Welcome back to The Pickleball Clinic Newsletter!

Do you have an issue with mishits? Today, we'll show you how to deal with your opponents' mishits (and how to reduce your own), explain why LeBron James' big new decision involves pickleball, reveal why psychologists think pickleball is the best group activity for loneliness, and much more.

Let’s do this! 👇

One of the greatest basketball players of all time, LeBron James (most fan’s #1 or #2 player ever), has announced that he will not be returning to the Lakers next year, and will instead play for another team.

If that sounds familiar, it’s because virtually the exact same thing happened 16 years ago when he decided to leave the Cleveland Cavaliers.

In what later became known as “the decision,” James famously revealed the team he would be going to when he said, “I’m going to be taking my talents to South Beach.”

James won two championships with the Miami Heat, returned to Cleveland to win another championship, one yet another title with the Lakers, and now 16 years later, we are once again awaiting his next decision.

Every sports pundit has his or her take on where James will decide to play next, but one possible destination was recently leaked by an unlikely source—pickleball’s Anna Leigh Waters.

When asked on the red carpet at the ESPY Awards where she thought LeBron was going, Waters divulged that Tom Dundon, the owner of Major League Pickleball and of the Portland Trail Blazers, was interested in bringing him to Portland.

"I don't know. I know the owner of the professional pickleball league just bought the Portland basketball team, the Trail Blazers, and I know he's trying to get James, so we'll see if that happens."

We’re not sure if that was intentional or an accidental slipup. But if LeBron does wind up playing for the Trail Blazers next year (while seemingly very unlikely), Anna Leigh Waters will be credited as the first big name to have broken the story.

There is a lot of pomp and circumstance around this decision, and at the age of 41, LeBron is not the young phenom he used to be. In fact, not only is James old for a basketball player, but he is actually the oldest current player in the NBA.

While not as dominant as he was, he is still a top player, which means that wherever he decides to go, that team should have a shot at winning next year’s championship.

Let that be an inspiration for all of us pickleball players out there—because we are going to lose a step (or two) as we get older, but that doesn’t mean we can’t still be very effective and impactful out on the court. 💪

Return and RUN!

Hit your return with forward momentum and get to the kitchen as quickly as possible. Staying back after the return gives away one of the biggest advantages in pickleball. The returning team has extra time to move forward because of the two-bounce rule, so use it. Claim the kitchen early, establish the better court position, and put yourself in control of the point.

Can you say hands battle? 👇

We know we don't have to convince any of you that pickleball is one of the great things out there. And we're not kidding. With all of the tension and fighting in the world these days, pickleball exists as a unifying force—one that brings people together across all different races, religions, ages, and socioeconomic groups.

And what is the home of pickleball? The pickleball court. So it's a pretty sacred piece of land, and one that you need to get right. That's why if you or someone you know is planning to build pickleball courts, then you've got to work with the experts. You can't compete these days with below average pickleball courts, and you definitely don't want to waste time and money having to redo them.

Enter Court Kings, the one-stop shop for pickleball court construction because 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 the section where we define a word or term that is widely used in the pickleball world…

Pickles (noun)

”Pickles” is the name of the dog owned by Joel Pritchard, one of the founders of pickleball, and his wife, Joan. Some mistakenly believe that pickleball is named after this dog because it would often chase after the balls. However, Joan Pritchard maintains that the dog came after the sport was already named, so it was the dog that was named after the sport—not the other way around.

If you play with people at about your level, then you should be fairly comfortable with the pace and placement of your opponents' shots.

Of course, as your competition gets better, the pace of play increases and your margin for error becomes smaller. There is one issue, however, that mostly plagues lower-level players, and that is... the mishit.

Let's define a mishit as a shot that you did not mean to hit. In other words, your intention was X and the result of the shot was Y. Many times, mishits land out or into the net, but sometimes, mishits become happy accidents that are actually so bad, they're good. 😀

Examples include volleys that hit the side of your paddle and just barely go over the net or those times when you close your paddle face during your serve and it accidentally creates a perfect short angle serve that goes for an ace. 

Well, if you’re playing at a 3.0 level or lower, it's important that you are aware of what mishits look like and can be better prepared to deal with them so you don't lose as many points off your opponents' mishits.

First off, you want to be aware of the shot you or your partner just hit to your opponent. Was it a good shot that made them rush, bend down, or stretch out? If so, chances are they may mishit their next shot or at least hit a weaker shot back. 

So make sure you are leaning forward and anticipating that shorter ball rather than expecting a normal shot and then being completely surprised that a short ball came back. 

Another thing you want to be aware of is where the ball strikes your opponent's paddle. If it hits the edge of their paddle—and you can use your ears too because it almost always makes a different sound—then it will often be a mishit, which again means that the ball will usually not travel as far into your side of the court.

On the flip side, how should you avoid having mishits yourself? First, you want to pay attention to your footwork. If you are constantly reaching, you are much more likely to mishit the ball. Instead, try to be on your toes so that you can take little adjustment steps that put you in the right position to hit each shot.

Another big cause of mishits is rushing your shot. Maybe you have an overhead and you pull your head and entire body down too quickly. Or conversely, you might lift your head up too quickly on a drop or drive and therefore take your eye off the ball.

If you give yourself more time to actually complete your swing, you should have far fewer mishits.

You always want to make the right call. But when it’s at the expense of throwing your partner under the bus… 😀👇

We're not sure who first discovered that playing with a round object was a lot of fun, but we owe that person enormous gratitude. Because just think how much less fun life would be without balls. Sports like football, soccer, golf, and basketball would not exist, let alone the most important sport of all, pickleball. 

We've come a long way since balls were invented, so while we are grateful for the idea, we want to make sure we're using exactly the right ball for the sport we're playing. In pickleball, that means 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.

When it comes to hitting drives, you don't just want to hit them hard. Instead, you want your drives to dip down at your opponents' feet, making your ball more difficult to get to and more likely that your opponent will pop up their next shot. How do you get your drive to dip down? With topspin. How do you hit topspin? Matt demonstrates below. 👇

The publication, Parade, recently spoke with three psychologists, who believe that the best group activity for adults is... pickleball. Why? For a number of reasons, including lowering social defenses, which allows people to make new friends as adults. Furthermore, pickleball helps people build confidence and regulate their mood and stress.

Our sport also improves cognitive engagement by not only following the ball, but also by keeping score. Finally, pickleball can get us out of a rut. If we're feeling down but we know we have to get out of the house to play with our pickleball group, then it essentially forces us to interact with people and to have fun.

Hope you enjoyed the read. See you next week!

- Your Friends at The Pickleball Clinic

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