Welcome back to The Pickleball Clinic Newsletter!

You know when you're playing pickleball and your opponent hits a shot that just doesn't look right? Today, we'll reveal the Top 5 ugliest shots in pickleball, discover the latest state to consider bringing pickleball to its high schools, watch lightning strike right near a court, and much more.

Let’s go! 👇

If you want front row seats to the growth of a sport through all walks of society, then look no further than pickleball. Sure, it was invented in 1965, but in terms of when its widespread growth in America started, that was about 2020.

First, you may have seen celebrities playing it on social media. Next, it started popping up in basketball gyms and on public tennis courts. Then came dedicated courts with lines meant just for pickleball, followed by Super Bowl ads and pro pickleball on TV!   

Yes, pickleball has come a long way in a relatively short period of time, and one of the best signs for the future of pickleball is its popularity among young people.

However, one area that seems behind is high school pickleball. Other than a few exceptions, pickleball is still not offered as an official high school sport. But it looks like that's about to change, and here's why...

The Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) is actively considering making pickleball an officially sanctioned high school sport based on its recent survey, which found that more than 500 schools (roughly 30%) responded with interest in adding it.

Remember we mentioned some exceptions? There definitely are, as Montgomery County in Maryland has already included pickleball in their public high schools. Furthermore, the Kentucky High School Athletic Association (KHSAA) voted to make pickleball an official state-sanctioned varsity sport starting in the 2027–28 school year. 🎉

Other states actively involved in high school pickleball are Utah, California, and Arizona, which held its first Arizona High School Pickleball Championships tournament at the end of last year with more than 140 students representing 25 schools.

Adding pickleball as an official high school sport just seems like a no-brainer. It's safe, it doesn't require much equipment, and courts are becoming more and more accessible. So the risk is quite low. 

But the upside is invaluable. If pickleball can become an official high school sport, then student athletes will be able to devote more time to it as opposed to sneaking it in as a side sport. Pickleball will get facility priority, funding, and the proper attention it deserves. 

Moreover, when pickleball becomes a widespread high school varsity sport, it will only push the NCAA to make it an official college sport—which it probably should be already, considering that hundreds of colleges already have club pickleball teams that are taken very seriously.

Dink with a Purpose!

Every time you hit a dink, you should have a specific target in mind. Dinks aren’t just about keeping the ball low, they’re setup shots designed to create opportunities and force your opponents into uncomfortable positions. If you continually dink to the same spot without a strategy, your opponents will eventually get comfortable and have an easier time attacking. Mix up your targets, create pressure, and make every dink count.

It’s one thing to attempt this, another to pull it off, and yet another to actually win the point after this shot. 😮👇

Pickleball, like any sport, will give us some aches and pains, especially as we all get older. There's no use in complaining about it. It just is what it is. But you don't have to suffer through it anymore because TheraICE created the most innovative wearable solution that harnesses the proven power of compression and cold therapy. 

TheraICE combines reactive relief and proactive prevention, supporting you not only when pain strikes, but also beforehand by keeping your body ready for what’s next. Plus, TheraICE is offering a bundle: buy 2 products and get 15% off, buy 3 products and get 25% off! And when you use code (clinic20), you get an additional 20% off the entire order—or if you just want a single sleeve, you also get 20% off when you use that code!

There are a lot of cool-looking shots in Pickleball: the ATP, the Ernie, a well-executed topspin drop, a strong counter, a shake and bake, and a tweener are just some that come to mind.

But we can save those beautiful shots for another day because right now, we’re talking about the ugliest shots in pickleball. 😁 Here’s our Top 5 (or bottom 5 we suppose.)

Upside-down Backhand Volley: This is essentially when someone hits a forehand, but on their backhand side. A lot of people don’t realize they are even doing it, but it stands out when you see it because it’s, for lack of a better word, ugly. A lot of beginners naturally fall into this habit, but you should try to get out of it—by remembering not to turn your thumb downwards on the backhand volley. A handful of 4.0+ players hit this shot, but not many. So try to hit a regular backhand.

Forehand volley in front of the body: There is a reason coaches suggest hitting backhand volleys when a ball is coming straight at your body. It’s because if you don’t, you’ll often swing in an uppercut motion with your paddle facing up as well. This generally results in a pop-up that gets smashed down at you or your partner.

Above the Belly Button Serve: For starters, this serve is illegal. But it’s also downright ugly, especially when someone hits a slice serve from this position.

Upward Elbow or Wrist Flick on Dinks: Not only does this shot almost always lead to a pop-up, but it just looks bad. Watch any good dinker, and you’ll notice that they’re mainly using their shoulder to lift the ball over the net. They might roll over the ball with their wrist to create topspin, but there’s no jerky flick upwards with their elbow or wrist.

Switching Hands Instead of Hitting a Backhand: This one is last because in one sense, it’s kind of impressive to quickly switch hands in order to reach a ball. And there is a pro, Jack Munro, who can use both hands to hit forehands. But he’s an exception. For the most part, it looks pretty funky, and it screams amateur.

We normally like being positive around here, but sometimes we gotta have some fun. 😄Also, if you hit one or more of these shots, it’s by no means the end of the world. Our advice is just to try working on eliminating one of these shots from your game—and also to not show this article to any of your playing partners. 😂

If you’re not having fun while playing, then you’re not doing it right. 👇

As pickleball continues to expand, more and more brands enter the market with products ranging from apparel to accessories and paddles to balls. But as the competition increases, the best products are simply rising to the top.

Many brands of balls have come into the pickleball space, and yet the gap between the Franklin X-40 ball and the rest has actually increased. The X-40 stands out amongst the competition because it’s the most balanced, consistent, and durable ball out there. That's why it’s the Official Ball of the APP Tour, and of yours truly. Pick some up today and use code (clinic15) for 15% off.

We featured ugly shots above, so continuing with the theme of shots to avoid hitting, let's take a look at 3 things you should NOT do with PPA champion and RPM founder, James Ignatowich. Check it out below. 👇

Earlier this month, a strong bolt of lightning struck right behind a pickleball court in Misamis Oriental in the Philippines. As you'll see (watch below), the bolt immediately knocked out all of the lights at the facility. It doesn't appear that anyone was hurt, which is good news. Also, sorry to be a stickler for the rules, but the guy in the foreground looks like he hit his serve awfully close to the height of his belly button. 😄

Hope you enjoyed the read. See you next week!

- Your Friends at The Pickleball Clinic

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