Welcome back to The Pickleball Clinic Newsletter!

Do you know what an "Erne" is or how it got its name? Today, we'll take a look at who the Erne is named after (and why he is bringing a lawsuit against six pickleball companies), meet someone who moved from standing pickleball to wheelchair pickleball, visit one of the biggest pickleballs in the world, and much more.

Let’s do this! 👇

Gerry Whelan discovered pickleball about 10 years ago and fell in love with it. As many of us can relate to, he calls it his "happy space."

But due to a medical issue with his hip, Whelan was no longer able to stand and walk without a cane. At first, it was difficult for Whelan to process not being able to play pickleball.

However, a year later, he discovered wheelchair pickleball. As he says, "wheelchair players are here for the same reason as other pickleball players are: to have fun, to get some exercise, and to socialize with people. We just want to be treated like everybody else."

Wheelchair players can play right alongside standing players, except that wheelchair players are allowed to have the ball bounce twice before hitting it. They need an extra bounce because the wheelchair makes it more cumbersome to move around.

“You’ve got to hold the paddle and push yourself at the same time," said Whelan. "So you have to move to where the ball is and then let go."

At Opus Pickleball Club in Wyndmoor, Pennsylvania, Ed Morris, who co-owns the facility with his wife, proudly welcomes Whelan as an adaptive pickleball player.

"The main thing is to just get the general population accepting of the fact that you're in a chair and you can still play," said Whelan.

Cheers to Gerry Whelan for playing wheelchair, to Opus Pickleball Club for providing a welcoming atmosphere, and to everyone out there who is playing or supporting adaptive pickleball.

Always Move Your Feet Between Shots at the Kitchen Line

You should almost never hit two dinks in a row without making some kind of adjustment, even if it’s just a tiny step. The ball is rarely going to come to the exact same spot twice, so your feet need to adjust to put you in the best position to hit each shot. Ideally, you want to contact the ball at the same point relative to your body every time. Consistently moving your feet helps you maintain that contact point, making your swing more repeatable and ultimately reducing unforced errors.

Do you see the guys dressed in white and yellow? Watch them showcase some phenomenal defense. 👇

If pickleball is a religion, then its temple is a pickleball court facility. It really is that important because if you don't do a good job on your courts, then you can't experience pickleball the right way. That's why if you or someone you know is planning to build pickleball courts, then you've got to work with the experts. You can't compete these days with below average pickleball courts, and you definitely don't want to waste time and money having to redo them.

Court Kings is the one-stop shop for pickleball court construction because they handle everything from site prep and concrete work to surfacing, nets, fencing, and consultation. As our nationwide court surfacing partner, Court Kings installs both acrylic and cushioned court systems, and they help clients choose the right surface and color combination based on their goals, usage, and budget. To learn more, contact [email protected].

If you have played pickleball for more than a few months, then you’ve probably heard the term, “Erne.” It refers to a shot where a player up at the kitchen jumps or steps over the kitchen line to hit an aggressive volley either in the air or with one or both of their feet planted out of bounds, next to the kitchen.

This is what it looks like. As you can see, the player can get a lot closer to the net, which makes it a very effective shot. But do you know where the shot got its name? It was actually named after a pickleball player named Erne Perry, who used the shot many times at a national tournament in 2010.

People watching the match nicknamed the shot “Erne,” and the name stuck. Not many people have a well-known pickleball shot named after them, so most of us would probably consider it an honor. And by all accounts, Erne is honored by it.

But at the same time, people should be compensated for the use of their name or likeness. Do you see where this is going?

Yup, according to the Business of Pickleball, Erne Perry recently filed a lawsuit against six pickleball companies alleging unauthorized use of his name and personality.

While we are not lawyers and we don’t know the exact details of the case, one big issue will be what constitutes someone’s name or personality. In this case, "Erne" is just a first name.

Moreover, it has become the name of the shot, and the vast majority of us have no idea where the shot got its name. So it may be difficult to argue that various places were referring to the person, Erne Perry, as opposed to simply the name of the shot.

Fun fact: in what can only be described as absolutely bizarre, guess who Erne‘s lawyer is in this case? His lawyer is Tim Nelson. Does the name "Nelson" sound familiar? You bet, Tim Nelson is, in fact, Tim "Nasty" Nelson because he was the first one to popularize the Nasty Nelson.

Erne Perry and Tim Nelson played together and against one another hundreds of times way before pickleball became popular, which explains how they even know each other. And Nelson is also a lawyer.

Nonetheless, you almost couldn’t make this coincidence up. But hey, we suppose that if there’s anyone in the world who can relate to having a pickleball shot named after him, it’s Mr. Nelson.

Don’t you just hate having to choose between playing pickleball and going to a nude beach? Then welcome to nude pickleball. 😂👇

Everyone talks about the community and social aspects of pickleball—and they should because it's a big part of our culture. But let's not forget about the fun and excitement of our sport as well. After all, we could just sit around and talk to our friends at a coffee shop or book club too. 

We choose pickleball, though, because we also love the feeling of a hammered drive, a delicate dink, and a speedy hands battle up at the kitchen. That’s why you want the best ball in the business—the Franklin X-40. It's the most balanced, consistent, and durable ball in the world, which is why it’s not just the best-selling pickleball but the best-selling pickleball product in America. Get some Franklin X-40s today, and use code (clinic15) for 15% off.

You know the expression about turning lemons into lemonade? Well, pickleball is all about taking non-ideal situations into better ones. Today, we welcome PPA champion and co-founder of RPM paddles, James Ignatowich, to show us how to turn defense into offense. Check it out below. 👇

When it comes to the size of a pickleball, there may be a new sheriff in town. That's because a giant pickleball was recently unveiled in Toledo, Ohio on the Glass City Riverwalk. Toledo Pickle, Metroparks Toledo, Dean Ball, and Toledo Custom Fiberglass worked together to install this roughly 8-foot-tall pickleball sculpture that could “potentially be the largest pickleball in the world.” The project is part of local artist Dean Davis’ 100 Works of Art initiative and sits on the Metroparks Toledo property near Toledo Pickle.

“Pickleball is obviously at the heart of what we do, so we wanted to create something that was fun, unexpected and unmistakably Toledo Pickle,” said Mike Gibbons, owner of Toledo Pickle. “Having what could be the largest pickleball in the world right here on the riverfront gives people another reason to stop, take a photo, and experience this part of Toledo."

Hope you enjoyed the read. See you next week!

- Your Friends at The Pickleball Clinic

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