Pickleball Terms by Coach Vin

Vinnie wants to call himself a certified pickleball instructor but he has been told that there is no such designation.  So Vinnie is calling himself Coach Vin

Pickleball Terms by Coach Vin

Pickler – a certified pickleball player who may or may not become addicted in the next 10 minutes or less.

Paddle – pickleball is played with a paddle not a racquet.  A paddle can be made of wood, graphite or other composite material but cannot have holes drilled in it.  A racquet has holes as in a tennis or badminton racquet.  A paddle can only be a specific size not like Prince Tennis racquets.  If you add the measurement across the face of the paddle and the length from the top of the paddle face to the butt end of the handle, it cannot exceed 24 inches.  There is no limit to the weight the paddle can be but most are around 7.5 – 8.5 ounces.  Players do use wooden paddles that might weigh 15 ounces.   Players are asked not to drop these on the feet of opposing players.

Ball – a pickleball is a whiffle ball or a plastic ball with holes.  The ball we are using is called the Dura fast 40 and it gets its name because it has 40 holes to increase the speed.  There are Cosmo or Jug Balls that can be used indoor and have bigger holes.  This slows them down more and the plastic is not as hard.  The ball we use lasts longer and speeds up the game.  I plan to stick with it until I am told we must use the Jug ball for tournament play indoors.  Pickleball Canada has no official rules on paddles and balls at this time and that is the way we will keep it.

Volley – hitting the ball in the air.  There is also an over head volley which as the name suggests is hitting the ball in the air but with your arms fully extended above your head.  It is often called and overhead smash.  This is a shot that should be practiced and a player should never intentionally smash the player at another players face or upper body.  Smash to the open court or at the feet never the face.  If you do this on purpose, I do not want you on my team.  Accidents do happen but never on purpose.

Baseline – the backline of the court. 

Sideline – the sidelines of the court.  If a ball hits either the sideline or baseline it is considered in.  The same is true of the centre line on the serve.

Ready Position – when receiving the ball on a serve or waiting for the return of a ball, players should have their weight on the balls of their feet and their paddle straight out in front so they are ready to go to their forehand or backhand as soon as they pick up the ball off the opposing players paddle. 

Serve – must be made with both feet behind the baseline.  Contact with the ball must be below the waist, and the arm must be moving in an upward arc.  Beginners should use a bowling stroke or underhand softball pitch and aim for the middle of the court.  You have to get your serve in to score a point.

Forehand – hitting the ball on your natural paddle side, on the right side if you are right handed or on the left side if you are left handed.

Backhand – hitting the ball on the opposite side of your forehand.  This shot will most likely be the hardest one for you to get at.  Vinnie suggest trying to position yourself so you take as many shots on your forehand as you can. 

Non Volley Zone – the 7’ by 20’ rectangle found on both sides of the net.  It is often referred to as the kitchen or the box.  Kitchen is a scuffle board term for the bottom of the triangle that you try to stay out of or bump your opposition into.  Players cannot hit the ball in the air in the non volley zone.  In fact you cannot step on the NV line or that is a fault.  Your forward momentum cannot take you or any article of clothing including your paddle after you hit the ball in the air.  You can go in to get a ball that is going to bounce in there.  You can stand in there as long as you do not hit the ball in the air and let it bounce.  So remember, “No Volley Shots in the Non Volley Zone.”

Rally – hitting the ball back and forth over the net either on the bounce or in the air.  A rally can be used to decide who will serve first in recreational play.

Start – a term sometimes used by players to indicate that the serving team starting the game will only get one service down before giving up the ball.  So the player starting serving in the right court can either say 0 0 2  or 0 0 Start if this is easier.  Both are understood and acceptable.

Scoring Sequence – the proper way of announcing score is your score, their score and server number.  The server must announce the score or the other team can refuse to accept the serve until they do.  It is only proper etiquette to announce the score.  If the wrong score is announced the receiver can let the ball go and declare a let serve.


Two Bounce Rule - this term refers to the fact that the receiving team and the serving team must allow the ball to bounce once on their side of the net before they can play the ball on the fly.  The serving team has to be very aware of this rule and not move up after the serve as in tennis.  Both serving team members should stay behind the baseline until the serve is returned.


Double Bounce Rule - if the ball bounces twice before a player makes contact it is a fault.  The ball may bounce twice coming off the paddle face as long as the arm motion is a continuous stroke. The hand that grips the paddle handle is considered part of the paddle so it is legal for the ball to come off your paddle hand.  If the ball hits any other part of your body or clothing it is considered a fault.  If you are hot by the ball on the fly even while standing outside the court playing service it counts as a point or a service down for the other team.

Let Serve – a ball that hits the net but bounces in the correct service court.  The ball is reserved.  A let serve can be called when a ball enters you playing court or a distraction happens.  Play stops and the serve is taken over.

 

Line Calls – line calls are to be made by players on their side of the net.  The proper code of line calling is, “They call it on their side and you call it on your side.”  Spectators cannot make line calls, they are spectators not referees.  One partner can overrule another partner on a line call or any other fault.  A team can ask the opponents if they saw the ball in or out but they must accept their decision as final.  If no one clearly saw the ball in or out, the decision goes to the opponent and the ball is IN.  A let serve is not supposed to be taken but in a friendly game players may opt to do that.  However, this will not be allowed in a tournament.  Some players have very small lines.  Other players claim they can clearly see the ball IN from their baseline to your baseline 44 feet away.  Vinnie would say, “That is a crock of pickles.” You call your side fairly and your opponents should do the same.  Try not to let bad calls upset your game.

Dink Shot – the dink shot is a soft shot just placed so it clears the net and lands in the kitchen.  It is a difficult shot to execute but very effective if your opponents are both playing back.  If you get it too high or too deep, you will pay the price.

Lob Shot – again a very effective shot when both of your opponents are at the non volley line waiting.  You have to get it high enough to get over their out stretched paddle hand and still land in that 15 foot area between the NV-line and the baseline.  It takes practice.  If you can put top spin on the ball as you lob it, it will have more of a chance of staying in.  In our centre it is even more difficult because of the low ceilings and the fans but it is a shot you should try to put the thought in the mind of the opponents.

Top Spin – coming over the top of the ball with your paddle.  A shot for the pros.  (see diagram left above)

Back or Drop Spin – cutting under the ball to have it drop as it clears the net.  Another shot for the pros.


Service Side Out  Scoring - Pickleball is the last net,racquet.paddle sport to use the service side out rule in scoring.  This means that you must get the serve to win a point or you can only get a point if you are serving.  You must get the serve back from the other team to score a point. The other system of scoring is called rally point scoring.  In this system, the team that wins the rally gets a point and the serve.  

                                           A Quick Summary of Pickleball Rules for All

The Court

Safety first

• Stretch before you start, especially your calves and hamstrings.
• Never run backwards when trying to get  a ball lobbed over your head.
• Wear a good pair of running or court shoes.
• Keep hydrated.
• Never intentionally hit a ball at another player’s upper body.
• Play within your capabilities. 

Rules to Start

The serve must be under hand, contact with the ball must be made below the waist and the paddle face cannot be above the wrist.  The arm must come through in an upward arc.  Use a bowling or underhand baseball pitching motion

Start serving from the right hand court.

Serve to the court directionally opposite from you.   Aim for the middle of the service court on the other side.  The ball must clear the non volley line.

The server must have both feet outside the baseline to start the serve and can only step in after contact with the ball.

The receiver can stand anywhere in the court but if the ball hits them before it bounces it is a point for the serving team. 

The two bounce rule.  The ball must bounce on both sides of the net before you can start playing the ball in the air (on the volley).  This is very important for the serving team to remember.  It is recommended that both players on the serving team stay behind the baseline until the ball is returned.

The 7’ by 20’ rectangle in front of the net is called the Non Volley Zone.  A player cannot step in that box to hit the ball in the air or it is a fault.  It is a fault if the player’s momentum carries them into the box after they volley the ball.  A player can go into the non volley zone to get a ball that bounces in that zone but must get back out before they can volley the ball.

The team that starts serving a game gets only one service down the first time they serve.  After the first serve is lost, the ball goes to the other side.

Your team can only score a point if you are serving.  A normal game in Pickleball goes to 11 points win by 2.

The server must announce the score before serving.  The proper sequence is your team’s score, the other team’s score, server number.   1   0   1  means your team has one point, your opponents have zero and you are the first server.

Click on this video by the usapa to review.  Basic Rules of Pickleball

Play Pickleball Like a Smart Boxer

PLAY PICKLEBALL LIKE A SMART BOXER
Tip of the month from Coach Mo


A boxer always jabs with his left hand waiting patiently for an opening to connect with a K.O. swinging right hand.


A pickleball player should jab at his volleys [extension at the elbow joint] waiting patiently for the ball to be the proper height [12 inches or higher above the net] and proper speed [not to fast] before hitting a K.O. swinging


Volley shot.
If a boxer used his powerful right hand too often he would probably be knocked out cold.


The same thing applies to a pickleball player who does not work the point with his jab volley waiting for the proper time for a swinging volley.


COACH MO


Check out all of Coach Mo''s tips at http://www.pickleballcoach.com

Poaching: when pickling isn't enough

Another article by Coach Diller's favourite author.

Sun, 10/18/2009 - 16:07 — Gale H. Leach

Poaching comes in two varieties: planned and unplanned (or opportunistic). Both types can help you win points.

What is poaching? When you are playing doubles and you step out of your usual area to return a ball meant for your partner, you have poached that shot. Done well, it catches your opponents by surprise, making it harder for them to return the ball. [In the kitchen, poaching is to cook in a simmering liquid. In pickleball, poaching causes your opponents' tempers to become heated so that they start to stew.]

Planned poaching takes practice with your partner. You need to develop a signal that tells your partner you're going to move. In response, your partner will also shift position so that both of you still cover all of the court.

The easiest planned poaches are made by the player who is close to the net on the receiving team. After the serve, the receiver should return the ball deep to keep the serving team at the baseline. The most common return by the serving team would be to the receiver in back. Expecting this, the player near the net executes a planned poach, moving quickly to the other side of the court and intercepting the ball.

Poaching only works if your opponents don't expect it, so you should occasionally fake a poach. How do you signal this so that your partner doesn't become confused, too? Typically, forward players signal behind their backs to their partners. One scheme uses an open hand for a poach and a closed fist for staying put. This last is important: signaling only when you are going to poach will be a sure giveaway of your intentions, so you must also signal when you are not going poach for this to work. Whatever scheme you use, make sure it's clear and easy to remember.

There are other times when unplanned poaching suddenly seems appropriate. If you are up near the non-volley zone and your partner is further back, the opponents will likely try to hit the ball to your partner. You should definitely take advantage of an opportunity like this, especially if the ball is a little higher or slower, giving you added time to intercept it. You must keep your move a surprise for as long as possible though, so your opponent doesn't realize what you're about to do and return the ball behind you. Wait as long as possible -- preferably until your opponent has committed to the shot.

Sometimes poaching only requires you to step a few feet into your partner's side of the court, allowing you to return to your own position easily. When you must go further, it's usually best to call out "switch," signaling to your partner to do the same and cover your side of the court. Either partner can call this "switch," but it is important to communicate it since the player in front cannot see what his partner in back is doing.

However, this action is called 'poaching' because it derives from stealing a ball that rightfully belongs to your partner. Two things about poaching are important: do it wisely and make sure you and your partner are clear about why and when it will happen. Some players are so keen to poach that they deprive their partners of shots without a need. This is especially true if the poacher does not make the shot. Do not hog the court and poach unnecessarily.

In competitive pickleball, strategy says you should hit to the weaker player. If that person is your partner, poaching may be a good strategy, but make sure your partner understands that this technique is for the "greater good." In non-competitive pickleball, too much poaching often leads to bad feelings. Use this option wisely and don't monopolize the court.

Practice poaching just like you practice anything else in pickleball. It is a useful skill that can help win points you might otherwise lose. When adding poaching to your repertoire, try it early in the game so you can make up the point if it doesn't work. Certainly try it if you are far ahead or way behind.

Hone your poaching skills and dish out a recipe for success!

Pickleball Percentages - Monthly Newsletter by Coach Mo

Again Coach Diller is going to the expert for tips of the week.  Diller's motto, "how can you make it better than the master?"  This weeks tips are from the monthly newsletter of Coach Mo at http://www.pickleballcoach.com/.  This newsletter is free to members and membership is free so go to pickleballcoach.com and sign up

This months tips are on Pickleball Percentages

Never sacrifice placement for power. A slow ball hit at your opponent's feet is better than a very fast ball hit at the waist

Two for Won

Mon, 08/10/2009 - 21:28 — Gale H. Leach

Professor Diller's Comments

I feel that the best writer about pickleball by far, is Gale H. Leach.  Her book, "The Art of Pickleball" is in my humble opinion, the best out there.  Gale continues to keep her book current by attaching a blog to the website, http://www.pickleballstore.com/.  I check this blog frequently to see what articles I feel all Pickleball players could benefit from.  This week I have posted Gale's article that brings out the fact that a team of weaker players that play well together can beat a team of stronger players.  How often have you tried to take shots that should have been your partner's?  Failed to communicate.  Been too predictable.  Learn from Gale's advice "Two for Won"

This week, I was thinking about winning strategies (again). While there’s a lot to be said for just getting out there and enjoying playing pickleball, if you’re reading this, chances are you also think about winning and want to better your odds.

 Most pickleball games are played as doubles. (You singles players out there can either skip this posting or keep it in mind for when you do play with a partner.) Doubles is a team sport, and I believe two players working well together will usually beat two players who don't work together as a team, even if the latter are each better individual players. I did a little research online to back up my thinking. While the statistics I found have to do with tennis, I believe they probably apply to pickleball as well.

The top men’s doubles tennis teams at the professional level don’t usually include players who are ranked very highly as singles players. There are exceptions and, in the case of the women’s teams, at least one of the doubles players is often a great singles player, too. But statistics indicate that two players who work well together often beat two players who may be individually better than they are but don’t work as well as a team.

 When we pair up with someone on the court, we almost never spend enough time discussing strategy or figuring out how we can capitalize on our combined strengths and minimize our combined weaknesses, yet that would be the logical thing to do since it would win us more points. Even people who have been playing with the same person for a long time should occasionally take a look at how they play together and examine their strategy critically to see how it could be improved. Here are some things to keep in mind in Gales article, "Two for Won"