Welcome back to The Pickleball Clinic Newsletter!

What is the symbol of pickleball? Today, we’ll find out what our community thinks the pickleball mascot should be, discover a huge giveaway, learn to hit an Erne, and take a trip to Vegas.

Let’s do this! 👇

A couple of weeks ago, we posed a question in our Facebook Group and on Instagram — "If the sport of pickleball had a mascot, what should it be?"

As usual, we got a ton of responses. And when you ask a silly question, you get a lot of silly answers.

The most common response was a version of "Pickles, the dog," which is a nod to one of the founders of the sport's dog named "Pickles."

Another very popular answer was "a giant pickle," although many others said "Anything but a pickle!" 😂

Some animals were mentioned, including parrots and ducks, but the most clever one was a "Duckbill Platypus. Has a built-in paddle."

One theme people went with was a joke about getting hurt or at least run down. Someone said "A physical therapist," while another wrote "an ice pack." But the most liked response belonged to "a knee brace." 😂

Other clever suggestions were "an angry grandpa," "Picklechu," and "Bert and Erne." 👍

We’re not sure that pickleball will ever have a mascot — after all, teams usually have mascots, not sports — but it was a fun exercise, and we definitely got some laughs out of it. 🤣

Swing low to high on your drops.

Swinging from low to high on your drops will give your shot an arc that will help you get it in the kitchen. Slicing it by swinging high to low will likely cause it to go too far.

We’re Giving Away WHAT?!!

🚨Giveaway Alert🚨 We’ve partnered with three of pickleball’s favorite brands, and one of its favorite players, to give 5 winners these amazing pickleball products.

So you might just want to ENTER for a chance to WIN!

Pickleball’s greatest player of all time, Ben Johns, answers the question, “How does it feel being so successful at such a young age?”

“Obviously being successful is all relative. I simply strive to be the best I can be at what I do, work hard, and enjoy my time doing it. If that makes me successful that’s awesome, but mostly the satisfaction is in the journey, not the result.”

If you’re not already following Ben Johns on the socials 😄, we kind of think you should. Here he is on Instagram and YouTube.

It’s Time to Play Ball!

The setting sun. The brown dirt of the ring (we know it’s not dirt, but just go with it 😄). The balance between life and death hangs in the air — OK, we’ll stop with the bullfighting comparison. 🤣

No, the outcome of a pickleball game is not a matter of life or death. But it’s still pretty important — and whether you win or lose, you want to know that you played the game the right way. That means using the best ball in the sport, the Franklin X-40 — which was just named the official ball of the APP Tour!! Get some X-40s today and see for yourself why we love them so much! Plus, use code “clinic15” at checkout for 15% off!

An Erne is always a sweet way to end a point! Want to do it yourself? Scroll down and we’ll show you how!

What Happens in the Kitchen Stays in the Kitchen

Big Lights. Big City. Las Vegas has long been a hub for gambling, partying, and entertainment. But pickleball?

Yup, dinking can be added to the list these days.

When pickleball started taking off in Sin City, Nina Lemansky realized that players might want to play all year round, rain or shine. So she created an indoor facility called Vegas Indoor Pickleball.

The facility opened last fall and has been a home to pickleballers of all levels — including Tyson McGuffin, who stopped by to play.

Lemansky actually plans to extend her pickleball offering one step further — to being open all day AND all night!

“Some of the gyms are open 24 hours,” she says. “We want to introduce pickleball as a 24-hour activity for the local industry people.”

The city in the desert is scheduled to host two national pickleball events this year: a USA Pickleball tournament at the Las Vegas Convention Center and a PPA event at the Darling Tennis Center.

From welcoming the NFL’s Raiders franchise a couple of years ago and hosting the Super Bowl last month, to bringing in professional hockey, soccer and women’s basketball in just the past eight years, Las Vegas has been embracing sports in a very big way.

So why shouldn’t pickleball join the party? It should!! 💪

Yes buddy, that’s EXACTLY what we’re saying!!

Pickleball on Ice?!

Did you know that pickleball can be played on ice? Yup, you can skate around and probably get to lobs you don’t usually get to. 😄 ATPs might be easier too. 😂

But if you’re not playing on ice, then you’re going to need to wear sneakers. And you might as well wear sneakers that were made for pickleball — finally! Meet the Diadem Court Burst, designed to be comfortable, fast, and stable. Go get a pair today, and use code “clinic10” at checkout for 10% off.

You know how we just mentioned above that you can play pickleball on ice? Well, it just so happens that one of the premier players of that game (and of pickleball, hockey and social media) is here along with coach Matt to teach you the "Erne." 👇 Her name is Christina Chin, but guess what she also goes by? "Pickleball on Ice." Seriously. That's her handle on Instagram. Give her a follow, she's awesome!

Key takeaways:

• Positioning - People usually hit this shot with their forehands.

• Anticipation - You have to be proactive and look for opportunities to hit it — like when your opponent is pulled out wide for a dink.

• Footwork - Jump with your outside leg so that you land with your inside leg.

More than 170 people from across the country participated in the 4th annual Pickleball for Sea Turtles Tournament in Port St. Joe, Florida. All the proceeds from the event go towards the Forgotten Coast Sea Turtle Center — and this year, just over $20,000 was raised.

“Our goal is for every person who visits Gulf County to learn about our sea turtles,” said Florida Coastal Conservancy Director, Jessica Swindall. “And the things that they can do while they’re here to help them keep our beaches clean, flat, and dark for the species that we love so much and we hope are coming back to our shores for generations to come.”

Hope you enjoyed the read. See you next week!

- Your Friends at The Pickleball Clinic

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