Round Robin

Our last summer Round Robin was a big success. Thanks to Gene Bohman's suggestion, we played two separate tournaments, one ladies and one men's. It was a nice change and everyone enjoined it.

We had fierce competition between ourselves and the wind. Sometimes the wind won!

The ladies winners were: 1st Diane lambert,  tie for 2nd Pat Wehmeyer and Kathy Zugel, 3rd Sharon Stangel.

The men's winners were: 1st Tom Rieman, 2nd Harold Kislweski, 3rd Gene Bohman

Thanks to everyone who donated prizes. As you can see we had a table full of very nice gifts. Don't worry, we saved some for the next time in case you weren't able to join us today.

After the competition we had a feast. Everyone brought food and you know it's always delicious. I think we'll have to request recipe cards to be handed out next time. We sure do have good cooks in our group.

Stretches and Pickleball 411 Channel

Here's information from the USAPA Newsletter.

 

Fitness...
The Benefits of Stretching...

By Barbara Wintroub
 

Next month I will travel to Arizona to get certified in Fascial Stretch Therapy, just in time to share my knowledge with all of you at Huntsman, Nationals VI and in this column. Flexibility is the ability to move muscles and joints during pickleball play without getting injured. Flexibility is achieved by stretching -- preferably correctly. Warming up the muscles first is key for the best stretching. The warmup simulates the pickleball movements like forehand, backhand and overhead. Add some jogging in place and moving sideways around the court to warm up the lower body. The two stretches below should be done every day in the afternoon when you are good and warm. The first is Prayer Stretch, which stretches your triceps, neck and back. The second is a hip stretch that also stretches your back. I do these while watching TV. As we age we lose 10 percent of our flexibility every 10 years (move it or lose it). Better get started ASAP.

 

 

Hip Stretch: Sit on hip with knees bent at a 90 degree angle. Lean forward. Hold for a count if 20 or longer then change hips. Repeat several times.

 

 

 

Prayer Stretch: Place elbows and forehead on the net as if praying. Pull body away until stretch is felt in neck and shoulders.
 

Ed. Note: Fitness guru Barbara Wintroub is the author of Fighting Gravity. 

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The Pickleball Channel is a great resource. Be sure to click on their Home Page to see a variety of helpful videos.

Pickleball Channel...
The Third Shot...

It is common knowledge that the third shot typically should be soft and drop in your opponents’ non-volley zone. For more about how that is done, visit the Pickleball Channel’s Pickleball 411, where the Villages’ Matt and Brian Staub walk you through the process.

RULES AND STROKES

I thought some of you might want to see the basic rules as well as how to execute basic strokes. Check out the "How to win at Pickleball" list.

Basic Rules Overview

 ·         Pickleball is played either as doubles (two players per team) or singles; doubles is most common

·         The same size playing area and rules are used for both singles and doubles

The Serve

·         The serve must be made underhand.
·         Paddle contact with the ball must be below the server’s waist (navel level).
·         The serve is initiated with at least one foot behind the baseline; neither foot may contact the     baseline or court until after the ball is struck.
·         The serve is made diagonally crosscourt and must land within the confines of the opposite diagonal court.
·         Only one serve attempt is allowed, except in the event of a let (the ball touches the net on the serve and lands on the proper service court; let serves are replayed).

Service Sequence

·         Both players on the serving doubles team have the opportunity to serve and score points until they commit a fault *(except for the first service sequence of each new game).
·         The first serve of each side-out is made from the right-hand court.
·         If a point is scored, the server switches sides and the server initiates the next serve from the left-hand court.
·         As subsequent points are scored, the server continues switching back and forth until a fault is committed and the first server loses the serve.
·         When the first server loses the serve the partner then serves from their correct side of the court (except for the first service sequence of the game*).
·         The second server continues serving until his team commits a fault and loses the serve to the opposing team.
·         Once the service goes to the opposition (at side out), the first serve is from the right-hand court and both players on that team have the opportunity to serve and score points until their team commits two faults.
·         In singles the server serves from the right-hand court when his or her score is even and from the left when the score is odd.

*At the beginning of each new game only one partner on the serving team has the opportunity to serve before faulting, after which the service passes to the receiving team.

Scoring

• Points are scored only by the serving team.
• Games are normally played to 11 points, win by 2.
• Tournament games may be to 15 or 21, win by 2.
• When the serving team’s score is even (0, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10) the player who was the first server in the game for that team will be in the right-side court when serving or receiving; when odd (1, 3, 5, 7, 9) that player will be in the left-side court when serving or receiving.

    Double-Bounce Rule

·         When the ball is served, the receiving team must let it bounce before returning, and then the serving team must let it bounce before returning, thus two bounces.

·         After the ball has bounced once in each team’s court, both teams may either volley the ball (hit the ball before it bounces) or play it off a bounce (ground stroke).
·         The double bounce rule eliminates the serve and volley advantage and extends rallies.

Non-Volley Zone

·         The non-volley zone is the court area within 7 feet on both sides of the net.
·         Volleying is prohibited within the non-volley zone. This rule prevents players from executing smashes from a position within the zone.
·         It is a fault if, when volleying a ball, the player steps on the non-volley zone, including the line and/or when the player’s momentum causes them or anything they are wearing or carrying to touch the non-volley zone including the associated lines.
·         It is a fault if, after volleying, a player is carried by momentum into or touches the non-volley zone, even if the volleyed ball is declared dead before this happens.
·         A player may legally be in the non-volley zone any time other than when volleying a ball.
·         The non-volley zone is commonly referred to as “the kitchen.”

Line Calls

• A ball contacting any line, except the non-volley zone line on a serve, is considered “in.”
• A serve contacting the non-volley zone line is short and a fault.

Faults

·         A fault is any action that stops play because of a rule violation.
·         A fault by the receiving team results in a point for the serving team.
·         A fault by the serving team results in the server’s loss of serve or side out.
·         A fault occurs when:

•      A serve does not land within the confines of the receiving court
•     The ball is volleyed before a bounce has occurred on each side
•       The ball is hit out of bounds
•        A ball is volleyed from the non-volley zone
•        A ball bounces twice before being struck by the receiver
•        A player, player’s clothing, or any part of a player’s paddle touches the net or the net post    when the ball is in play
•       There is a violation of a service rule
•         A ball in play strikes a player or anything the player is wearing or carrying
•          A ball in play strikes any permanent object before bouncing on the court

 

 

HOW TO WIN AT PICKLEBALL

1.       Perfect the serve. Be sure it is ALWAYS in.

2.       Return the serve at the receiver’s feet.

3.       Do not play balls headed for out of bounds

4.       Return fast shots defensively

5.       Let your partner take easy his/her easy forehand shot

6.       Place the ball at your opponent’s feet when possible

7.       Play at the Non-Volley Zone (kitchen) line

8.       Play high percentage shots down the middle

                                    BASIC STROKES AND TECHNIQUES

 GRIP

·         There is only one grip in Pickleball which is the Continental grip.

·         Shake hands with your paddle with the paddle face perpendicular to the ground

READY POSITION – “Paddle UP”

·         Paddle and elbow should be out in front of your body with the non- dominant hand resting on the paddle face.

·         Feet are shoulder width apart

·         Weight is on your toes

·         Assume the ready position when your opponent’s ball contacts the paddle.

THE SERVE

·         Use a bowling motion

·         Place on foot in front of the other with weight on back foot

·         Point your paddle head toward the ground with knees bent

·         Toss or drop the ball in front of your body

·         Step toward the target with your front shoulder pointing at the target

·         Swing in an upward motion with the paddle below the wrist and watch the ball contact your paddle below the waist

·         Follow through in the direction of the target

·         Step back behind the baseline in anticipation of the return of service

RETURN OF SERVE

·         The safest return is deep and down the middle of the court

·         The next best return is deep and to the backhand side of your opponent keeping the ball well within the court

 FOREHAND GROUND STROKE (right handed player)

·         With Continental grip, ready the paddle back into position with your left hand as a guide to keep the paddle level

·         Step toward the ball with our left foot to make contact while pointing your shoulder toward your target spot

·         Your left hand is out in front of you for balance

·         Watch the ball make paddle contact

·         Keep a firm wrist and pretend you’re hitting through 4 balls in a row during your follow through toward your target spot

·         If hitting a low forehand shot, bend your knees keeping your right knee as close to the ground as possible. Stay down all the way through the shot

·         Return to the ready position.

 

BACKHAND GROUNDSTROKE

·         Run to the spot where the ball with be as close to waist high as possible

·         Set your feet side by side (closed stance) pointing your right shoulder at your target spot

·          Bend your knees on low balls and stay down through the shot

·         Step with your front foot toward your target

·         Paddle face should be perpendicular to the ground.

·          Contact point is out in front of your front foot.

·         Keep a firm wrist, watch the ball hit your paddle

·         Make a long follow through toward target spot pretending you’re hitting through 4 balls in a row.

THE DINK

·         Stand just behind the “kitchen” line squarely facing the net

·         Paddle is held high in the ready position out in front of you

·         Allow the ball to bounce in the kitchen

·         Step into the kitchen with one foot and softly hit the ball over the net so it lands in your opponent’s kitchen

·         Aim for your opponent’s feet or the middle of the court

·         Immediately step back out of the kitchen and return the paddle to the ready position