Welcome back to The Pickleball Clinic Newsletter!

Hey Pickleballers. If you got through the heat this past week -- and played pickleball outside -- then you can do anything! 💪 Speaking of being strong, today we’ll take a look at one group of pickleballers that protested for pickleball, dissect an impending paddle policy, check out a 90-year-old player who just broke his own record, and a whole lot more.

Let’s go! 👇

When you believe in something strongly, sometimes you have to take a stand -- or a seat. 

That's what four pickleballers did in Annandale, Virginia, when they felt that their voices weren't heard in the decision to convert local pickleball courts back into tennis courts due to noise complaints.

Marjery, Barbara, and two women named Peggy (that's not a band name, but it probably should be) were playing one morning on the courts in question at  Kendale Wood Park.

When park authority workers interrupted their game by moving the nets in order to paint over the pickleball lines, the four women refused to leave. Instead, they staged a sit-in so the workers couldn't reline the courts. 

"I just sat on the courts, and I'm like, I'm going to sit here and wait," said Marjery Gehan. "It's kind of a slap in the face to the neighbors to not be able to use the courts the way we want to use it -- and how we paid for it."

Gehan says that the pickleball community collected more than 500 signatures for a petition to keep the pickleball courts.

The community also filed an injunction with the Fairfax County Park Authority, asking it to delay the removal of the courts until they can accurately measure noise levels. 

Of course this protest didn't come close to the same level of importance as protests for freedom or social justice. But it was an example of taking a stand (or seat) for pickleball. Nice work, ladies. 

If You’re a Beginner, Stand Sideways on Your Drives for Power + Control

Many beginners attempt to hit their drives standing square to the net (this is more natural for many people), which leads them to swing across their body. This causes a loss of accuracy and doesn’t allow them to create power easily. Hitting sideways is called hitting in a “closed stance” and hitting square to the net is called hitting in an “open stance.” Many pros are able to drive in an open stance, but as a beginner it is important to learn to hit in a closed stance until you reach a more advanced level.

Patience. Resets. Power. Hands. Yup, Anna Bright shows all of that and more in this sweet point. 💪

6 Types of Pickleball Players

You may be one or two of these types of pickleball players above. (Just pray you’re not three of them. 😄) But seriously, there are many types of players out there — maybe even more than six. Like a player who tells you that every single volley you hit was actually going out anyway. 😡 Or someone who calls a ball out BEFORE it even lands!! 🤬

But it’s true, no matter what type of player you are, you can pre-game like a pro with Jigsaw Health’s Pickleball Cocktail, a delicious and sugar-free electrolyte drink mix that will keep your muscles happy and NOT cramping. That’s why Ben Johns (remember that guy from above — you know, the best player in the world guy 😁) drinks it before matches and why Jigsaw Health is the official electrolyte brand of The Pickleball Clinic. Get some for yourself today, and use code “clinic10” at checkout for $10 off.

Pickleball’s greatest player of all time, Ben Johns, was asked what the most important thing is for going from beginner to 3.0, 3.0 - 4.0, and 4.0 to 5.0+.

“The most important thing to go from a beginner to a 3.0 is learning all the basic strokes. Hitting a groundstroke and a punch volley are going to be your main shots to begin with.

Getting from 3.0-4.0 is going to be about finding a lot of your fundamental shots and building on them. Learning how to hit a drop, a counterpunch volley, a crosscourt dink, a volley attack, are all fundamental tools you will be trying to develop in the 3.0-4.0 range.

Getting from a 4.0 to a 5.0 is going to be a lot about establishing what you are good at and emphasizing those things. A consistent drop + a mid court game to get you in to the line, a solid crosscourt dink, and a couple types of attacks from that position will really make you a strong player if you focus on them. Get really good at the most important parts of the game and you’ll be very difficult to play against.”

Be sure to follow Ben Johns’ journey on Instagram and YouTube.

The Ultimate Pay to Play

It has recently been speculated, according to several sources, that the UPA-A (United Pickleball Association of America), the parent company of the Professional Pickleball Association and Major League Pickleball, is on the verge of announcing a bold new initiative.

The policy, which would go into effect starting in 2025, would make it such that paddle brands would have to pay $100,000 per year and $5,000 per paddle in order to be certified by the UPA.

Why is that important? Because if a paddle does not get certified by the UPA, then it will not be allowed in PPA or MLP matches. In other words, pro players in those leagues would not be able to use them.

This move would essentially raise the barrier to entry for pickleball companies and act as a tax or pay-to-play for the right to put paddles in pro players' hands.

On the bright side, this policy could help regulate the paddle approval process. On the flip side, it could mean the end of smaller paddle companies that may not have that kind of money to participate.

If the rumors are true, it would certainly be a monumental decision. On the other hand, the recently formed UPA is not the only show in town.

The rival camp includes USA Pickleball and the APP Tour (which recently partnered), and of course the UPA-A policy would not apply to them. 

What will happen next? We'll all just have to wait and see. 

Sometimes you just need a reminder. 😂

A Pickleball Party?!

Are you looking to party — pickleball style? Then get ready for a WEEK-LONG celebration of JOOLA Pickleball in Orlando, Florida.

From August 30th - September 4th, join JOOLA’s top touring pros at the 2024 JOOLA Pickleball Celebration! Learn from the pros at the JOOLA Pickleball Clinic, showcase your skills during the team format tournament, and watch your favorite pros battle it out in a special pro invitational. Hosted at the beautiful Gaylord Palms Hotel, you’ll be in the center of the action with the Disney attractions right around the corner. Act fast, these events are sure to sell out! Register now at joolausa.com.

Co-founders of The Pickleball Clinic (and 5.0+ players), Matt Slowinski and Aaron Reznik played GOAT Ben Johns and #2 Mixed Doubles Player in the world, Anna Bright. How did it go? Watch and find out... 👇

Highlights:

• Notice how far back behind the baseline all four players stand to return serves. This is to guarantee that you will be moving forward into your return — and never backing up first before moving forward.

• Patience and consistency is very important. Notice how the match was knotted at 0-0 for awhile with some really strong points from both sides. But the better players (sorry Aaron and Matt 😄) eventually stayed more consistent — Ben and Anna’s first three points, along with a few others, came from Matt and Aaron’s unforced errors.

• Notice how much the best players in the world… DINK. Obviously they have the ability to be very fast and hit extremely hard, but more often than not, they don’t. Instead, they manufacture a point with their dinks and wait for the right time to attack.

Two weeks ago, you may remember that we wrote a story about how a retirement community in Florida called The Villages played a significant role in the growth of pickleball.

Well, one of its residents, 90-year-old Deane Chickering, has once again accomplished the goal of playing on every single pickleball court at The Villages by playing on each of the six new courts recently built. You may not think of that as much of an accomplishment if you’re thinking the total number of courts is 20 or 30. It’s not. Chickering has played on all 296 pickleball courts located at The Villages.

Chickering has been one of the most dedicated pickleball players in The Villages for more than 20 years. As for playing all of the community’s pickleball courts, he said, “I started this quest because I saw people swimming at every pool and playing golf at every course. I said to myself, I’m going to try and play on every pickleball court.”👍👏

Hope you enjoyed the read. See you next week!

- Your Friends at The Pickleball Clinic

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