Cup
of
Joe
All paddles meet USAPA specifications
for tournament play
WHAT ARE
YOUR PRIORITIES?
W
elcome to the first “Cup of Joe.” As a regular feature
of this magazine, I will share statistics from charting
various pickleball matches. Here’s the first: In men’s doubles,
40% of the balls hit are touch shots. In women’s or mixed, it
averages 45%. What do these percentages mean in practical
terms about what shots to practice? Whether you are a male or
female player, nearly half of your practice time should be spent
on “dinks” off the bounce and soft controlled volleys.
The question is how to practice these delicate shots, since
most of your pickleball friends just want to play games. Here
are options that offer higher quality practice and exercise in less
time, without the scheduling challenges that come with lining
up a foursome.
1. Wall Practice – Find a nearby schoolyard wall or use your
garage door. Worried about marking the garage door? Just
use a foam tennis ball as a good option.
2. Solo Practice – Since delicate touch shots are so
important in pickleball, just do “ups and downs” a few
minutes a day to improve your consistency and control. Try
both standing still and walking.
3. Rebounder Nets and Tarps – search the pickleball
websites. There are several creative possibilities.
4. Ball machines – several options are available. Again,
Google is your friend!
Just be aware that by practicing alone just a few minutes a
day, you can raise your playing level significantly in a matter of
weeks. Just don’t share this secret with your opponents!
Phil Ciaramitaro
586-431-9523
586-412-9526
pacpaddles.com | [email protected]
SERIOUS DISTRIBUTORS WELCOME
Joe Dinoffer is a master professional in the USPTA
and PTR, has written seven tennis books and
made 22 DVDs, and has appeared on the Tennis
Channel. His company, www.OncourtOffcourt.com,
manufactures training aids for pickleball and tennis.
He brings that experience and passion to pickleball in
this regular column of Pickleball Magazine.
JUNE 2016 |
MAGAZINE
11