Welcome back to The Pickleball Clinic Newsletter!

Hey Pickleballers. Sure, the weather and political climate have been heating up the past few weeks. But if pickleball is in your life, then you’ll always be cool. 😎 😄 This week, we’ll compare pickleball to a dozen different sports, take a look at a recent record-breaking tournament, learn about when to hit a reset from Collin Johns, and a whole lot more.

Let’s go! 👇

One of the great things about pickleball is that you don't need any previous athletic experience in order to pick it up and enjoy the game.

With that said, pickleball is a sport, and if you like sports, chances are you played another one or two before you tried the best sport ever invented. 😄👍

Well, if you did come from another sport, here is a little guide to help you with the transition...

Badminton: It's similar in many ways, however you won't have to hit as many overheads. Also, our paddles are shorter and our balls don't have some weird plastic piece attached to it. 😄 Speaking of badminton's ball, the word "shuttlecock" can hang with any pickleball term out there. 😂 

Cornhole: The basic motion should help you out on several shots in pickleball, like a beginner serve and the dink and drop. Plus, you're already comfortable with having a vegetable be the first word of your sport. 😂🌽

Football: If you were a long-snapper, you might have an easier time hitting a tweener (a between-the-legs shot). If you were a quarterback, you’re used to scolding your teammate for not being in the right position. 😄 

Soccer: So you know how to move your feet well, which should help a lot with footwork. 👍 Now just one other small thing: learning how to use your hands. 🤔😆 

Tennis: If you come from tennis and want to envision pickleball, then close your eyes and picture a tennis court and racket. Now, just make everything a LOT smaller!

Table Tennis: Whoops, you went TOO small with your imagination from above and arrived here at Ping Pong. Close your eyes again and press the “enlarge” button a few times. Once you get between this and tennis, you’ll be at pickleball. 😄

So there you have it. Sorry if we left out your previous sport, but hey, six other ones aren’t bad. Let us know if we missed your sport, though. If we hear enough responses, we may have to write a Part 2.

Plant Your Feet Before Hitting the Ball

If your feet are moving while you are hitting your shot, it is likely that you will miss. This is especially evident in the transition zone, where many players get stuck rushing up to the net, or moving back to prepare for an attack. If you are either pushing the net or retreating on defense, stop where you are and SPLIT STEP when your opponents make contact.

Even if you are in a bad position, stopping before you hit will increase the chances that you make the next shot. Then, as soon as you hit, try to move to a more optimal position on the court depending on the quality of your shot.

If you didn’t know what a “Bert” was in pickleball, now you do. Nice way to end a match, Dekel Bar. 👍

The Great American…

The air temperature drops as the sun slowly descends into a late July sky. A slow breeze develops, gently stroking the leaves of the giant oak trees above.

No, this isn’t the start of the next great American novel. It’s the setting for the next time you play the great American sport known as pickleball. And when you’re playing this great sport, you need to play it with the best equipment. That means a good paddle and the best ball in the business, the Franklin X-40. Get some today, and use code “clinic15” at checkout for 15% off!

Max Manthou (aka “Purple Jesus”) is a former Division 1 college tennis player and current pro pickleball player. Today he discusses the power of the paddle.

“A new friend is just a paddle length away.

There are a lot of reasons to like pickleball, but this may be my favorite. A stranger with a paddle isn’t really a stranger at all — they brim with potential. They could potentially be your practice partner for the next ten minutes, or for an hour, or one day be at your wedding. They could also be nothing at all, but the potential is always there.

When I question whether I should be spending so much time whacking a plastic ball around, it helps to remember that, sure, I play to win, but more importantly I play to be connected with others. The paddle is like a magical conduit of this special energy.

-Purple Jesus”

Be sure to follow Max on Instagram.

One for the Ages

The record for the biggest pickleball tournament ever held in the state of New Jersey was recently broken during the New Jersey State Open, which welcomed more than 850 participants.

It was hosted by Montclair Pickleball, which partnered with the PPA (Professional Pickleball Association) to make the tournament a national qualifier.

There were brackets with tons of skill levels and ages, but we're going to focus on both ends of the spectrum. First, let's look at some of the older players...

Because the singles brackets had to be rescheduled due to rain, the men's 50+, 60+ and 70+ singles brackets were all combined into one. Ron Kuriskin (right), who was in the 70+ division, wound up winning the whole thing. 💪 And James Maiden (left), who was originally in the 60+ division, took home the silver medal.

When asked about competing at an older age, Maiden said "Do what you’re capable of doing." And when he was asked how long he plans to play pickleball, Maiden replied "Til I'm in the box... and I'll still come up." 😆👍

Swearing to play pickleball until you're buried — and then even after you're dead? That's the type of commitment we like to see. 😂🥒

Moving along to some younger players, in the 3.0 18 and under singles bracket, boys named Jack and Thomas took home the gold and silver medals.

When asked about pickleball and how people should think of it, Jack said "It's one of the most fun sports out there. The second they step out on the court, they'll never stop playing, ever."

We know it sounds corny, but the New Jersey State Open proved that age is really just a number, especially in pickleball. 💪

When you just played for five hours but forgot the sun block at home. 😲 

Look, It’s Big Ben 👇

Experience the future of pickleball with the new JOOLA Perseus MOD TA-15 pickleball paddle. It’s USAP Approved, and is very similar to the Gen 3, but it’s the original prototype version.

The JOOLA MOD-TA-15 combines cutting-edge technology with superior design, rooted in their original Gen 3 design. Designed and tested with input from the sport’s top pros, the JOOLA MOD TA-15 is the perfect choice for competitive play at all levels. Embrace the advanced research, engineering, and technology that will help make you a game-changer on the court.

Shot selection is one of the most important elements in all of pickleball. But don’t just take our word for it. Listen to one of the very best pickleball players in the world, Collin Johns — yes, Ben Johns’ brother and doubles partner. He talks with Coach Matt below about when to hit a reset vs. when to hit a counter-attack. 👇

Highlights:

• Your opponent’s contact point will help you determine whether to reset or to counter-attack.

• If your opponent is hitting from above the net (down at you), think to reset the ball.

• If your opponent is hitting from below the net (up at you), think to counter-attack.

• You can also choose to reset more balls if you discover that your opponent may have faster hands than you.

Pickleball already has communities in all corners of the world. But it only keeps growing and pro pickleballers from the PPA Tour will be traveling around the globe in 2025 to bring our sport to the masses.

Where will they be headed? Australia, Canada, India, and two other countries in Europe and Asia that are yet to be determined.

Hope you enjoyed the read. See you next week!

- Your Friends at The Pickleball Clinic

Join the conversation below! ⬇️