Welcome back to The Pickleball Clinic Newsletter!

Can you say “cock-a-doodle-doo”? Today, we’ll discover a pickleball court inside a barn, meet the youngest gold medalist in APP history, glimpse back at what pickleball used to look like, and a whole lot more!

Let’s dive in! 👇

When you think “barn,” many things may come to mind — chickens, cows, the classic red color with white trim.

Maybe you ask your messy kids if they were “raised in a barn” or rib your friends with “you couldn’t hit the broad side of a barn.”

But has a barn ever made you think of pickleball? Well, now it will! 👇😄

The pickleball court above, pictured in a recent Reddit post, is located in the upstairs section of a family farm in Washington State.

The barn was built around 1910 and the upstairs space is currently used for family parties, basketball, and of course, pickleball!

Oddly enough, it’s not even the only pickleball court in a barn in the state of Washington — the well-known Roller Barn in Oak Harbor now invites pickleballers to play on its roller rink during the day.

Is it a coincidence that both of these barn courts are in Washington? Probably not, especially since pickleball was invented there in the 1960s — and just last year, it became recognized by the state senate as the official state sport of Washington.

Didn’t know states had official sports, but that’s awesome!😃👍 So for all we know, there may be many pickleball courts in Washington barns — or in other states.

Do you know of one? Or of a pickleball court in another really cool location? Reply and let us know!

The undisputed best pickleball player in the world, Ben Johns, shared with us his tips for developing fast hands…

“There are a few things you can do for faster hands.

1. Literally hitting volley to volley with a drilling partner might be the most valuable thing you can do for quicker hands.

2. Figure 8 volley drill, where one player hits across their body and the other player hits straight, allows each player to transition from backhand to forehand instead of relying all on one wing.

3. Learning about body weight and when a player will be late on a shot allows you to anticipate which side of your body the ball is most likely to come to.”

For more on Ben, follow his Instagram and his travel business!

Shift with your partner!

Pickleball is all about percentages — which is why you should shift with your partner to follow the ball after you hit it. And at all times, one player should be covering the middle, and one player should be covering the sideline on the side that the ball was hit to.

This way, your opponents will see you and your partner in front of the easiest spots for them to hit. This makes it less likely that your opponent will be able to hit a winner. If you shift properly, you will be covering your opponent's high percentage shots, and you'll be more likely to be in position for your shots!

JOOLA is Gearing Up for the Holidays

Enjoy Holiday Savings at JOOLA with up to 50% off on select paddles including the JOOLA Solaire Paddle, Radius 14, Ben Johns Junior Paddle and more: https://joolausa.com/product-tag/sale/.

Want to finish an excellent point in style? Do it with an Erne.💪

8-Year-Old Pickleball Champ!

8-year-old Lily Fudge recently made history by becoming the youngest gold medalist in APP history with her win at the 2023 APP U.S. Indoor Championships in Illinois — take that Anna Leigh Waters.😂 (Just kidding, Lily actually looks up to Anna Leigh.)

If the last name “Fudge” sounds familiar, it may be because her mom is professional pickleball player, Megan Fudge.

Lily’s father, Ryler, is also an APP pro pickleball player — so Lily comes from pretty good pickleball stock. (Which reminds us, the kids of Andre Agassi and Steffi Graf have to be pretty good at tennis, right?)

But back to Lily, those who have watched her play say that she resembles her mom a lot on the court — and even employs the same “C’mon!” that Megan is known for.

When asked what it was like to watch her daughter play in the final, Megan said “It was absolutely nerve-wracking. I was trying to be calm on the outside so that she wouldn’t notice that my husband and I were super nervous for her.”

Lily’s brother, JR, also plays competitively — so look out pickleball world, this is one powerhouse family!

The Fudges, however, are not putting any pressure on their children to become pros. If that’s what the kids want to pursue, then they’ll be happy to support them. But if not, then that’s totally fine too. 👍

Sorry everyone — we just can’t help ourselves. 😄

It’s Time to Heal… Naturally

Who else is hurting after a pickleball match? Then you need to try Splish Naturals, the best CBD brand in pickleball! Splish Naturals brings restoration, revitalization, and rejuvenation to athletes all over the world — and it’s always natural! Check out their amazing products here.

Want to become a 5.0 pickleball player?

It’s not easy, but Matt is here to show us 4 things that all 5.0 players do.👇

Key takeaways —> 5.0 players do this…

• Transition between hard game and soft game

• Make good choices at the kitchen line

• Have patience and confidence in the transition zone

• Respect their opponents’ well-hit 3rd shot drops

Take a look at this picture from the 1970s! Despite pickleball being in its infancy, you can tell from the lines that this is a pickleball court with a basketball hoop, not the other way around.💪 And what a beautiful mountain backdrop! That court is sweet by today’s standards, let alone fifty years ago!

We have one bone to pick, though — why are all four players back? Was it just poor strategy? Or could the rules have been different back then? 🤔 If you think you may be one of the four players in this picture, let us know. 😂

Thanks for the read. See you soon!

- Your Friends at The Pickleball Clinic

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