Cup
of
Joe
How does this impact the sport?
In tennis, topspin allows tennis players to hit harder and still
keep balls landing in the court. In pickleball, we rely mainly on
gravity to bring the ball back down into the
court. What does this mean to pickleballers?
It means that the lack of topspin limits
the amount of power you can hit on all
shots (except high volleys and overheads).
This lack of topspin alongside the “kitchen
rule” makes control more important than
power. This results in two things: First, it
is a gender equalizer; and, second, it is a
power neutralizer. These are selling points for
pickleball because there is a wider range of
players that each of us can enjoy playing with.
And that, my pickleball friends, is a good
tradeoff for spin! •
WHAT ARE
YOUR PRIORITIES?
SPIN and PICKLEBALL
BY JOE DINOFFER
B
all sports have many things in common. One of them is the
effect of ball rotation on the sport. Baseball has curve balls
and football has spirals. In bowling, basketball, soccer, and even
golf, the effective use of spin has its connection to successful
performance. And, in table tennis and tennis, although multiple
ball spins are possible, topspin has the most impact.
What about pickleball? Compared to tennis, pickleballs do
not spin very much. Why? Because the balls are much harder
than tennis balls and there are no strings in pickleball paddles
to grip, grab, and create spin.
Joe Dinoffer is a master professional in the USPTA
and PTR, has written seven tennis books and 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.
ow do you get into “the zone”? Athletes use numerous techniques
to get into the correct headspace for competitive sports. Many socalled experts will claim they’ve discovered the best way of getting
into the zone, but few can prove they have the psychological training and
experience to understand players’ thought processes.
A new book about pickleball by
USAPA Ambassador Neil Schulenburg Ph. D.
MIND GAME
MINDGAME
H
It’s all about the mental aspects
of effective
pickleball
Many
Neil P. Schulenburg,
PhD, does have
that expertise. play.
In Mind Game
, he
his training in psychotherapy
to help tennis
and pickleball
playersis
believe that 80 to 90 % uses
of pickleball
performance
is about
what
improve their mental game.
happening regarding mental function. Some of us have a good net
Over eight million people enjoy playing tennis every year, and
game or a good ground pickleball
game,isbut
how many of us are confident in
also catching on in American culture. Both are games of
that 80 to 90% area of mental
performance?
Not
skill, and mastering
sports mentality is
just asmany!
important in tennis and
pickleball as technique and strength. Don’t be left behind. Discover this
If you agree, you are invited
to build your game in this
groundbreaking strategy for reaching the zone!
all-important area with a copy of this new book entitled Mindgame.
“
“When I read this book, I found that I couldn’t put it down. I could
really relate to this. I found things that I hadn’t considered before.”
-Frank Solana, Tennis Professional St. Simons Island, Georgia
“
“The serve was the weakest part of my game. I would love to play, but
when it came time for me to serve I felt tremendous pressure. I hit way
too many serves out. After using the techniques outlined in this book,
the serve became one of the strongest parts of my game. A spectator
recently told me, “When you’re serving, you’re so consistent you look
like a machine out there.” …That’s no machine, that’s the real me”!
- Pickleball and Tennis player, St. Simons Island, GA
“
Recommended by Kyle Yates, winner of the
2016 U S Open Pickleball Championship.
Neil P. Schulenburg
“
A Quantum Performance Leap for Competitive Pickleball and Tennis
AVAILABLE AT WWW.MINDGAME.GURU
DECEMBER 2016 |
MAGAZINE
49