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SCIENCE OF PICKLEBALL
THE SCIENCE OF PICKLEBALL : HOW CLOSE SHOULD WE WATCH THE BALL ?
By Joe Dinoffer
Pickleball is a fast sport . An intermediate player ’ s ball speed of 35 MPH takes just one second to travel from player to player if they are each standing 4 to 5 feet behind their baselines . If one of the players is at the net and volleying , we have even less time than that !
In that one second , we have many quick decisions to make . Will we hit a forehand or backhand ? Will the ball land short enough for us to approach the net ? What is our general strategy against our opponent ( s )? Is the ball coming high , low , with spin , what type of spin , fast , or slow ? And those questions are just for the incoming ball !
Then we must make decisions about how we will return or reply to the shot ! Will we hit hard or soft , high or low over the net , with spin or not , and what direction or angle ?
It makes me dizzy just thinking about all these choices and decisions that all need to be made in fractions of a second !
Here ’ s a creative ball machine idea that can make your practices more fun and speed up your decision-making efforts as well !
Fill the ball machine with the same color of pickleballs but add five to 10 balls of a different color . Many colors are available these days : white , yellow , green , multicolor , etc . Whatever shot you have been practicing with the primary ball color , switch it completely when the different ball colors are fed from the machine . So , if you were hitting crosscourt forehand groundstrokes , you would have to hit this “ different ” ball down the
WHAZZ APP ? FINDING PLAYERS
By Ernie Ortiz
Who can you play with ? There ’ s a web-based app for that . PlayTime Scheduler is a way to locate players in your area of interest . After you log in , you can see events organized by levels with times and dates . You line . If you were hitting hard , then hit a drop shot .
This simple concept can also be used for creative group fun as well . Set up a target for a prize at your next pickleball get-together . Feed balls from a ball machine . Each person gets two shots and then goes to the back of the line . If the different color ball is fed , the hitter must spin in a circle and then hit the ball , challenging him or her even more !
NOTE : If the line is too long , people get impatient . I suggest creating groups of just eight players and have each group of eight play for only five minutes . Just make sure the target is large enough to be struck , but not so big that you must buy unlimited prizes ! •
Joe Dinoffer is a master professional in the USPTA and PTR , has written nine books , produced 22 DVDs , and has appeared on the Tennis Channel . His company , at
oncourtoffcourt . com , designs and manufactures training aids for pickleball , tennis , and yoga . He has also produced dozens of pickleball tips for YouTube . Joe shares that experience and passion in this regular column for Pickleball Magazine .
can also see who is playing ( if not set as private ) and how many players are attending . Other apps , like PickleConnect , can also help you find players in the area . This app will assist you in finding events , coaches , shops , vacations , clinics and some unique offerings . •