Welcome back to The Pickleball Clinic Newsletter!

To dink or not to dink? That is the question. Today, we'll take a look at how to stay out of the "Zone of Death," the top pickleball cities, pickleball in poetry, a song from a famous rapper that mentions pickleball, and a whole lot more.

Let’s go! 👇

Top 5 or Top 10 lists are a lot of fun. They're fun to make for yourself and they're exciting to read because you can see if you agree with them or not.

Well, Finance Buzz recently came out with a list of "11 Great Cities for Pickleball Lovers To Retire In." (And hey, if a Top 10 list is good, then a Top 11 list is even better! 😄) So let's take a look at some of these cities...

Coming in 11th was California's swanky Palm Springs, which has famously good weather and many options for outdoor activities.

Keeping it down south but on the east coast, Naples, Florida was on the list at #9. Naples also has great weather and is home to the USOP National Pickleball Center, which has 65 outdoor courts and is the site of the annual US Open Pickleball Championships.

New York City came in at #7 due to its large number of public courts, and another city in the Northeast made it to #5: Stamford, Connecticut.

#4 was The Villages in Florida, which could easily be #1 every single year because the community is practically synonymous with the words "pickleball" and "retirement."

As for the top 3, they were... in reverse order... drumroll please... #3: Henderson, Nevada (just outside of Las Vegas)... #2: Phoenix, Arizona... and #1: Wilmington, North Carolina.

So there's the list. Now before you start freaking out about the selections on this list or the order, keep in mind that it's just one "top" list, which is by definition subjective.

We're confident that the cities on this list have strong pickleball communities. But we're just as confident that there are hundreds — actually thousands — of incredible pickleball communities spread out all over the country! 🥒

Don’t Be a Perfectionist

You don’t need to aim for the line to hit a great shot! A shot that lands 1 foot within the sideline/baseline is usually as effective as a shot that is 2 inches within the line. If you’re aiming for the line, you’re far more likely to miss than if you’re aiming a foot inside. Consistency is key in pickleball, and you don’t need to be a perfectionist to win matches!

If anyone has ever told you that pickleball isn’t athletic, then please show them this clip. 👇

Feel Good, Do Good

If you think that socks are just socks, you're wrong. Socks should be super comfortable. But they should also give you maximum support. With Bombas, you don't just get those two things, but you also get seamless toes, airflow venting, blister tabs, and strategic zone cushioning. Do your other socks give you all of that?

When you get Bombas socks, there's one more BIG thing you get. Well, actually you don't get it, but someone else does. Every time you buy an item from Bombas, a separate essential clothing item is donated to someone in need. So when you buy Bombas, you join a movement of doing good.

Bombas is now offering new customers 25% off all socks, underwear, and bralettes + free shipping on first orders of $85 or more. Just use this link and the discount code they provide once you're there.

Pickleball’s greatest player of all time, Ben Johns, did a little Q + A with us…

The Pickleball Clinic: Are there one or multiple players you feel are highly underrated in pro pickleball today?

Ben Johns: I would say Etta Wright is underrated. She’s certainly recognized as a powerhouse, but maybe not to the extent that she actually is one. On the men’s side I’ve been pretty high on Max Freeman, who has yet to make a serious impact, but I don’t think it will be long before he does.

^{You can follow Ben Johns on Instagram and YouTube!}

Pickleball Poetry

Roses are red, violets are blue, and we've got pickleball poems for you.

Yup, pickleball has entered creative writing, as Kristin Johnson, a pickleball player and writer from St. Paul, Minnesota has published a book of poetry consisting of 80 poems all about pickleball.

Called "Pickles and Paradise," it is filled with sonnets, free verse, limericks, and haikus. Some of the pieces are even spoofs of other famous poems, like this take on Robert Frost's classic poem, "The Road Not Taken."

"The Paddle Not Chosen"

Two paddles hung in a Dick’s emporium, / And I -- / I bought the most expensive one, / And that ... / has made no difference.

Good point Kristin 😄— paddles are very important, but yes, ultimately, "it's not the arrow, it's the archer."

Johnson has previously written 10 children‘s books primarily for middle school aged kids, and she is also a published poet.

“I think it’s like a celebration of the game,” said Johnson. And there may be more to come. “I haven’t written off the idea of another one, because there’s more to be said.”

Good luck, Kristin. And if you haven’t already, please write a poem about people who never hit dinks. 😀

Now there’s a man who has his priorities in order. 😁

Best of the Best

It's no secret that pickleball has already gotten big and is only continuing to grow. As you've probably seen, pickleball facilities are popping up all over the place — indoors, outdoors, public, private, you name it.

Well, if you're involved with any pickleball project, whether it's starting at stage 1 or improving upon an existing pickleball location, then you'll want to make sure you're doing it the right way. Enter Johns Design & Consulting (JDC). If the name "Johns" sounds familiar, that's because it's owned and operated by Ben Johns and Collin Johns, oh you know, just the most successful men's doubles pickleball team of all time.

So you bet they know what they're talking about when it comes to pickleball. It would be like having Michael Jordan help you design, revamp, or enhance your business and marketing operations for a basketball facility. And that's not hyperbole. If you want to work with the best pickleball players of all time to help guide your pickleball project, then you want to contact JDC.

Today, we’ve got one of the best players on the APP Tour, Jill Braverman, and she’s here to talk to you about the “Zone of Death.” 😱 Where is this zone, and how do you avoid getting caught there? Jill shows you below — with a little help from Matt and Aaron. 👇

Key takeaways:

• Stay out of the “zone of death” a.k.a. the 5 feet from the baseline into the court. You may have heard this general area referred to as “no man’s land,” but that is generally thought to start a bit in from the baseline.

• The reason you want to stay out of this area is that you will inevitably hit out balls if you’re standing there or you’ll have a very difficult time hitting resets.

• Communicate with your partner so that you’re both moving together — either staying behind or in front of the zone. You can say things like “stay” or “go.”

One sign that you're making it in pop culture is if you appear on a Times Square billboard. Another is if you are featured in a Super Bowl commercial. (Been there, done that. 😄) What's another sign that you're getting really big? Making it into a song by a famous musical artist. 

Well, rapper Lil Wayne just mentioned pickleball in a new song called "Sharks." The song is R-rated and you can go listen to it yourself if you want. But the point is that pickleball is included, which is just another sign that it is deeply entrenched in American culture.

Hope you enjoyed the read. See you next week!

- Your Friends at The Pickleball Clinic

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