PICKLEBALL INSTRUCTION
Mortimore
What do you do if one or two extra players are sitting out the usual 15 minutes waiting to get on the court for the next game ? Why not bring them into the Mortimore game ? According to Las Vegas teaching pro Pat Carol , Mortimore ( Mildred if a lady ) is that invisible third player who plays doubles while positioned in the middle of the court … and he / she is really bad . So hit the ball to Mortimore . This is excellent for 2-on-1 games ( Image A ).
Two Louisiana ambassadors told us about getting more playing time by playing three on a side . So , here in Casper , Wyoming , a real life “ Mortimore ” starts out playing behind the baseline and in the middle of the court , moving up a step or two when his teammates get to the kitchen ( Image B / Player E ). And the fun part is , other than not receiving serve , Mortimore can play any ball , but usually ones hit down the middle . The kicker is that when one of the non- Mortimore players hits the ball into the net or out of bounds , he / she trades places with Mortimore . It ’ s as simple as that .
The Mortimore game forces you to play better mentally so that you don ’ t get stuck in the middle . Also , as Mortimore , it gives you a chance to “ read ” the offense , observe the game , and see if you can get into position to return an otherwise sure passing shot . It ’ s a good experience all around and you also get time to rest if you ’ re in the Mortimore position .
Next time there are one or two people waiting to play , just invite them to play Mortimore and see how much you will love this take on our wonderful game . • game
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BY HUBERT TOWNSEND
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