Yes, it’s true.  There IS a time when it is absolutely OK to talk like a top pickleball player, even if you don’t play like one.  But I don’t mean trash-talking or even friendly banter (though you can do that if you want).

What I mean is: You can communicate with your partner the way top players do — even if you don’t play like one.

Get it?
[Read more…] about When It is OK to Talk Like a Top Pickleball Player, Even if You Don’t Play Like One (Really!)

Part 1 – Call the Ball

Maybe you’ve heard the saying, “Down the middle solves the riddle.”  In pickleball, a soft or hard shot down the middle often leaves your opponents both thinking the other person was going to get the ball and as a result of a lack of communication, neither of them gets it. — Score one for your team!

Of course, it’s fantastic when it’s your opponents who are confused.  On the other and, it’s frustrating and sometimes embarrassing when you and your partner are the ones to be confused.

Equally as frustrating is the situation in which you are all set up to make an excellent shot and your partner goes in to make a less-than-stellar smash into the net.  (Not to mention–AHEM!!–the case in which you are the one to take a great shot from your partner…)

So what’s the answer to these pickleball conundrums?

[Read more…] about How to Play Those Awkward, Down-the-Middle Shots