Welcome back to The Pickleball Clinic Newsletter!

No matter how hard you try to avoid them, tough conversations in life — and in pickleball — will come up every so often. Today, we'll look at the Top 5 most uncomfortable pickleball conversations, meet one tennis player who is not a fan of our sport, learn how to hit a one-handed backhand drive, and a whole lot more.

Let’s go! 👇

If you're reading this, then we're pretty sure you know how amazing pickleball is. But like everything in life, it's not always sunshine and rainbows.

Sometimes there are difficult talks that need to be had on a pickleball court. Here are our Top 5 Most Uncomfortable Pickleball Conversations…

Breaking Up with Your Partner: Break-ups are rarely easy because it was working for a little bit, but ultimately not enough or not anymore. In pickleball, maybe you’ve gotten a lot better than your partner and they’re preventing you from reaching your potential. (Or they just have horrible body odor. 😀) Whatever the reason, the break-up conversation is a tough one to have. Pro tip — there's nothing wrong with using some white lie excuses so you don't have to hurt their feelings.

Line Call Dispute: We've all been there. You know the ball you hit was in, but your opponent called it out. "Come on!" you might say, "Are you sure?" Maybe it's in a tournament or at rec play, but wherever it is, this conversation doesn't go anywhere and is very uncomfortable. If you think your opponent’s call was an honest mistake, then just move on. If it’s a recurring problem, however, then you may want to consider the last item in this list. 😲

Not Knowing Someone's Name: We've all been there. You know someone, but you don't remember their name. It's too late to ask them and you've tried asking some other people, but they don't know either. If you think that they think you should certainly know their name, then DO NOT ask them. Instead say "Hey" or keep asking other people until someone knows — because this conversation is just too awkward. 

Telling Your Partner to Stack: Unless it's for obvious lefty/righty reasons, telling your partner you should stack is essentially telling them that you think you're the better player, which isn’t always an easy thing to say. So if you do mention it, present it as a question, like "Think we should stack?" Or suggest it as a way to give your opponents a different look. Bonus points for pretending that you heard them say it first: “Did you just say you want to stack?” 😆

Throwing Someone Out of Your Group: It doesn't happen often, but sometimes there is a person who constantly makes trouble on the pickleball courts. Maybe they cheat or they're very rude or they're extremely negative and blame their partners for everything. If this person is hurting the experience for everyone else, then it may be time to ask them to stop coming. Pro tip — make sure everyone else in the group is onboard (they probably will be), and give the person a warning before asking them to leave.

So there you have it, our list of the Top 5 Most Uncomfortable Pickleball Conversations. Did we miss any? Then hit reply and write back to us. 👍

Always Expect Your Opponents to Attack at the Kitchen Line

Many players let their guard down after hitting a really good dink or other shot, not expecting their opponents to make the choice to attack it. This allows your opponents to get away with poor choices because it’s hard to effectively counter if you aren’t ready. If you are always ready to defend an attack, even if you hit an “unattackable” shot, you won’t get caught off guard and therefore can punish your opponent for a weak attack!

When your partner says “I got this.” 💪

Georgia on Your Mind

The UTR Sports: Macon Open is right around the corner! Taking place March 12-16 at Rhythm & Rally Sports & Events in Macon, Georgia, this is your chance to earn pre-registration into the USA Pickleball National Championships.

It’s also an opportunity to play competitive matches, enjoy a stellar venue, and improve your UTR-P Rating.

Registration closes on February 26!

Welcome to a new monthly segment on our newsletter, Ask Jilly B, a monthly thought-stream from coach & top pro player, Jill Braverman. If you want to learn more about Jill, check out Aaron’s interview with her here!

Hi friends,

I’m coming off of two gold medals from the first APP event of the year in Florida. It was 25mph+ winds on championship Sunday — some of the worst conditions I’ve ever competed in! But I don’t fear the wind and neither should you. Here are three keys to making the wind your friend:

1.) Attitude: Give yourself permission to complain ONCE, and then mentally zip it. Keep your head space positive so that positive things can happen.

2.) Choose wisely: One end is usually “better.” Remember, if you win the toss you want to start on the side you DON’T like. That way you end up on the “good” end at the switch in the 3rd game.

3.) What is the “good” side?: Pros will typically say against the wind BUT playing downwind has some huge advantages because your speed ups and counters “get on” your opponents quicker. It’s easier to drive and “bang away” against the wind, but the scores at the APP proved the downwind side held the advantage. Interesting!

Don’t forget to use windy days as opportunities to play games and practice the above three keys. Luckily, the day before the tournament I practiced in 20+ mph winds. The group of pros next to me packed up after an hour because it was “too windy to have a meaningful practice.”

Remember, Championship Sunday doesn’t wait for perfect conditions.

Be sure to follow Jill on Instagram and YouTube.

Mind Your Manners, Sir

Andy Murray, 37, is a British (more specifically, Scottish) tennis coach and former #1 ranked player in the world.

While he was not part of the Big 3 of tennis (Federer, Nadal, and Djokovic), he was pretty clearly #4, as he managed to win two Wimbledon titles, one U.S. Open and two Olympic gold medals. Check out this amazing point of his.

Because of his tennis prowess, Murray was actually knighted in 2019, so he can technically be called Sir Andy Murray. 😀

These days, he appears to be coaching the great Novak Djokovic and trashing pickleball. Yup, in a recent interview on Pedestrian TV, Murray manages to insult our sport in a number of ways...

"I'm really not a fan of pickleball," Murray said. "I just don't like it. I find the noise a bit annoying. I think it's quite an easy game as well."

Then he got patronizing, "As a game to play, I think it's fun. A nice way of socializing with an active component to it, but I'm not a huge fan, no." Thanks a lot, Sir Andy. Now tell us how you really feel.

Perhaps at some level, it's commendable that he's sticking up for his sport of tennis, especially since so many other tennis players have embraced pickleball.

But you still don't need to put down our sport in order to lift up yours. Evidently, Murray's mother loves pickleball and even coaches it. So not only is Murray insulting pickleball, but he's also being rude to his mother. 😁

Sure, but you may feel like you’re better. 😄

Subjectively Better, Objectively Different

As Andy Murray pointed out above, tennis is not pickleball. Nope, it's not. It's better. 💪 But even if we put our bias aside, the two sports are objectively different. Sure, they're both racket sports, but the vibe, the energy, the communities — they're way different.

So if pickleball is its own thing, then why would we dress like tennis players? That's what our friends at Club 002 were thinking when they decided to convey what pickleball is all about in their shirts. It's time to express your love for the game with confidence, humor and individuality. Check out the selection of Club 002 tees and use code "TPC10" for 10% off.

The backhand drive is not usually a shot people focus on, especially the one-handed backhand. But as pickleball is evolving and getting faster, it’s important to know the proper technique to use in order to master this shot. Matt demonstrates below. 👇

Key Takeaways:

• Try using an eastern backhand grip, which will allow you to easily create topspin.

• Prepare by turning sideways, using your non-dominant hand as a guide during the backswing, and keeping your dominant arm fully straight — no bent elbow.

• Step forward to hit the ball and bring your non-dominant arm back so you have balance throughout the shot.

Major League Pickleball (MLP) will be returning to regular side out scoring up to 11 in 2025. Previously, the MLP used a special rally scoring system, whereby a point would be earned at the end of every rally, whether it was won by the serving or returning team.

When asked what brought about the change in scoring, one MLP official said, “We were tired of having to explain rally scoring to a pickleball-watching public that, 99% of the time, plays side out scoring."

The rally scoring system will still be used, however, in the tie breaker (the 5th set), also known as the 'dreambreaker.'

Hope you enjoyed the read. See you next week!

- Your Friends at The Pickleball Clinic

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