David Zapatka One of the most common errors I see on the pickleball court is not being ready to play. What does this mean? Being ready to play means a number of things. It means being focused on the point at hand. Paying attention to debris on the court, listening to what someone is saying,…
Tag: Pickleball
Sports, October 2020
Pickleball Press—Player Development Program
Nancy Dowell Membership in SaddleBrooke Pickleball Association (SPA) is on the rise. The summer has seen a spike in new memberships, and the club could not be more delighted to welcome the new members. Once a resident becomes a member of SPA, he or she may take advantage of all the player development program has…
Sports, October 2020
Relishing Pickleball: The Overhead Smash
David Zapatka When your opponent hits the ball high in the air, above your shoulders, think overhead smash! The smash is one of the most fun shots in all of pickleball. It ends rallies with an exclamation point. Execute this fun, rally-ending shot using these seven steps: 1. Use many small steps to position your…
Sports, September 2020
SPA Offers Introductory Lessons for Beginners
Shawne Cryderman Any SaddleBrooke resident is welcome to attend the introductory lesson. The focus of the introductory lesson is to allow people of all ages and skills to have the opportunity to get on the court and play this fun, phenomenal, full of “good times” game. At the end of the intro lesson, participants will…
Sports, September 2020
Relishing Pickleball
David Zapatka Pickleball Bangers Are you getting tired of playing the bangers? They have one strategy; hit the ball as hard as they can. They rarely hit third shot drop shots. What can you do? There are two options. The first is the punch volley, a volley hit hard and deep. The second is the…
Sports, September 2020
Pickleball Press: Pickleball Is the Perfect “Social Distance” Sport
Nancy Dowell With the 7’ “kitchen” on either side of the net and the optimal 6’ separation between partners, pickleball seems to be the perfect sport given the current health concerns. It is clear that personal distance recommendations are going to be in place for much longer than anyone might have anticipated. It is important…
Sports, August 2020
Pickleball Press: Sports Hydration
Nancy Dowell Pickleball pro and instructor, Sarah Ansboury, permitted me to pass along her advice for playing pickleball in the heat. “Yesterday we went out to practice in the middle of the day. Needless to say, it was hot out there. Several of the players were struggling after just a few games. Some worried about…
Sports, July 2020
Pickleball Press: Harvey Durand—A Fighter On and Off the Court
Nancy Dowell Fighter might be too strong a word when we think of SaddleBrooke Pickleball Association (SPA) member, Harvey Durand. Anyone who has played pickleball with Harvey knows that he is a fierce and skilled competitor, but he also always has a huge smile on his face on and off the court. When Harvey faced…
Sports, June 2020
Pickleball Press: Zero-Zero-Two
Nancy Dowell For those not familiar with pickleball scoring, “zero-zero-two” is the declaration of the opening score by the first server of the game. I would elaborate about scoring, but it tends to be one of the more confusing parts of the game, so it is best left for the professionals or a therapist, or…
Sports, May 2020
Pickleball Press—Crazy for Pickleball
Nancy Dowell The pickleball craze is not going away any time soon. Data shows that, to stay relevant, senior communities new and old are embracing pickleball. Developments that offer pickleball as an amenity have a competitive advantage in attracting buyers. Buyers are demanding pickleball and builders, as well as existing communities, are responding. According to…