The Pickleboat: Remnant Odds & Ends
Volunteer for the Great Plains Regional Tournament and Get a Free Lunch and T-shirt
Free anything is good, right? And how about some of the best pickleball this side of the Mississippi. It’s USA Pickleball’s Great Plains Regional Tournament in Colorado Springs. Peggine Tellez, USA Pickleball Ambassador for the Great Plains Region, is desperately seeking volunteers to help with the event June 23-28. You’ll have to sign up for a three-hour time slot to get your lunch, but you’ll be the first kid on your block to say “Hey look, I got this cool t-shirt!”
EPC Annual Round Robin Monday, June 28 Only
Somebody was thinking. Why not collapse those two days into one and go early morning and evening on one day, Monday, June 28. Good idea! So everyone will play that day. We are limited to 64 players. Registration is open through Thursday, June 24. You’ll get an email that weekend with the names of players in each group. If you’re not already an EPC member sign up here first.
Let’s Give Marshdale Tennis Players a Break
It’s looking promising that EPRD will line the Marshdale tennis court for pickleball, which means we’ll be splitting time with the tennis players. When they are on the court, let’s show them some respect (and appreciation) by not going through their court to the gate until they’ve finished their point. (Be sure to close the gate behind you.)
And, as the benches are back on the courts, let’s keep our chairs outside the fence and bags under the benches so we’re not running into or tripping over them while we’re playing.
Show of Hands: Who Wants Earlier Start Times at Marshdale in this Crazy Hot Weather?
We know some of us are sneaking onto the courts early mornings to beat the heat. Well, our USA Pickleball Ambassador Kathy Fasold is proposing to EPRD that scheduled play start every day at 8 am. Skill levels will rotate through the week so everyone gets their shot at cool, windless play time. Scheduled play would be 8-9:30 am, 9:30-11 am and 5-6:30 pm every day (except Thursday and Saturday mornings, reserved for Ladder and EPRD classes.)
Coolest New Pickleball Gadget We’ve Seen Lately
This seems to be the summer of back surgery for many of us. Good to see you all getting out and playing soon after. But bending over and picking up the ball can be a pain in the, uh-hum, backside. Here’s a solution: the PickleUpper Pickleball Retriever. “The easy way to pick up pickleball balls without bending over. Fits any paddle.” Check it out.
Where Can You Stand When Your Partner is Receiving Serve?
We heard some say that the receiving team’s player standing at the kitchen line must have both feet fully within the court. Not so. Rule 4.B.7. “Partner Positions. In doubles, there is no restriction on the position of the partners receiving serve as long as they are on their respective team’s side of the net. They can be positioned on or off the court.” Catch up on USA Pickleball’s 2021 Official Rulebook.
Pickleball Tip of the Week: Court Prime Real Estate
We know where the kitchen is on the pickleball court – there’s a line defining it. Just as in an active home, the kitchen is the meeting place. It’s where all the action is. Good things happen around the kitchen. In pickleball, you want to get to the kitchen line to score. The kitchen line is like lakefront property; it’s prime real estate. The baseline is like a low rent apartment; it’s where you start out when you aspire to move up. When you are at the baseline, you are on the defense. It’s difficult to place a winning shot from there, and your opponents have more time to react to your shot. You might find yourself alone if you hang around the baseline while the other players get to the kitchen. You aren’t helping your partner if you stay back. The section of the pickleball court halfway between the kitchen line and the baseline is simply a place to pass through. Nothing good happens there. You don’t want to stop there. If you get jammed mid-court by a skilled opponent, defend yourself as best you can and then get up to the kitchen line asap.
(reprinted with permission of Beverly Keil) Courtesy of Tom Karas, Hiwan Pickleball Pro