Welcome back to The Pickleball Clinic Newsletter!

A sport needs to get picked up by young people in order to survive. Today, we'll check out an amazing new initiative in America's largest city, discover if pickleball actually provides a good workout, reveal two important lobbing tips, and a whole lot more.

Let’s go! 👇

A giant step in the direction of growing youth pickleball was taken earlier this month in New York City, as three pickleball entities came together to support the cause.

The program, called Conquer Kids, was recently established as a collaboration between Conquer (an NYC-based pickleball community and events platform), JOOLA (a premier pickleball paddle and equipment company), and the Brooklyn Pickleball Team (one of Major League Pickleball's professional teams).

Conquer Kids, in partnership with the Brooklyn Pickleball Team and JOOLA, has the bold and impressive goal of putting a pickleball paddle in the hands of every New York City public school student, of which there are more than 1 million!

Well, to get to a million, you've got to start somewhere, and Conquer Kids did just that on February 4th, as it started with roughly 7 schools throughout the city.

Students at those schools from second grade through high school across Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, and the Bronx (Staten Island will be coming soon) were exposed to pickleball through a combination of in-school instruction, after-school enrichment, and community-based programs.

The programming and coaching is being conducted by Conquer Kids, and JOOLA is not only helping out with marketing, but also providing the equipment — including balls, paddles, and ball caddies.

JOOLA had an existing relationship with the Brooklyn Pickleball Team (back when it was the DC Pickleball Team), and along with Conquer, they all had the shared objective of bringing the game to as many people as possible.

"JOOLA, Conquer, and the Brooklyn Pickleball Team ​are united by a shared vision — growing the sport and sharing the joy of pickleball with people of all ages and backgrounds,” said Craig Chester, Partnerships Director at JOOLA.

"Bringing pickleball into New York City public schools is exactly the kind of opportunity we live for. When you see the excitement on the faces of kids and teachers picking up a paddle for the first time, you're reminded of why this sport is so special.”

We couldn't agree more. Good luck on this great new venture, and cheers to spreading pickleball to kids all over the globe!

Always Stay Behind the Baseline After You Hit Your Serve

No matter how good your serve felt, it’s always easier to move forward into a shot than to retreat. If you creep in too soon and your opponent hits a deep return, you’ll be forced to backpedal into your third shot, which makes it much harder to stay balanced and controlled.

Crowding the line also leaves you vulnerable if the ball lands at your feet — one of the toughest positions to defend from. Give yourself space, stay patient, and move forward only after you’ve read the return.

Pickleball is being played all around the world, including Vietnam, where it has become very popular. Check out this sweet singles point. 👇

There are a lot of associations with "five" out there. There are "high fives," "five o'clock shadows," and "five-alarm fires." But it's time to make room for another one — the JOOLA Pro V. It's not just an update to the Pro IV, it's a reimagination of what's possible, starting with its all-new KineticFrame. 

Inspired by kick-point engineering in hockey sticks and golf clubs, the KineticFrame is built to flex and recover during impact. The Pro V comes in the existing shapes you know and love PLUS a new shape, the Kosmos, used by Federico Staksrud and Tyson McGuffin. But don't just take our word, the proof is in the pudding, as pros like Anna Bright and Ben Johns have already won tournaments using the JOOLA Pro V without needing any adjustment period. Pre-order your JOOLA Pro V today.

Welcome back to the section where we define a word or term that is widely used in the pickleball world…

Skinny singles (compound noun)

Skinny singles is a version of pickleball where two players play against one another. However, unlike regular singles, only half of the court is used at any given time. Players both line up on the right side of the court to begin and depending on the score, they either play out the point diagonally or down the line. Skinny singles is a great way to practice doubles — and you don't have to be skinny or single to play. 😂

We all love pickleball around here — and for a variety of reasons, including community, competition, and pure fun!

But is playing pickleball a good workout? Hmm, good question. We decided to pose that question to all of you via our Facebook and Instagram communities. Let's take a look at how you responded...

Some people gave responses like, "Absolutely," "Yes," and "Oh yeah it is!" Then others responded with answers like, "Not much," "Not really," "No, but it's fun," and "It's better than sitting on the couch." 😀

Representing the "yes" side, someone responded, "Playing 2-3 times a week for two hours each I’ve lost 35 pounds over 4 years. As a 75 year old it’s more fun than the gym."

But then someone from the "no" side responded to that very comment with, "I’m 81. Playing 4 times a week, haven’t lost 1 pound."

The exchange above really sums up our position on it, which is that it depends. And that's not just our stance, it was also a very popular response.

If you're playing hard and at a high level, then pickleball can provide a great workout — not because there is a lot of running, but because (kind of like boxing) there is a tremendous amount of energy expended by taking small steps and pivots in a relatively small space.

Just look at our friend, James Ignatowich, and see how much moving he does before he hits a sweet ATP. (Granted, most pros don't move quite that much, but they are still making tons of little movements throughout a point.)

Of course, if you're playing singles (and at a high level), then pickleball is even more of a workout because you have to cover the entire court! 

This might be how you feel, but you can’t ACTUALLY do this! 😀

We are very happy and honored that you take time out of your busy week to read this newsletter so you can improve your game and get caught up on everything happening in the world of pickleball. But if you want to join the conversation yourself, then you've got to join The Pickleball Clinic Facebook group, the largest online pickleball forum in the world. Join here!

The lob is a shot that’s being implemented more and more in today's game. But it's also a risky shot and one that is often used in the wrong situations. Good thing Coach Matt is here to show you two super important strategies to use whenever you decide to hit a lob.  👇

From churches and pyramids to modern-day skyscrapers, humans have long been infatuated with how tall we can build things. Well, pickleball players seem to be infatuated with something else — how many hours in a row people can play our sport without stopping.

So… a new record was set recently for singles, and it was achieved by Brad Haverkamp and Caleb Dang, two men from Grand Rapids, Michigan, who met through the local pickleball community. They played for 28 straight hours, which shattered the previous record of 24 hours.

Hope you enjoyed the read. See you next week!

- Your Friends at The Pickleball Clinic

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