David Zapatka I hope many of you made it to the Margaritaville USA Pickleball National Championships in Indian Wells, Calif. It was a blast. We attended the final three days watching all the pro events including Super Sunday when the finals of all five pro events were played. Here are some notable milestones from this year’s national…
Tag: Relishing Pickleball
December 2022, Sports
Relishing Pickleball: The Pickleball Market Continues to Grow
David Zapatka Last month we announced Major League Pickleball had arrived. High-profile individuals Drew Brees, James Blake, Lebron James, Draymond Green, Kevin Love, and a host of others invested in teams. The new Vibe Pickleball League was recently announced. The first high-profile team owner is Mark Cuban, owner of the Dallas Mavericks NBA basketball team.…
Sports, July 2022
Relishing Pickleball: The Dink
David Zapatka Continuing our study of Pickleball Fundamentals: Master the basics and compete with confidence by Mary Littlewood, “to properly execute a dink, stand just behind the non-volley zone line in a good ready position—well balanced, with your body weight over your feet and the knees slightly bent. Hold the paddle in front of your…
Sports, June 2022
Relishing Pickleball: The Half Volley and the Drop Volley
David Zapatka Continuing our study of Pickleball Fundamentals: Master the basics and compete with confidence by Mary Littlewood, “As opposed to the volley, which is a shot taken when the ball is still in the air, the half volley is hit just after the ball has bounced. It is a reaction shot taken most often as…
Sports, May 2022
Relishing Pickleball: The Volley—Part 2
David Zapatka Continuing our study of Pickleball Fundamentals: Master the basics and compete with confidence by Mary Littlewood, “Your entire demeanor at the net should be confident and strong. Let your attitude convey that you want the ball to come right at you because you’re willing and able to return it! Face the net with flexed…
Sports, April 2022
Relishing Pickleball
David Zapatka The Volley Continuing our study of Pickleball Fundamentals Master the basics and compete with confidence by Mary Littlewood, “A volley is a shot hit in the air before the ball bounces. It is used as a return of a ball that travels close to the top of the net and that is usually hit…
Sports, January 2022
Relishing Pickleball: The Serve
David Zapatka Quoting from Pickleball Fundamentals: Master the basics and compete with confidence, by Mary Littlewood, when hitting a serve, “contact must be made below the waist, which is defined as level with the navel. Further, IFP Official Tournament Rulebook rule 4.A1 states the arm ‘must be moving in an upward arc’ and that the…
Sports, November 2021
Relishing Pickleball: Forehand Groundstroke
David Zapatka Forehand Groundstroke Quoting from Pickleball Fundamentals: Master the basics and compete with confidence, by Mary Littlewood, when hitting a forehand groundstroke, “from the moment the ball leaves the opponent’s paddle, you should be tracking its flight with your eyes to aid you in judging the speed and direction of the ball. Move to the…
Sports, September 2021
Relishing Pickleball
David Zapatka Is Pickleball a Good Bet? The Pickleball Players Association (PPA) and Genius Sports, a publicly-traded sports data and tech company, recently announced a long-term deal that sets the stage for sports betting in pickleball. Can you imagine walking into one of our local casinos, hearing raucous cheers and seeing a pickleball match on…
Sports, August 2021
Relishing Pickleball
David Zapatka Reader Liz Houser writes, “I just moved to SaddleBrooke in April and learned to play pickleball in early May thanks to my enthusiastic neighbor Shawne. I just read your article about Common mistakes numbers 11 and 12, I found them to be very helpful. Would you be so kind as to send me…