Welcome back to The Pickleball Clinic Newsletter!

Hey Pickleballers. We hope you enjoyed the fireworks last week. Now it’s time to realize that you are a firework on the pickleball court. 💪 You know, like the uplifting Katy Perry song, “Firework”? (Come on, work with us here. 😄) Anyway, this week, we will look at the Top 5 inventions pickleball needs, why tennis is scared stiff of pickleball’s meteoric rise, how to hit a backhand punch volley, and a whole lot more.

Let’s go! 👇

Technology is no doubt a part of every generation, but with the advancement and accessibility of smart phones, AI (Artificial Intelligence), virtual reality, and more, it feels like technology is growing faster than ever.😃

Well, we in the pickleball community would like to join the party so we can also make our lives easier with the help of technology. 💪

What are our futuristic fantasies for pickleball? Here are our Top 5...

1. Alarm for Kitchen Violations

   • A censor is placed on the non-volley zone. If someone steps into the zone while hitting a volley, an alarm goes off and that team loses the point. Pretty straightforward. 👍

2. Serve String

   • Created for beginners who just cannot stop themselves from taking a few steps in after they serve. 😥

   • A string on the back wall is attached to a hook you have on your collar. If you move in after you serve, the string pulls you back like a seatbelt. (Hopefully there’s no whiplash. 😂) If you do it correctly, and wait until after your third shot to move in, then the hook releases the string.

3. Soundless Impact

   • Now here’s an invention pickleball NEEDS. It would sure eliminate a lot of our problems.

   • Through very sophisticated light-weight magnets in the ball and your paddle, the ball will not actually hit the paddle at all. It will feel like it does, and based on the angle and force of the paddle, the ball will go exactly where it should, but a millimeter of air will always come between the ball and the paddle, which will eliminate the noise entirely.

   • Hey, we just came up with the idea, we never said we could invent it. 😃

4. The Buzzer

   • Each player receives a buzzer that they strap onto their waists.

   • Based on highly-sophisticated sensors and cameras placed around the court, the player who should hit the ball will be alerted with a buzz. (So long to the “X,” saying “mine,” or accidentally hitting your partner’s paddle. 😂)

   • For a slight upcharge, more buzzers will be placed on you, and based on which buzzers are buzzing, you will know exactly where to position yourself after every shot.

5. Body Bag Airbag

   • If you get body bagged a lot, this invention is for you.

   • The name above pretty much explains it — you wear a layer underneath your shirt, and much like a car airbag, the second it detects a hard impact from a pickleball, the bag inflates and protects you from the sting of your opponent’s vicious speed-up. 😄 

So there you have it. Some of these inventions may seem far-fetched, while some of them could probably be created tomorrow.

If there are any inventors out there, then go ahead and try to make one of these. Just give us a shoutout when you make your millions. 🙏 Actually no, we want more than just a shoutout — how about 25% of your total profit? 😂

Take a Step Back (or Two or Three) on Your Return of Serve

If you are playing against someone who has a hard, deep serve, take a step back to give yourself more time to return. Many players return from just behind the baseline, and this makes it difficult to return strong serves. Many errors that I see on the returns come from players standing too close to the line and trying to short hop a fast, deep serve.

I find that if I take a few steps back, I can hit a much higher quality return. Of course, you will now have to run farther to get up to the kitchen, but a higher quality return will make for a more difficult third shot. Plus, if you are able to get your return deeper than you otherwise would have, it will stay in the air for longer giving you a bit more time to get established at the net.

We thought it would be tough to upstage the matching outfits, but this point certainly does. 👍

What, Where, When and How?

How do you hold a pickleball before tossing it for a serve? When should you speed up? Where should your return go? These are all good questions, and ones we hope to answer in our newsletters and videos.

But the actual ball to use? That’s not a question. Well, it technically is 😄, but our answer is always the same — the Franklin X-40. It’s the best ball in the game, which is why we named it the official ball of The Pickleball Clinic, and why it is the official ball of the APP Tour! Get some today, and use code “clinic15” at checkout for 15% off!

Pickleball’s greatest player of all time, Ben Johns, was asked “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!”

Short and sweet answer this week from the best player on the planet. Be sure to follow Ben on Instagram and YouTube.

You Want a Piece of Us? 😆

Are you a band in the pickleball space looking to work with us to get your name out there? Wait, did we say “band”? We meant “brand.” 😉 But come to think of it, if you’re a pickleball band, then that’s pretty sweet and unique — and you probably want to get your name out there too. 😂

If you’re interested, just DM us on Instagram or send us an email at [email protected] 

Sound the Alarms! 🚨

If you’re reading our newsletter, chances are you know how big pickleball is and will (hopefully) continue to become.

After all, it doesn’t even take a pickleball player to know (and yes, we just compared ourselves to “rocket scientists” and “brain surgeons” 😂) that pickleball is taking over.

Just walk by your local park and count the number of people playing pickleball vs. those playing tennis. Maybe the areas we live in are different, but we’re seeing way more pickleball players. 💪

Well, as all of our dads have probably said at least a few times, “Denial ain’t just a river in Egypt.” 😂 

Yup, you can only pretend something isn’t happening for so long before one day it’s too late and you’re not prepared to deal with it.

The governing body of tennis may be afraid to address it, but the sport’s GOAT, Novak Djokovic, just came out and said it at his Wimbledon press conference over the weekend.

“Tennis is in danger,” said Djokovic. “If we don’t do something about it, globally or collectively, padel — pickleball in the States — they’re gonna convert all the tennis clubs into padel and pickleball.”

Djokovic certainly has a point and he also mentioned the fact that tennis has an economic disadvantage in terms of space since one tennis court can fit three or four padel and pickleball courts, respectively.

We take no joy in hearing this about tennis (OK, well maybe a little 😆), and ultimately we think all racket sports can coexist and live together.

But one thing is definitely for sure, pickleball is now a HUGE player on the global racket sport stage. 👍🥒

If we only knew what our partners were really thinking. 😂

It’s Time to Fight Back 💪 

It’s really HOT outside! How do we navigate these treacherous conditions? With things like hats, shorts, tank tops, and sunglasses! While sunglasses won’t actually drop the temperature on your body, you will definitely feel a lot cooler — see what we did there. 😉😄 Plus, the bright, sunny glare will turn to a grayish blue tint when you’re sporting your favorite shades. That’s where 96 Shades comes in.

With more than 1,000 models and 15 brands to choose from, 96 Shades promises you a perfect pair of sunglasses. Plus, they’re doing free 2-day shipping around the country. So check ‘em out and use code “clinic10” at checkout for 10% off.

If you want to get better at pickleball, the backhand volley is high up on the list of shots you’ll need to be able to hit well. Good thing Coach Matt is here to demonstrate exactly how to hit it. 👇

Highlights:

• Keep your paddle out in front of your body — one to two feet in front of your chest.

• Even though your paddle is out in front, leave your elbow bent a little in order to allow your arm to extend out to hit the ball.

• Using your elbow and shoulder, push your paddle forward about six inches to a foot in front of you with a short, quick motion.

Fast food titan, Chick-fil-A, is adding pickleball to its menu. No, you will not be able to eat a pickleball. 😲 But as part of Chick-fil-A’s originals summer collection, you can buy a “Pickle Pickle Pickleball Set,” which consists of two pickleball paddles and a canvas bag.

If you love chicken sandwiches and you love pickleball, this set may be for you. 😄 But no dinking while eating — that’s dangerous.

Hope you enjoyed the read. See you next week!

- Your Friends at The Pickleball Clinic

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