Welcome back to The Pickleball Clinic Newsletter!

The biggest pickleball scandal ever is back! Today, we'll give you an update on the latest development in the pickleball swindler case, take a look at a recent public court dispute, learn about a new 3rd shot strategy, and a lot more.

Let’s do this! 👇

Remember the pickleball scandal we reported on earlier in the year? If not, here's a refresher...

A man named Rodney Grubbs traveled the country to pickleball tournaments, meeting people and getting them to invest in his pickleball equipment and apparel company called Pickleball Rocks.

Grubbs promised investors a 12% annual return, but those people never got their money back, and it turns out that the company was essentially a Ponzi scheme.

More than 100 investors were swindled out of nearly 50 million dollars, and Grubbs was forced into bankruptcy by an Indiana bankruptcy court back in February.

At that time, there wasn’t much money recovered to return to investors. But there has been a recent development...

Last week, the FBI searched the home of Rodney Grubbs in Brookville, Indiana. The streets around Grubbs' home were closed for several hours while the FBI conducted the search, and agents were seen carrying out boxes from the house.

While Grubbs has not been formally charged with a crime, Indiana's Secretary of State issued a Cease and Desist Order against Grubbs and Pickleball Rocks back in January.

The FBI is also asking potential victims who invested in Pickleball Rocks to fill out this form — and they say that your identity will remain confidential.

To sum it all up, pickleball does rock, but Pickleball Rocks does not. 😀 We'll keep you posted on any more big developments in this story.

Adjust Your Strategy Based on Who You Are Playing

Every player has their own strengths and weaknesses, so a strategy that works against one player might not work against another. Early in a game, be sure to give your opponents different shots to discover what makes them uncomfortable. An easy way to begin testing your opponents’ strengths and weaknesses is by hitting to both their forehands and backhands and taking note of how they react. Also, try testing both your drive and drop and see if they struggle more with one over the other. Figuring out your opponents’ strengths and weaknesses, and adjusting accordingly, is a great way to win more games!

Wait, wait, wait, and then pounce like a snake. 🐍

Time to Take a Guess

Do you know how many holes are in each Franklin X-40 ball? We’ll give you a hint. It starts with the number “4” and ends with the number “0.” Still not sure? OK, it’s a little above 30 and a little less than 50. Fine, we’ll tell you. It’s 40. 😀 

Yup, each Franklin X-40 ball has 40 precise, machine-drilled holes, one piece construction, and ultra-durable polyethylene material that makes it the most balanced, consistent, and durable ball on the market. That’s why they are the official ball for the U.S. Open Pickleball Championships, USA Pickleball, and of course, yours truly. Get some for yourself, and use code “clinic15” for 15% off.

Many of the courts we feature are set in either extremely beautiful or unique locations. But those aren't the only factors we consider. Today's court of the week made the list because of the history and sheer size of its complex.

Welcome to the East Naples Community Park pickleball courts, home of the annual U.S. Open Pickleball Championships since 2016. Just look at how big this facility is. There are 65 courts, some of which are covered by that big blue structure that protects you from the sun and rain. Plus, the highest-profile matches during the U.S. Open are featured on those covered courts — so you know you're playing on the same courts that all the legends of the game have played on. (And hey, all that high-level play in the air has to improve your game a bit, right? 😉)

You Voted on What?!

It's a tale as old as time: pickleball courts come to a park, neighbors complain about the noise, and then the local government gets involved. (Well, maybe not "as old as time," but definitely since 2022. 😀)

Another similar situation happens when pickleball courts are proposed and then people take sides on whether or not they want them built in their town.

The two scenarios above have been playing out all over the country — but a new dispute over pickleball courts is happening in West Nashville, Tennessee where the typical chain of events is out of order.

There is a plan to turn three deteriorating tennis courts in Charlotte Park into ten pickleball courts, and there was a vote last year that allowed the proposal to move forward.

Except there's one big problem. The votes for the pickleball courts were not held in or near Charlotte Park, but rather at two other parks miles away.

Many of the residents who live right next to Charlotte Park (the ones who will be affected by the courts) didn't know about the plan, let alone a vote about it, until they read about the project online.

One resident, Maria Baldo, said "this is going to have a direct impact on the noise, the parking, the traffic in our neighborhood." So she started an online petition against the project, which currently has more than 70 signatures.

"I'm willing to fight it until it starts," said Baldo. "I think it's fair to expect that there will be a revote and that we'll be included in the discussion."

Good luck everyone. Of course, we're on the side of pickleball, but we also understand the concerns of neighbors and hope that noise-mitigating solutions are implemented so as not to disturb the people who live nearby.

So Tyson slapped Paul in the lead-up to their fight in order to defend pickleball’s honor? Wow, thanks a lot, Mike! 😀

It’s “T” Time!

The letter “T” is pretty impressive. It shows up in phrases like "Dot your i's and cross your t's." In its capital form, the “T” shape is used to describe things like a “T-bone” steak. Even in pickleball, a serve hit down the “T” means one that’s up the middle of the court. And of course there’s also Mr. T.

But as the middle letter in “UTR” Sports, “T” stands for a lot more these days. It stands for ten years that UTR has been leading the world in ratings systems, and technology solutions that have helped pickleball players and clubs alike. It also stands for top-level investment in technology and data science, and the fact that UTR is trusted by the APP, USA Pickleball, and the Pickleball Federation of the Americas.

Plus, UTR’s user-friendly platform makes it super easy to sign up, track progress, and stay engaged. So if you haven’t yet explored everything that UTR Sports has to offer, then make sure to go ahead and do that here.

Do you want to master a shot that will get your rating up almost an entire point? Then you must click here or on the image below to get the most in-depth analysis you’ve ever seen on the return of serve. The best pros and amateurs all do these few things on their return of serves, and if you don't, then you’re hurting your game more than you know.

Did someone say acquisition? A major move was made recently in the pickleball world, as UTR Sports just acquired PicklePlay, a popular platform designed to simplify the process for pickleball players and organizers to connect, find local courts, and manage events.

It’s a very exciting development for both organizations and for pickleball players everywhere because it will help to create more opportunities for players at every stage of the game.

“We are thrilled to welcome PicklePlay to the UTR Sports family,” said Mark Leschly, Chairman and CEO of UTR Sports. “By joining forces with PicklePlay, we are enhancing our ability to support local pickleball communities, from casual players to seasoned tournament participants, creating more opportunities for people to engage in fun, level-based experiences across the globe.”

Hope you enjoyed the read. See you next week!

- Your Friends at The Pickleball Clinic

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