Welcome back to The Pickleball Clinic Newsletter!

Think of someone or something that you love. They’re great, right? But nothing is perfect, and we’re sure there’s something about that person or thing that you would change if you could. Well, today, we’ll find out the one thing you would change about pickleball, discover where pickleball courts are being built overseas, watch how 5.0 players drill, and a whole lot more.

Let’s go! 👇

We all really love pickleball around here, but nothing in life is 100% perfect. That's why we recently asked all of you, "If you could change one thing about pickleball, what would it be?"

As always, we posed our pickleball-themed question to our community on our Instagram and Facebook accounts, as well as our Facebook group. And as always, you never fail to disappoint. So let's take a look at your answers...

One common response was, "The name." It's not the first time people have mentioned that they don’t love the name, “pickleball,” and it won't be the last. The problem is, what else would it be?

A couple of people suggested "smash ball" as an alternative. Not sure we love that, especially since that would just be focusing on the hard shots in our sport and not the soft ones.

Another common response was "No lobs." One suggestion was "Only one lob allowed per team." That's interesting. And someone else wrote "No lobbing 70+ year-olds." Also a good idea, but then people would start making fake IDs. 😂

Someone wrote, "Can’t think of a thing that I would change, I love the game." Perhaps a little brown-nosing? 😃 No, just kidding. Lots of people wrote "nothing," and honestly, we mostly agree with that.

Other common responses asked for implementing (or removing) rally scoring, getting rid of the Nasty Nelson, and allowing serves to hit the kitchen line.

Then there were a few comments that were hard to argue with, including "Men constantly giving unsolicited advice to women," and "Sandbaggers in tournaments."

And then there was this great idea: "Replace the kitchen with a snack bar. Still can’t step in, but at least there’s nachos."

Now that's brilliant! 😉 But the snack bar would have to be small. And what if your opponents hit the snack bar? Maybe that's automatically your point?

So there you have it. Keep giving us your awesome responses because we love reading them!

Take Just the Right Amount of Steps at the Kitchen Line

Find a medium between taking too many steps and taking too few steps at the kitchen line. Too many steps can put you off balance and waste precious time, and not enough steps will cause you to be reaching for the ball. I usually recommend taking 3-5 steps at the kitchen to adjust your positioning for a dink.

If anyone tells you that pickleball isn’t athletic, please send them this clip below. 💪

We asked pickleball’s greatest player of all time, Ben Johns, “What’s your favorite shot?”

“My favorite shot is definitely the backhand roll. I’ve done a number of videos on it and hit it very frequently. It’s smooth, it’s pretty, the result is often fun, there’s nothing not to love!”

_{You can follow Ben Johns on Instagram and YouTube!}

Dinking from the Rooftops!

Most of us know that pickleball is spreading all over the world — and Asia is no exception.

One country in particular where pickleball is taking off is India. According to a recent article in The Print, pickleball is what Zumba and yoga studios in Delhi were a decade ago.

In other words, pickleball is now the venue where young professionals are hanging out for nighttime games to catch up and to unwind.

Because of this new popularity, courts are being built everywhere — on unused farmland, in backyards, and even on rooftops. 👇

“Delhi-NCR has nearly 150 pickleball venues, yet the demand continues to outpace supply,” said Sammir Kapoor, the Director of Rebound Ace India, which manufactures and supplies sports flooring.

According to Kapoor, he now gets at least three calls a day from people looking to build new pickleball facilities or convert older badminton, tennis, or basketball courts.

And it doesn't look like the demand will be slowing down any time soon. “Pickleball in India is driven by entrepreneurs," Kapoor said. "[They] see it as a great investment opportunity and have a soft spot for sports.”

At least go play in another town. 🤣

Flying Through the Sky

We don't know the exact science behind it, but we do know that humans are mesmerized by round objects flying through the air. That's why we made balls for most of our favorite sports. (And even pucks and frisbees are still round objects. 🙂) Just envision playing pickleball, or any ball sport for that matter, with an imaginary ball. That would be fun for about 8 seconds. 

So do yourself a favor and get yourself some pickleballs — and not just any pickleballs, but the most balanced, consistent, and durable balls in the business — the Franklin X-40s. Get some today and use code “clinic15” for 15% off.

Many of you out there want to get to the prestigious 5.0 level. And that’s great — you should want to get there. But if you want to play like a 5.0 player, you’ve got to practice like a 5.0 player. Good thing founders of The Pickleball Clinic, Matt and Aaron, are here to demonstrate exactly what drilling at the 5.0 level looks like. Check it out below. 👇

Key takeaways:

• Begin with dinking straight ahead and then move into volleying straight ahead.

• Then play a down-the-line dink game where speed-ups are allowed. This will help you play “paranoid pickleball” so that you are always ready at the kitchen line.

• Move into cross-court dinking and practice moving your opponent around.

• Warm up your drops and then do a serve and step drill, where you serve and step back before hitting your third shot.

• Hit drives on the move, and then end with some skinny singles.

A new record for "largest pickleball lesson" was recently set in Highland Park, Illinois. Mark Miller's Munchkin Programs and the Park District of Highland Park teamed up with MLP's Chicago Slice to put on the event. The purpose was to introduce kids to pickleball, and a reported 484 kids between the ages of 5 and 13 participated in the lesson. "I made a living teaching tennis to little kids," Miller told ABC 7 Chicago. "I think pickleball is a lot easier to learn."

Hope you enjoyed the read. See you next week!

- Your Friends at The Pickleball Clinic

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