around the post
By Jennifer Lucore & Alex Hamner
Setting the Record Straight — A Must-Read !
With the
exploding growth of our wonderful game , we thought it would be a good time to get a few basic things straight for all the new players ( and some seasoned players as well ). Please read and share with others .
• Pickleball is played with a PADDLE ! Not a racket . A racket has strings , paddles do not .
Jennifer and Alex playing in the kitchen .
• In doubles , there are three numbers used to indicate the score . No words , just numbers .
• The Non-Volley Zone ( NVZ ) is the box by the net . It ’ s also called “ the kitchen .” No one knows where the nickname came from , but no matter what you call it , you can be in that area any time you want — unless you hit a volley .
• A point is earned when the server ’ s side wins the rally . So , every exchange is a rally , which may or may not result in a point . But it ’ s very common for the rally to be referred to as a point , whether a point was actually scored or not . We know — it ’ s confusing !
• For tennis players , there ’ s no “ ad ” or “ deuce ” side of the court ; a pickleball court has left and right sides . There also is no “ set ” played — only a game .
• Please learn to spell our sport correctly ! It is not capitalized ( unless at the beginning of a sentence , of course ), it is not two words , does not have a hyphen — it ’ s spelled “ pickleball .” Please make sure all your written communications and social media accounts spell it correctly ; the spelling gods thank you .
• The plastic ball you play with is not the trademarked “ WIFFLE ball .” It may look similar , but it ’ s not . We only use pickleballs . It ’ s simply a plastic ball with holes in it .
• Can you wear your running shoes to play ? No ! Running shoes are designed for only forward movement . Do yourself a favor and buy “ court shoes ,” which are designed for movement in all four directions ( left , right , forward and backward ) to get the support and balance you need .
• Pickleball is the fastest-growing sport in the world — true ! And it ’ s the most fun as well .
Welcome aboard .
Jennifer Lucore and Alex Hamner started playing pickleball in 2010 , and have competed in numerous tournaments across the U . S . Jennifer also competes internationally , and both ladies have been inducted into the Pickleball Hall of Fame . Jennifer and Alex have 26 national titles , but are best known for winning gold in Women ’ s Open Doubles at Nationals for four consecutive years ( 2011-2014 ). They live with their respective families in North San Diego County . For more pickleball fun , visit Jennifer ’ s blog at
www . allpickleball . com .