Welcome back to The Pickleball Clinic Newsletter!

Playing pickleball is a lot of fun, but it can get a little awkward if you're playing with your spouse or boss. Today, we’ll reveal our guide to playing with those people, find out how much tennis helps (or hurts) your pickleball game, learn the perfect technique for resets, and much more.

Let’s go! 👇

The vast majority of pickleball is played as doubles—and that's great because it means you have a partner so you're not alone on the court.

It also means you have two opponents, making it three other people on the court, which is an excellent number for socializing.

That's the good news. But what happens when one of the other people on your court isn't just a friend from your open play? What do you do when one of them is your kid? Or your spouse? Or your boss? Don't worry, we've got you covered...

Your Child
This one depends on two main factors: the age and skill levels of you and your child. If your child is under the age of 12, then you should be looking to build their confidence. That means if you're playing with them, be positive and encouraging.

If you're playing against them, you want to make it look like you're trying to win, but ultimately, you should let them win. However, once they hit the teenage years and start getting better than you, then fight like hell out there so you can prove to them (and to yourself) that you still got it. 💪

Your Spouse or Significant Other
If you are playing on the same team as your spouse, then match their competitive level. If they're really competitive, then adopt an "us against the world" mentality and get pumped up together. But if they aren't competitive and you are, they're going to get uncomfortable. Also, DO NOT blame them for losing a point and DO NOT display any physical or audible signs of disappointment based on one of their bad shots.

If you are playing against your spouse or significant other, then make sure to play respectfully. Don’t play too easy or too hard so as to embarrass them, and definitely DO NOT hit them with the ball! (Of course, the above advice assumes that you want to stay together. If you don't, then just do the opposite. 😉)

Your Boss
This is a tough one and kind of a combination of your kid and your spouse. If playing together, match their energy and competitive level as much as you can, and be positive and encouraging.

If you're playing against them, and you're better than they are, definitely let them win—without it looking like you did. If you're worse, just do your best, and try not to play that long so they don't keep whooping you. Either way, DO NOT hit them with the ball!

So now you know how to play pickleball with certain people. Sorry we didn't include your in-laws, but you should basically treat them like your boss. 😄

No More Excuses

Remember, both you and your opponents are dealing with the same conditions. It’s easy to point to the wind, sun, court, or ball when things aren’t going your way—but those factors impact both sides equally. While they can make play more difficult, they’re not something you can control.

What you can control is your response. The best players stay focused, adapt quickly, and make adjustments instead of excuses. In the end, it’s not the conditions that decide the match—it’s how you handle them.

This is only worth one point, but it should be worth two. 😉 👇

When it comes to building pickleball courts, you want to make sure you're working with the best in the business. In other words, people who have experience in building countless courts for major franchises nationwide.

That's what Court Kings is, the one-stop shop for anyone who's interested in building courts. They handle everything from site prep and concrete work to surfacing, nets, fencing, and consultation. As our nationwide court surfacing partner, Court Kings installs both acrylic and cushioned court systems, and they help clients choose the right surface and color combination based on their goals, usage, and budget. To learn more, contact [email protected].

Welcome back to Ask Away where we answer a commonly asked pickleball question. If you would like us to answer one of your questions, simply respond to this email and ask away!

Question: “What if I disagree with my partner on a line call?”

Answer: If there is any disagreement at all between the members of the team making the call, then the call should go in favor of your opponents.

If you're new to pickleball, having a background in tennis (or another racket sport) will give you a leg up. But only to a certain point. Here's why...

Many tennis swings are similar, if not identical, to pickleball swings. For example, a tennis groundstroke is the same shot as a pickleball drive, just with a longer racket and a different type of ball.

And the pickleball serve and return of serve are very similar to the drive. So that’s three important pickleball shots right there that tennis will help out with. In addition, there is also the overhead, which is basically the same as the tennis overhead and serve.

Sure, it might take a little time to adjust to the smaller dimensions of a pickleball court and paddle, but not much. And the comfort of holding the paddle and using it to strike a ball with control and power is an advantage that tennis players have on day 1.

Of course, the level of tennis someone played also matters. Did they play for their college tennis team? (That means they may have literally hit millions of balls in their lifetime.) Or did they play for fun a few times a year as a kid?

The higher the level of tennis experience correlates with the bigger the head start. But then it plateaus. Why? Because while many pickleball shots are similar to tennis shots, many others are not—namely the dink, drop, reset, and really any of the soft shots.

Not only are those soft shots foreign to tennis, but the big backswings that tennis players often have are actually detrimental to hitting consistent soft shots.

So a tennis player has to learn the soft game of pickleball, and in many ways unlearn their tennis swing—at least as it pertains to hitting shots like dinks, drops, and resets.

Moreover, even the volley is a bit different in pickleball. Tennis players are taught to step forward and to slightly undercut their volleys, whereas in pickleball, you can't step forward on most volleys because of the kitchen rule, and a good volley in pickleball is usually hit flat or with some topspin.

So can you be jealous of your skilled tennis friends who can easily skip some levels when they first take up pickleball? Sure. But don't be too jealous because if they really want to get good, then they'll have to put in the time just like the rest of us.

When you witness an ATP for the very first time. 👇

Summer is right around the corner! What do you love most about it? Going to the beach? Playing pickleball at the beach? Going to the park? Playing pickleball at the park? Or perhaps playing indoors when it gets too hot? Whatever it is you love most, make sure you do it this summer!

But if you’re going to play pickleball, then grab the best ball in the game, the Franklin X-40. It's the most balanced, consistent, and durable ball in the world, which is why it’s not just the best-selling pickleball, but the best-selling pickleball product in America! Get some Franklin X-40s today, and use code (clinic15) for 15% off.

Remember the soft shots we talked about above? You know, the ones that aren't used in tennis. Well, one of the quintessential soft shots in pickleball, especially if you want to get past the 3.5+ level, is the reset. It's one of the more difficult shots in pickleball because it requires a lot of touch and feel. But if you're not using the right technique, then the reset is almost impossible to hit consistently. That's why coach Matt is here to show you exactly how to hit it. 👇

At just 19 years old, Anna Leigh Waters is already the most accomplished and dominant pickleball player of all time. She was the youngest player to be ranked #1 in the world and she simply does not lose—in singles, women's doubles, or mixed doubles. She is also the first pickleball athlete to get a deal with Nike and to be featured on a Times Square billboard.

Well, we can add two more accolades to Anna Leigh's resume, as she was recently selected by Time Magazine as one of "The 100 Most Influential People in Sports 2026," AND a unique, 1-of-1 card from the 2023 Leaf Pickleball Premier Edition, reportedly sold for more than $45,000 on eBay!

Hope you enjoyed the read. See you next week!

- Your Friends at The Pickleball Clinic

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