How to win with a weaker partner

Pro serve rules change again. Early pickleball investment is paying off.

September 09, 2024

One habit of a great partner is someone who communicates clearly on the court. Calling ‘me’ and ‘you’ early can help eliminate confusion and save many points.

The earlier you get a read on a ball, the better you and your partner can prepare for it. Be the one who takes charge of your team’s communication. You might be shocked at how much you improve your pattern recognition and the ability to predict your opponent’s next shot.

In This Issue:

💪 Tips to win with a weaker partner
📋 Another new serve rule
🫣 A sneak peek at the Atlanta Slam

Communication is key.

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🔉Noise: Mandatory Foam Pickleballs

A Georgia community is hoping to mitigate ‘pervasive’ pickleball noise issues by requiring the use of quieter foam balls and charging non-residents a fee to use the facilities.

📰 News: College Pickleball Explosion

You can now find a pickleball program at more than 125 schools in the United States. According to the Times Group, the number of schools that have bought into pickleball is now in the triple digits and climbing.

💬 Quote: Pickleball Heart Rate Data

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🏡 Destination: Book this Pickleball Airbnb

Is a vacation even a vacation if it doesn’t include pickleball? Book a stay at this Airbnb – complete with a home court – to ensure your R & R includes PB.

How to Win With a Weaker Partner

Getting paired with a weaker player can be a helpless feeling. No matter what you do, that point always seems to end on their paddle. The other team notices and begins sending every ball their way. It is a challenging situation, but Zane Navratil has some tips to help you overcome a weaker partner and get the win.

Protect Your Partner
Keep the ball in front of you by dinking and resetting straight ahead. If you leave a ball too high, the attack will likely return to you instead of going toward them. If they do attack your partner, it will be a cross-court attack, allowing them more time to react.

Stacking
Option 1: You can stack to allow your partner to play on the side where they are more comfortable.

Option 2: You can stack on the left side to take more of the court and poach with your forehand when your partner is targeted.

Be More Aggressive With Positioning and Shot Selection
If your partner is being targeted, creep into the middle of the court to provide positional pressure. Lean in and intercept some of the dinks headed their way and tempt the other team to hit it behind you.

When you do finally get the ball, be aggressive with your shots. Try to force a mistake from your opponent and create an opportunity for you to hit the next ball.

Have A Good Attitude
As Zane says, “You can only control your effort and your attitude.” Mistakes are going to happen. Positive encouragement and paddle taps can make the difference between your partner playing better than normal or far below their skill level.

On the Flip Side
Outside of tournaments, don’t be the person who strictly targets the weaker player. Step up and take on the best competition you can find. It is the quickest way to improve.

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New Provisional Serve Rule Met With Pushback

A surprising announcement surfaced over the weekend, revealing a new provisional serve rule for the UPA (PPA Tour and MLP) events. The rule will be tested for 60 days but might not make it through the week with initial feedback.

Here is what is included in the provisional rule:

  • The ball must be released downward from the waist area. A drop from the hand may not be tossed upwards but can incur minimal and natural lift (up to one ball length).

  • The swing on the serve must be underhand (around 45 degrees or less) and the paddle must clearly travel in a low to high direction.

  • Serves where either the ball is tossed too high on the release or the swing was not clearly in a low to high motion will first result in a service warning and re-serve. Each player is allowed one service warning per match. Subsequent violations will result in a fault.

The timing of this announcement is no coincidence after the serve drama last week in Vegas. One big issue exposed in Vegas was that questionable serves resulted in a re-serve instead of a fault. The new rule corrects that flaw and limits players to one warning per match.

On the other hand, the new rule is no easier for referees to enforce. It puts pressure on refs to determine ‘one ball length’ and ‘around 45 degrees’ in real-time. Here are some reactions to the new serve language:

It’s no secret that people are going to resist change. But as Zane Navratil, Thomas Shields and various guests have asserted on PicklePod, isn't experimenting a good thing? Experimentation like this might be necessary to create the most competitive, suitable-for-TV, product.

For those following along at home, this is the third service rule change of the year:

  • In January, the PPA Tour experimented with a rule that required players to drop the ball from below the top of the hip instead of tossing it into the air

  • Last month, the tour reverted back to USAP serve rules allowing players to toss the ball

  • Starting this week, players will again have to drop the ball from their “waist area” instead of tossing it into the air

FYI, this only applies to UPA pro-level events. Please do not turn into Karen at the courts pulling out the protractor to call illegal serves in rec play.

A Sneak Peek at the Atlanta Slam

The PPA Tour rolls into Atlanta this week for one of four “Slam" events on the calendar. The slam designation means the PPA points available are the highest of any event, and the tournament will follow a progressive draw.

The New Number 1?
The men’s doubles field has been flipped on its head in the second half of 2024. Dylan Frazier and JW Johnson took over the No. 1 seed earlier in the year but have struggled since. Recent results suggest the pairing of Gabe Tardio/Andrei Daescu is the new number one. Can they make it three in a row and disprove any doubters?

Rain in the Forecast
Mother Nature is not cooperating this week. There is a chance of rain from Thursday to Sunday, so we could see more indoor pickleball.

All the Heavy Hitters
With 2000 points on the line, all of the major players are making the trip to Atlanta. That includes Ben Johns, who returns to the singles draw this week. Will we see another meeting between Ben and No. 1-ranked Federico Staksrud in the final?

Understand. Track. Improve.

Whether mastering pickleball or optimizing your health, understanding the why and how is crucial to making real progress. After all, how can you fix something if you don’t even know it’s broken?

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Life Time’s Bet on Pickleball Paying Off

Life Time has invested $100 million into becoming the nation's largest provider of pickleball courts. Their portfolio consists of 700 permanent courts, and they’re on pace to pass 1,000 courts next year as more locations convert space or add pickleball courts.

According to a new CNBC (paywall) article, this trend has increased membership demand at their locations. It also led Bank of America analyst Alexander Perry to increase his price target on the Life Time Group Holdings stock from $1 to $30.

The stock is up 56% on the year, and Perry’s confidence implies that “Shares could jump 27% from the last close.” Life Time hosts multiple UPA events throughout the year, including this week’s Atlanta Slam at the Life Time facility in Peachtree Corners, GA.

Life Time also made headlines last month when they announced plans to use their own brand of pickleball in their facilities.

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