SWEATY HANDS
My hands sweat! So other than having
a rosin bag in my pocket or constantly
wiping my hands on my clothes, I wear
a leather golf glove. My hands still
sweat, but the glove-to-paddle contact
surface stays dry.
CHEWED-UP SHOES
We have new courts in our area and
they are very abrasive and chew up
shoe soles on the outside pressure
edge. I apply a flat bead of Shoe Goo
on the worn or wearing areas of my
shoes the night before I play, which
has extended their life significantly. It
handles and wears well and has not
hurt traction—and saves me a lot of
money on replacement shoes.
PADDLE EDGE PROTECTOR
If your paddle edge protector is
coming loose, you will likely hear a
twang sound when the ball is struck.
Carefully pull back on the loose area
to expose a bit of the paddle surface
the protector covers, typically 1/8 inch.
Generously apply Shoe Goo to the
paddle face where the edge protector
covers and press it in with your finger—
it's messy but easily rubs off once dry.
Repeat on the opposite side. Slide the
protector back and secure with some
tape. Once cured, about an hour or
less, remove the tape and use your
fingers to rub off exposed Shoe Goo
from the paddle. This works great as
it adheres well and is soft to take the
ball hit shock!
SHADES
My prescription glasses take me
to 20/10 vision (which I once had
without them). This acuity is great
for accurate line calls. I’ve found
that light-brown tinted lenses help
me pick up pickleballs, especially
yellow balls, quicker than my clear
lenses and much quicker than dark
glasses, the latter greatly reducing
the amount of light that reaches your
eyes, especially as we age. My UV-
rated contrast-enhancing tinted lenses
reduce incoming light by about 15
percent, which is much less than dark
glasses that can reduce by 85 to 90
percent of the visible light necessary
to see what’s going on—like accurate
line calls! I even apply a bit of shock-
absorbing Shoe Goo between the
frames and lenses to make sure that if
I take a hit, it does not knock the lens
out—unfortunately, I’ve learned it works
pretty well!
LILY-W HITE EARS AND SKIN
On sunny days, even with my floppy
hat covering my lily-white ears and
skin, I have gotten a light burn. The
problem was that the inside brim of
my hat was white and reflected sun
into my face. I now paint the inside
brim of my pickleball hat to decrease
unwanted light reflection—no more
burn or distracting light reflection.
LEGS -- LEGGINGS AND SOCKS
Of course there are other helpful
game enhancers such as tight support
leggings and socks. I’ve noticed
even the younger top-level 5.0s
are using them and, at that level, it
means something. They reduce sun
exposure and add leg support, which
is especially helpful as we age.
KNEES
I also use good-fitting elastic kneepads
to help support and protect my knees
from a lifetime of skiing and normal
wear and tear. Also, the correct use
of KT tape has proven to be a near
miracle for my kneecap by keeping it
in line and I can wear the stuff for quite
a while.
When it comes to maintaining your
equipment, remember you’re the
major part of the equipment mix. While
some of these tips may help with your
game, nothing replaces youth, careful
physical training and drilling. •
MARCH/APRIL 2018 |
MAGAZINE
67