Welcome back to The Pickleball Clinic Newsletter!

Hey Dinkers. Today, we’ll dive into some crazy on-court experiences, get caught up on what’s going on in the pickleball world, and talk about some common dink mistakes.

Let’s do this. 👇

Playing pickleball is so much fun — that's why we all love doing it so much. But occasionally, you'll experience something while playing that's way out of the ordinary.

That's what prompted us to ask the question in our Facebook Group and on Instagram — "What's the craziest on-court experience you've ever had playing pickleball?"

As usual, we got a ton of responses from the community. Here goes...

• “I was calling the score 9-1-1 and I must have tilted my iWatch just so because it dialed EMS.”

Wow, technology to the rescue! When EMS arrived, did they resuscitate your opponents' pickleball games? 😄

• "My name is Jacob Black and to this day the best game I have played was against a guy I met at the court named Jacob White."

That's amazing! But why did this happen only once? We hope this wasn't just a white dream.😂

• “My buddy had to go 💩 and left the court and took a sh*% in the grass, wiped with his sock and went back into playing and tapped paddles with everyone."

We're assuming of course that there were no bathrooms nearby? Because if there weren’t any, then we're kind of on his side…

• I played against Jay Devilliers during a clinic when I was a 3.0 player and I somehow managed to body bag him in the chest! He jokingly said there was no video so he’d deny it ever happened, but it happened and it was hilarious! 😂

Love it! Awesome story. Please send us the video so we know it happened. 😁

Amazing responses from our community, as always. If you have any other incredible pickleball stories, reply and let us know. 💪

Play the Long Game by Playing the Soft Game

If you are a beginner or intermediate level player who wants to become an advanced player, practice playing the right way rather than playing to win. At the lower levels of the game, it is easy to win by driving every third shot, never dinking, speeding up randomly, and always counter attacking instead of resetting. But once you advance to the 4.0+ level, you won’t be able to win matches just by hitting the ball hard.

In my opinion, one of the biggest things that holds players back from advancing past the 3.5 level is their style of play. Pace won’t phase advanced players, so to be competitive at an advanced level, you need to be patient and wait for the right opportunity to strike. Playing patiently and emphasizing the soft game may hold you back at first, especially if you are a beginner starting out. However, as you get better and better, this style of play will help you dominate at the advanced levels.

Pro pickleball player, William Sobek, discusses falling in love with pickleball at a very young age.

You know, I always felt like the odd one out growing up. While my friends were all about baseball, football, or lacrosse, I was marching to the beat of a different drum. Pickleball was my thing — a passion that set me apart. While everyone else idolized Michael Jordan or Michael Phelps, I had dreams of becoming the first pickleball pro.

Let's take a trip down memory lane to 2009. I was just a little four-year-old, completely obsessed with the game. Weekends meant hitting the courts with my parents, soaking up the laid-back vibes of Key West. Back then, names like Ben Johns or Anna Leigh Waters weren't on anyone's radar, and finding a pickleball tournament was like finding a needle in a haystack. It was our little secret, tucked away from the mainstream.

My first taste of competition beyond our island was at the Canadian National Championships in 2015. Yep, I kicked off my career across the border! At just ten years old, I snagged gold in singles. Sorry, Josh Elliott.

From that moment on, it's been a wild ride. Now, pickleball isn't just a Key West thing — it's a national sensation. New venues are popping up left and right, drawing players from all walks of life.

We're standing on the brink of a pickleball revolution. Paddle technology is evolving, sponsors are jumping on board, and TV networks are tuning in. Change is coming, whether we are ready for it or not. So, what do you say — are you ready to join the pickleball craze?

Be sure to follow William’s pickleball journey on Instagram.

It’s Time for Jigsaw!

When Ben Johns was asked what he has in his pickleball bag, he mentioned a few paddles, clothes, overgrips, some bands and balls AND “electrolytes from Jigsaw Health.”

Here’s a chance for 5 lucky winners to start hydrating with the JIGSAW ELECTROLYTES that Ben uses to stay energized as he wins all those gold medals.😎🏆 Click right here to enter!

While we hope you’re one of the lucky winners, if you just want to get yourself the ultimate sugar-free electrolyte drink mix today, then you can do that too. Use code “clinic10” at checkout for $10 off.

Yup, this exchange has just about everything you could possibly want in a pickleball point.👏 💪 

What You Need to Know!

So many things happen in the world of pickleball each month, and it's not always easy to keep up with.

Well, that's why we have our “Monthly Minute with The Pickleball Clinic”! (Click HERE or on the picture below to watch.)

Hosted by Elly Smith (pickleball player, influencer, member of our team, and all-around awesome woman), this video will update you on everything you need to know! 👇

Highlights

• Love is in the air on the pickleball courts, as 60% of players admit to making romantic connections while playing.

• Everyone’s favorite pickleball mother/daughter duo of Anna Leigh Waters and her mom, Leigh Waters, was reunited — and they won the U.S. Open in Women’s Doubles!

• Pickleball is making inroads in one of the two most populated countries in the world — India. (It has also been introduced to the other population giant, China.)

• In MLP draft drama, Tyson McGuffin was drafted by the Utah Black Diamonds but evidently refused to play alongside the other male player on the team, Tyler Loong. This prompted the team to trade Tyson to the Orlando Squeeze in exchange for Jay Devilliers — remember, the guy from above who got body bagged? 😂

• Music icons Taylor Swift and Billie Eilish have both been spotted playing pickleball recently. Maybe a pickleball-themed song is in the works?😂

The obsession is real. 😂🥒

UTR Sports Will Host Golden Ticket Qualifier

UTR Sports, the company behind the UTR-P Rating, which is now the official rating of the USAP and APP tour, is hosting its own tournaments this summer, including a Golden Ticket qualifier.

The Denver Metro Golden Ticket is happening July 10-14 in Arvada, Colo. Winning a golden ticket is your way of guaranteeing a place in the USAP National Championships in November!

Denver is part of the UTR Sports Pickleball Amateur Series, a year-round series of round-robin events held throughout the U.S. with tournaments scheduled in New Jersey, Georgia, Florida, and more.

Click here to see the full schedule and register!

The dink is one of the most important shots in all of pickleball. In order to hit it consistently, you need to make sure that you’re not making one of these three big mistakes. Luckily Coach Matt is here to explain exactly what they are. 👇

Key takeaways:

• Do not use your wrist — the wrist should be still and firm and the swing should come from your shoulder.

• Do not chop at the ball with your elbow — instead, keep it straight.

• Stay at the kitchen line — do not back up once you are there.

If a ball is hit on your side of the court but has so much spin (or a wind gust blows it) that it bounces back toward your opponent’s side of the court, then you are allowed to reach over the net to hit it back. You can even reach over and hit the ball into your opponent’s net as seen below. 😲 This doesn’t happen all that often, but it does sometimes.

Hope you enjoyed the read. See you next week!

- Your Friends at The Pickleball Clinic

Join the conversation below! ⬇️