Welcome back to The Pickleball Clinic Newsletter!

Pickleball in prison, technologies we wish we had, and tips on keeping the ball in play!

Let’s dive in 👇

Earlier this year, a day of pickleball was held at San Quentin State Prison, California’s oldest jail, just north of San Francisco…

• It was led by Roger BelAir, 76, who has introduced pickleball to many prisons all over the country.

• Inmates played alongside prison staff, including the warden (wearing all black below).

• After the event, BelAir donated the equipment to jumpstart San Quentin’s pickleball program.

• The effort coincides with the governor’s new initiative to improve relations between prison staff and inmates.

One resident of the prison remarked, “Dreams do come true! As a lifer, I never thought I’d be in San Quentin playing pickleball with the warden.”

“Something like 95% of people are eventually released from prison,” said BelAir. “If we can make them better people on the inside, it’s better for all of us once they get back outside.”

Keep the ball in play!

If you break it down to the simplest level, the way to win a point in pickleball is by hitting one more shot than your opponent. Whoever is the last person to hit the ball in the court is the winner.

Especially at the amateur levels, consistency is key! How many points are lost by players hitting their returns out or their dinks into the net? (A lot.)

You don’t need to have any special shots to win. Keep the ball in the kitchen and let your opponent make the mistakes.

^{_{The Pickleball Clinic has officially partnered with UTR Sports!}} 

UTR Sports is harnessing its renowned expertise to enable players and providers to have one home for all their pickleball needs, including ratings, leagues, matchplay, tournaments, and much more.

“We’re thrilled to partner with a world-renowned organization like UTR Sports, which has done so much for the tennis world, and is now doing the same for pickleball,” said The Pickleball Clinic co-founder Aaron Reznik. “Pickleball is a crowded marketplace, and the UTR Sports team has an incredible amount of experience and knowledge regarding ratings and sports technology.”

Read more here!

What?!! That ball did NOT look wide enough for an ATP!

Pickleball Tech We Wish We Had

Pickleball is amazing! But like anything, it could be improved with some technology.

Here are our TOP 5 pieces of pickleball technology we wish existed…

1. ⚡Kitchen Line Shocker

   You get an electric shock every time you step into the kitchen — the more times you step in, the stronger the shock will be!

2. 🥅Net Equalizer

   As soon as one team gets two favorable net bounces in a row, the net will tighten on impact and make the ball bounce in the other team’s favor!

3. 🔊Sound Softener Glue

   Just dip the ball into this glue that hardens within seconds and creates a rubberized coating on the ball that reduces sound by more than 50%!

4. 🗣️Excuse Extinguisher

   Whenever a player makes more than one excuse per game, a horn will sound to drown out whatever new excuse that person makes!

5. 🪢Serving Rope

   With serving rope, simply attach one side to the fence behind you and the other to a belt loop on your shorts. When you try to run up after you serve, you’ll be pulled back toward the fence!

6.  (Honorable Mention)⚡Early Call Shocker

   Using the same shock technology as the “Kitchen Line Shocker,” the Early Call Shocker will administer a shock every time a player calls a ball out before it even bounces.

Have an idea for another piece of technology that would help the game! Reply to this and let us know!

We know the pain you’re feeling. Don’t worry, we’re here for you.

The X-40 is Always in Play

Power. Pop. Prestige. If you’re watching a pickleball tournament, you’re probably watching our favorite pickleball in action. The Franklin X-40 Pickleball is used in many of the most exciting and highly-regarded tournaments in the country. You can play like the pros too - members of The Pickleball Clinic have access to an exclusive discount on the X-40 from Franklin Pickleball with code “clinic15”.

Yes, we want to return and run to the net — but not before we STOP to hit our return.

Matt demonstrates this stop (plus one more!) in his guide to hitting the perfect return.👇

Pickleball is played on clay courts too! Yup, just like in tennis, it’s not only played on a hard court.

👍Pros: Kinder on the joints, longer rallies, cheaper to build

👎Cons: Irregular bounces, ongoing maintenance costs

Thanks for the read! See you soon.

- Your Friends at The Pickleball Clinic

Join the conversation below! ⬇️