Saturday, May 28, 2016

Meet the Youngest Player at the inaugural US Open Pickleball Championships


Meet the Youngest Player at the inaugural US Open Pickleball Championships from Keith Bing on Vimeo.

At the US Open in Naples, 11-year-old Key West Pickleball wiz kid William Sobek pulled off a Bronze medal -- in the 19 and over bracket!

 A Key West father-son duo recently competed in the first U.S. Open Pickleball Championship. Rosti Sobek and his son, William Sobek, took part in the inaugural event at Naples, Florida against some strong competition, according to the father who owns the Sobek Pickleball Academy.

 William, 11, competed in the men’s 19-and-over age category because the tournament did not have a youth division. Despite the much older competition, young Sobek earned the bronze medal with a 1-3 record. (Read More)

Sunday, May 22, 2016

Picklball Picker-Upper


Gear Talk: Ball Picker-Upper with Steve Paranto


Picture of PickleBall Picker Upper

A simple but effective pickleball picker upper (Read More)

1. A kitchen trash can.
2. 4 bungee cords.
3. 1/2" PVC pipe and 4 elbows.




The Retrieve-A-Ball for Pickleball is perfect for players who are tired of bending all the way down to pick up Pickleballs! By adding the specially formulated sticky gel to the bottom of any Pickleball paddle handle, this will add almost 15 inches to your reach. By using the paddle to help extend your reach to pick up Pickleballs, now you won't have to bend all the way to the ground. Helps to reduce strain on your knees and your back!
Package includes 2 of each (enough for two paddles):
- Sticky Gel
- Blue Placement Tape (keeps gel in place)
- Cap to cover Gel while not in use


I made this Pickleball Shag Basket for my wife to retrieve pickleballs during her practice sessions. She has a Simon Pickleball Machine, which pitches the balls to her for practice. I added an oscillator to the machine, too, but haven't published it, yet. The Shag Basket is easy to build, requires few tools and few materials. This is the third version. Each revision was an attempt to make it easier to build.



I made it using a 5' piece of 3" diameter lightweight PVC pipe with two holes drilled 1/2" up and 1/2" in on one side. Then I passed a 1/4" bungee cord through the two holes, pulled it tight and tied it in a knot on the outside. The result is the bungee is offset to one side.

Saturday, May 21, 2016

Christine Barksdale & Kim Tollenaar





Interview: Christine Barksdale & Kim Tollenaar Washougal River's Edge Pickleball Tournament (June, 2015)








International Indoor Pickle Ball Tournament 2016 Mix Age Doubles 35+ Gold Metal Match
Lynn Syler/Enrique Ruiz vs Christine Barksdale/Steve Wong

Pickleball Champion Sarah Ansboury Pro-Lite Pickleball Paddles

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Magnum XP Pickleball Paddle $73.00

Thursday, May 19, 2016

Tuesday, May 17, 2016

Doubles Pickleball - Kitchen Drill: Moving as a Team at the Non-Volley Zone

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The first in a series of Doubles Pickleball drills. This is a simple drill you can practice for a few minutes as part of your warm-up before you begin playing. 



Remember to practice. Even 15-20 minutes everyday you play will improve your game.

Saturday, May 14, 2016

Podcast: How One Guy Built a Pickleball Empire in His Free Time | Inc.com





"When Inc. 5000 honoree Ethan McAfee visited his parents in a retirement community in Florida, he was a technology investment analyst. At the time, his parents (and seemingly every other elderly resident) played pickleball, a sport that mixes tennis and Wiffle ball. He decided to set up a site, pickleballdirect.com, to sell equipment for the game to retirees. Four and a half years later, his business -- now called Bois Blanc Sports (NOTE: Bois Blanc Sports does not have pickleball products on the page) -- grew 3,248 by percent. It had pulled in $9.7 million in sales at the end of last year, which was enough to place his company at No. 105 on the 2015 Inc. 500 list."

Read More: How One Guy Built a Pickleball Empire in His Free Time | Inc.com

Palm Beach Gardens resident celebrates 90 on the pickleball court | www.mypalmbeachpost.com

Wilks jokingly conducted about 30 friends, family members and fellow pickleball players as they sang “Happy Birthday” Tuesday evening at the new courts off Plant Drive.
“I’m speechless. I was wondering when I got here why it was so hard to get a parking place,” she said.
A t-shirt printed with the words “Life is simple. Eat, sleep and live pickleball,” was among her gifts.
Read More:

Palm Beach Gardens resident celebrates 90 on the pickleball court | www.mypalmbeachpost.com

Thursday, May 12, 2016

Washington International Indoor Pickleball Championships 2016

Washington International Indoor Pickleball Championships 2016 - YouTube: ""



Video tour of the Washington International Indoor Pickleball Championships by "Rocket", Pickleball Rocks.

Cincinnati surveying about park usage


City Manager Tom Moeller met with a contractor about resurfacing the courts and created four options for the courts. The city could either keep them as they are for no cost, create six pickleball courts and eliminate the tennis courts for $20,650, create four pickleball and two tennis courts with portable nets for $14,650, or convert the basketball court into five pickleball courts and keep the two tennis ones for $20,100.
The survey questions asks residents which option they prefer for the two tennis courts being converted to four pickleball courts:
•do not convert the tennis courts;
•convert all tennis courts to pickleball courts;
•just add the pickleball court lines and lower the tennis nets;
•leave one tennis court and convert the other tennis court to two pickleball courts;
•other.
The pickleball league conducted a survey that showed 618 pickleball players used the courts while only 47 tennis players did between August and September.

Read More: City surveying about park usage

The Mechanics Of The Pickle Ball Serve

Pickle Ball - YouTube: ""



'via Blog this'

Monday, May 9, 2016

International Indoor Pickleball Championships 2016





This week is the International Indoor Pickleball Championships Wednesday May 11 - Sunday May 15 in Centralia, WA.

Hi Everyone,
We are now less than a couple of days away from the start of the tournament!
First let me start by thanking a lot of folks:

• Front and center are the all the volunteers to make this happen. There are so many…thank goodness!
• Next are the great sponsors…wish there were more
• And finally the players and fans.
• Thank you all!



This update is regarding referees.
As many of you know this kind of tournament needs volunteer time from almost everyone. This is particularly true in regards to refereeing. Though it may be hard it is part of the game. Just like racquetball tournaments where they do their own refereeing we need to do the same. It is expected and needs to be part of the culture in pickleball as it is in racquetball. Everyone is expected to referee at least 2 matches per event. However, there is always the exceptions and that is ok, but then you should pay $10 to reward others that are willing to referee for you. We are willing to pay $5 per match that you did not need to referee. We will also have referee raffles.
For those of you that responded or will referee…thank you! And for those of you that are willing to referee without any incentive…thank you so much!

For those of you that are willing, but want help and want training. Here are some options:
• Go to USAPA.org and look at the Rules & Referees tab…there is even a test you to do after you read the rules (NOTE: You must be a USAPA member to access tabs)
• Go to the Referee clinic we will have on Friday at 5:45PM (May 13th)
• Request to shadow a referee during the tournament
Thanks again for supporting pickleball and the Double I (International Indoor) Championships!
See you all soon!
- Ken and Miok

For more information and a daily schedule, go to: Pickleball Tournaments.


Sunday, May 8, 2016

Pickleball Drills to Improve Your Pickleball Skills



Pickleball Drills to Improve Your Pickleball Skills: "Pickleball drills are a fantastic way to improve your game and address any weak spots that you may have. Each drill focusses on a specific technique that is often used in the game including dinking, volleying and groundstrokes. These drills can help you take your pickleball game to the next level, impressing your family and friends!"

Friday, May 6, 2016

Thoughts on Pickle Ball

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Thoughts on Pickle Ball 

US Open Pickleball Championship: Final Thoughts - RV Picklers



pickleball cross roads
"As I reflect on the US Open Pickleball Championship:  It was the best of times.  It was the worst of times.  It was the tale of two pickleball tournaments.

US Open Pickleball Championship:  Best of Times
I sat in the VIP tent next to the Zing Zang Championship court and thought, “Who would have thunk (sic)?”  I was in the tent courtesy of our Guest Contributor, Sarah Ansboury, who lent me her VIP Pro Credentials.  In the tent there was food and all kinds of beverages and people to respond to your every request.  As I traveled around the grounds with Sarah, I observed people asking her to autograph their paddle, or hat, or program.  Program!  Who ever thought we would see a professionally produced program at a pickleball tournament?"

Read More:US Open Pickleball Championship: Final Thoughts - RV Picklers




Desert's Marcin Rozpedski wins pickleball U.S. Open

 "...the first men's U.S. Open pickleball champion is none other than the desert's own Marcin Rozpedski. Rozpedski, a Bermuda Dunes resident and sports director at The Lakes Country Club, won the title with a 10-12, 11-8, 11-4 victory over Kyle Yates of Florida on Sunday. "It was a lot of pressure, and I'm kind of a marked man because I won some national singles titles so definitely everybody wants to beat me," Rozpedski said. "It was a thrill.  It definitely brought some old memories playing tennis in the Davis Cup and other big events. They really did it up big." Rozpedski, a 40-year-old former tennis star who recently adopted the sport usually associated with the older set, has had success at national tournaments since they started popping up, but the U.S. Open is a biggie. He said it really had an atmosphere to rival the tennis U.S. Open."

Read More: Desert's Marcin Rozpedski wins pickleball U.S. Open

Thursday, May 5, 2016

Anyone want to BLOG about Naples US OPEN (USAPA Forum)

First off, this is their first annual Open so i am sure they will learn a lot for next year. This was a massive undertaking and I want to thank them for putting it together. I hope they put out a survey afterwards or get with Kyle and some other top players for input. I truly think they tried to do many things out of the box to differentiate themselves from Nationals. Not all of them worked.

I will start from the beginning. I was only able to compete on the first day and then had to leave immediately after my last match to head up north so my thoughts only concern Tuesday and Day one...Wednesday.

Arrived Tuesday early afternoon and met my partner, Garry Miller and we practiced on some beautiful courts for about an hour. The MAIN courts which i would guess there are around 20 have a VERY nice 5 part coating ( i am told ) that makes it easy on the knees. You can tell the surface gives just a little. Others stated the ball did not bounce quite as high, but i did not notice any problems. We were told by email that we would be able to check in on Tuesday. That was not the case and certainly would have made things easier. Went over after warm up Tuesday and watched Sarah and Kyle and Dave and Christine playing on the feature court.

The feature court has bleachers on three sides and a VIP area on the fourth. There are also about 12 , four person box seat areas around the featured court. They all had big ads on them so i assume they were "owned" by the PB company on the ad banner on the front of each box area. The vip area was covered but all other areas were drenched in sun. And both days it was HOT!!!! Not sure what the thinking was on two of the sides with bleachers. They had very nice "seats" with backs strapped to the bleacher areas so you sat on a cushion area and your back was supported, but when my partner tried to sit on one, there was NO way he could as his legs would NOT FIT. So i cant imagine anyone over 5 foot being able to sit there.

Tuesday evening The Pickleball Channel put on an incredible function at their hotel. Thanks Rusty, and Hylands. Everyone there got to rub elbows with Sarah, Kyle, Jen, Alex, Matt, Beardy, Chris, etc. It was outstanding.

Arrived Wednesday at 6:50am for 7:00am check in. Parking was well organized. Registration was a cluster. ( I just erased a whole paragraph outlining how much of a cluster it was, but realized it was probably boring ).
(Jeff Shank-Loving life in The Villages,Fl)


Read More: Anyone want to BLOG about Naples US OPEN:


The first pickleball tournament of Hachioji with Daniel Moore

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The first pickleball tournament of Hachioji with Daniel Moore

Wednesday, May 4, 2016

JoAnne Russell of Linville Ridge Takes Gold, Bronze at US Open Pickleball Championships

 "JoAnne Russell, 61, won the Wimbledon doubles championship with partner Helen Gourlay in 1977, upsetting the top seeded team of Martina Navratilova and Betty Stove in the final and the No. 2 seeded duo of Chris Evert and Rosie Casals in the first round. She played professionally for 13 years and is now a teaching professional at Linville Ridge in Linville, NC and Grey Oaks Country Club in Naples, FL, but tennis is not her only sport.  Russell also plays pickleball.

Russell recently competed in the first-ever US OPEN Pickleball Championships held April 26 through May 1, 2016, in Naples, Florida, winning the gold medal with Dominic Catalano in the 4.5 Mixed Doubles Skill Group defeating Kristen Meyer and Archie Adams, 11-2, 11-7 and the bronze medal with Nancy Robertson in the 60+ Women’s Doubles Age Group defeating Jo Ellen Southerland and Ann Penstone, 11-4, 11-1."



Read More: JoAnne Russell of Linville Ridge Takes Gold, Bronze at US Open Pickleball Championships - High Country Press


International Indoor Pickleball Championships 2016: The Ball?





After careful consideration, we have a decision and we will use the Pickleball Now green indoor ball as announced previously.
Because we care of what the players think…we have spent a lot of time on this.
Without writing a paper on this…here are the main points:



  • USAPA changed the ball requirements (to help increase the finesse aspect of the game) and like most changes this change cause some thrash at least initially. 
  • We have a great sponsor regarding the ball that contributed to much of the player cash prize pool. And in turn we made a commitment to use one of their balls. Mind you we were targeting the new Pure 2 ball but it was delayed and we had to use one of the other balls that is available…this was the agreement set up last year. 
  • The Onix 505 was a good choice but Onix stopped producing them 
  • The next best choice was the Pickleball Now green indoor ball 
  • There were several players that did not like this Pickleball Now ball and there were some that did like 
  • The Jugs ball was not an option as it was not produced by the sponsor…it by the way had the same bounce test height as reported by Pickleball Central of 37” 
  • Then at the US Open another option came up…we were told the Pure 1 Indoor was also approved to play until Sept 30th. It was just not listed as an approved ball and this was probably an oversight. We started testing them and they were good, but later we found out that USAPA did not approve them even though it met the original ball requirements but it did not meet the new requirements. USAPA did not want to post any new balls that did not meet the new ball requirements.


Read More: International Indoor Pickleball Championships 2016


Tuesday, May 3, 2016

Coach Mo - Playing Percentage Pickleball

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Introduction (Free Preview from Percentage Pickleball DVD) - YouTube Pickleball Coach:

Pickleball Strategies and Techniques Who is Coach Mo?

  Richard Movsessian aka "Mo" taught High School Physical Education for 29 years in MA and coached boys varsity tennis for 10 years. He was selected coach of the year in 1979. "Mo" is a former 4.5 ranked Doubles Player who played on the 1996 USTA Florida State Championship 4.5 Doubles Team.

After retiring from teaching he became a certified member of the United States Professional Tennis Association and as a Teaching Pro gave private tennis lessons. In 2010, Mo (at the age of 70) and his partner were 35+ Men's Doubles Silver Medalists in pickleball at the USAPA Nationals Championships in Buckeye, Arizona.

 

 USAPA 2010 National Pickleball Tournament Age 35+ Semi Finals

Tennis Court / Pickleball Court In Sidney

The Town of Sidney has recently painted pickleball court markings on one of the Iroquois Park Tennis Courts.  Tennis and Pickleball users are asked to cooperate in the use of this court, and to play no longer than 45 minutes when someone else is waiting to use the court.
Tennis Pickleball Court
Pickleball lines are also in place at the Iroquois Park multi-sport court and a portable Pickleball net is contained in the lock-up tube on the surrounding fence (use combo code PLAY to access the net).
Tennis Court / Pickleball Court

71-year-old credits 'pickleball heroes' for saving life (2012)

 "SEQUIM — When Ronnie Coleman, 71, of Sequim went to his regular pickleball practice session at the Sequim Community School courts Tuesday, he sat on the sidelines, watching two men he calls his heroes.

“These guys are the men of the hour,” he said, indicating fellow players Dave Herndon, 62, and Bob Sester, 66, of Sequim.

“These are wonderful people,” he said.

He credits the two with saving his life just over two weeks ago.

On Aug. 18, Coleman was putting away his pickleball equipment and already was thinking about his next stop for the day, a trip to the barber shop.

“I don't remember anything else,” Coleman said.

Coleman toppled from the bench."

Read More: 71-year-old credits 'pickleball heroes' for saving life


Port Townsend High School Pickleball Play Sunday May 1



Port Townsend High School Pickleball Play Sunday May 1 

US Open Pickleball Championship: Rozpedski,Marcin vs Yates,Kyle Men's Gold Singles



Match Highlights (4+ mins)

Monday, May 2, 2016

Pickleball's big week in Naples ends

"It had been more than a decade since Michigan State women’s tennis coach Simone Jardim picked up a racket and actually competed on a high level. Her “glory days” as she called them, date back to 2001-02, when she became a two-time All-American doubles player at Fresno State.

Jardim stepped back on the court again on Sunday, but it wasn’t a tennis court. And, she traded her racket for a paddle.

With her 11-4, 11-5 win over Lucia Kovalova, she became the first women’s pro champion at the inaugural U.S. Open Pickleball Championship at East Naples Community Park. Packed with title

matches for different divisions and age groups, Sunday capped off the six-day event.

Jardim started playing the growing sport just over a year ago and quickly found out what the fuss was about.

“I got that pickleball bug,” she said. “It’s hard to not play anymore.”"

Read More: Pickleball's big week in Naples ends


New Port Townsend High School Pickleball Court Facebook Live Streams


On his own, Port Townsend resident Mac Wheeler contacted the Port Townsend High School administration to borrow the school's industrial pressure washer. Two weeks ago, a small team of volunteer pickleball players cleaned the enclosed single tennis court. Last week, Mac made a pickleball court with yellow cloth court tape . The heavy duty tape is expected to last for about a year.

Equipment used for this Facebook Live stream video:


Recording Issues

  • Due to bright sunlight the cell phone screen was not visible during the recording.
  • Facebook Live will only stream when the cell phone is vertical (not horizontal or landscape). The Ultrapod mini tripod had to be attached to the ladder with wire ties so the LG G3 cell phone could be held by the cell phone clamp in a vertical position.
  • Half of the cell phone battery was drained after live streaming two games for 20 minutes.




This Facebook Live stream was recorded on a tripod at the same spot that the ladder was on.

Sunday, May 1, 2016

Rodney AllmanPickleball US Open Gold Medal Pro Final



Pickleball US Open Gold Medal Pro Final. Kyle Yates and Dave Weinbach Wes Gabrielson And Daniel Moore

Marathon day ends in pickleball victory

Sarah Ansboury was exhausted by the time the sun went down Saturday at East Naples Community Park.

In her longest day of a long week, Ansboury completed her sixth match of the day as the sun dipped behind the bleachers of the championship court at the U.S. Open Pickleball Championships.

Getting the gold medal draped around her neck — her second of the day and third of the week — wiped away the fatigue and brought a wide smile to Ansboury’s face.

Ansboury was one of the stars of what the U.S. Open program called “the biggest night in the history of pickleball.” She won gold in the mixed doubles pro division, then won the women’s doubles pro gold an hour later. All in front of about 500 fans at the tournament, which has more players in its first year than any other pickleball event before it.

“I’ve felt really comfortable this week,” Ansboury said. “I’ve felt like I’m playing really good pickleball.”

Kyle Yates was feeling good, too. Overcome with emotion, the 21-year-old Fort Myers native had to compose himself after winning the men’s doubles pro title Saturday night.

“Man, it’s so cool,” Yates said. “It’s too much. I never expected this. I knew I could do it, but for it to actually happen is unreal.”



Read More: Marathon day ends in pickleball victory:



USA PA Banner At Jefferson County Courthouse Tennis/Pickleball Courts

Yesterday, the USAPA banner was hung at the Jefferson County Courthouse Tennis/Pickleball Courts. Thanks to Matt Tyler, Manager Jefferson Parks and Recreation. The 4 foot vinyl banner will hang at the busy historical location until October.

Under the banner is a business card holder made from a plastic tennis ball container that directs interested individuals to this blog and conducting a Google search on "Port Townsend Pickleball".  These recycled information cylinders will also be at other county pickleball courts and gyms.
Notice the new yellow picklelball lines on the court that Mac Wheeler did last week.

The Dink Game Pt 1, Deb Harrison

Pickleball: The Dink Game Pt 1, Deb Harrison - YouTube: ""



The Ball Is the Boss: The dink is the most important part of the game and this is a great and fun way to make dink practice competitive. Learn to move with your partner to cut down on open areas, and practice a variety of dink strategies. (Instructional Playlist)