I smiled, because tennis is a great game as well, and if you can get a good workout in either, good for you.  Try playing our game as well.  Veteran tennis players say it really helps their footwork, their conditioning, and, their net game.

As the Ambassador for this area, I have stressed the importance of the third shot "dink."  The players are figuring it out the hard way as too many third shots are hit too hard or two high and result in lost rallies.  Today I saw a real concerted effort on the part of many players to get that third shot short in the NVZ, making the opponent hit up on the ball.  Hitting that soft third shot also allows you to get to the 7' line a little quicker.  The key to this shot:  Try not to hit a underspin dink.  Believe me, I hit too many of those myself, and the ball seems to float and stay elevated longer (unless you hit it perfectly).  a better technique....bump or push the ball back with the nose of the paddle down and the ball between your feet as you hit.  It takes some practice, but you will like the rewards.  Believe in feedback?  The feedback of the ball off of your opponent's paddle will tell you how you are doing on that third shot.  If they are hitting down or "not hitting up," you need to make adjustments.

The ruling on Monday's blog question....no infraction!  You must always play the ball and not the opponent.  The unsuccessful attempt to "help" the ball over is unnerving, but so is the fake poach, etc.

Today's tag line...."how did the ball come off your opponent's paddle."  Were you placing the ball at their feet and forcing them to hit up?  Think about it.  "As you dink, so shall you win."