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Drop Volley: Soften Your Volley to Drop Ball into the Kitchen

USTPA Becomes RSPA, Pickleball Art and Movie, PB & Bitcoin!

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FIT PICKLER
October 03, 2024

Health, Fitness, News & Fun for Picklers of All Ages

What's Cooking in the Kitchen This Week:

  • Drop Volley: Soften Your Volley to Drop Ball into the Kitchen

  • Fitness Expert Glenn Dawson: Hip Opening Secret Trick

  • USPTA Becomes The RSPA—The Racquet Sports
    Professional Association

  • St. George Artist: Pickleball-Inspired Art With A Twist

  • CA Pickleball Tournament Offers $5K Bitcoin In Prize Money

  • Humor: Pickleball Makes My Day 100% Better

  • Ben Stiller to Produce, Act in Pickleball Comedy ‘The Dink’

  • Adaptive Pickleball Nights Bring Together Texans Of All Ability Levels

  • High-School Pickleball League To Make Debut In Western Mass

  • The Fit Pickler T-Shirt of the Week!

  • Rally Rundown: Local Highlights

  • Announcements: RPPA Free Membership

  • Coach Mary: The 5 Mistakes or Misconceptions Players Have
    About Skills and Strategies

🥷SKILLS

Drop Volley: Soften Your Volley to
Drop Ball into the Kitchen

Surprise Ball Drop in the Kitchen

The drop volley is a highly effective shot in pickleball, allowing players to turn an aggressive volley exchange into a softer, controlled shot that lands in the opponent’s non-volley zone (NVZ), or kitchen. By executing a well-timed drop volley, you can take pace off the ball, disrupt your opponent’s rhythm, and reset the point to gain control. This shot requires finesse, touch and awareness of both your positioning and your opponent’s court space. In this article, we’ll break down the execution of the drop volley, discuss its strategic advantages, and offer drills to help you master this skill.

 What is a Drop Volley?

A drop volley in pickleball is a shot where you take pace off a volley (before the ball bounces) and place it softly into your opponent’s kitchen. Read more about perfecting this shot and see drills here…

 🏋️ STAYING FIT with
GLENN & BRIANNA

Hip Opening Secret Trick

🗞️NEWS

USPTA Becomes The RSPA:
The Racquet Sports
Professional Association

Tennis/Pickleball/Padel/Platform Tennis Anyone?

The United States Professional Tennis Association is making a game-changing move by rebranding itself as the Racquet Sports Professional Association (RSPA). Embracing pickleball, padel, squash, and platform tennis alongside its tennis roots, the century-old organization is responding to a rapidly growing market of racquet sports enthusiasts.

The shift isn’t just about expanding; it’s about breaking down barriers and building a united racquet sports community. Want to know how this bold name change is set to redefine the future of tennis and racquet sports? Read on to discover how "we" is the new way forward.

👩‍🎨THE ARTS

St. George Artist:
Pickleball-Inspired
Art With A Twist

Photo by Jessi Bang, St. George News

Rebecca Grant, a St. George artist, has brought her unique artistic vision to the world of pickleball, creating a whimsical and captivating display that’s turning heads. Inspired by playful word associations, Grant’s themed pickleball paddles—like “Prickle Ball” and “Piggle Ball”—blend clever design with a nod to the sport her family loves.

From childhood creativity sparked in her father’s workshop to creating larger-than-life art installations, Grant’s work is a reflection of joy, imagination, and a desire to bring fun to the everyday. Read more to discover how she’s making waves in the local art scene and bringing pickleball to life through her vibrant, one-of-a-kind creations, Click HERE…

💰 FINANCIAL NEWS

CA Pickleball Tournament Offers
$5K Bitcoin In Prize Money

No NFT’s in the NVZ’s

Get ready for an epic fusion of sports and cryptocurrency! A first-of-its-kind pickleball tournament is hitting Santa Monica next month, offering an unprecedented prize: $5,000 in Bitcoin! Hosted by the Proof of Workforce Foundation alongside Bitcoin powerhouse Fold, this event is set to make waves.

With players also vying for Bitcoin hardware wallets, this tournament is more than just a game—it's a fusion of two rapidly growing communities: pickleball and Bitcoin. Read more to see how this innovative event could change the landscape of pickleball competitions.

🤣HUMOR

Pickleball Makes My Day
100% Better

@its.elly.smith

My day gets 100% better anytime i step foot on some courts 🫶🏼 . . . #pickleball #pickleballtiktok #fun #funny #humor #relateable #relate #... See more

✈️TRAVEL

 🎥 Ben Stiller to Produce, Act in
Pickleball Comedy ‘The Dink’

Lights, Camera…Action!

Ben Stiller is set to serve up some laughs in the upcoming pickleball comedy The Dink! Stiller, alongside an incredible cast including Jake Johnson, Mary Steenburgen, and Ed Harris, is bringing the sport to the big screen in a hilarious new way. With a washed-up tennis pro turning to pickleball for redemption, this comedy promises plenty of surprises.

See how this unlikely sports comedy came together and why Hollywood's embracing the pickleball craze… Click through here for all the exciting details…

👏 COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT

Adaptive Pickleball Nights Bring Together Texans Of All Ability Levels

All Are Welcome!

Adaptive Pickleball is breaking boundaries in Texas, and it’s more than just a game—it's a movement. Every month at Chicken N Pickle, players of all abilities come together for "Pickleball for All" nights, where children and adults with cognitive and physical disabilities experience the thrill of the game in a whole new way. Led by para-pickleball coach Taylor Nichols, who himself transitioned to the sport after a life-changing accident, these events show that pickleball truly has no boundaries.

Ready to see how this adaptive community is reshaping the game for everyone?
Click HERE…

👏 COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT

High-School Pickleball League To
Make Debut In Western Mass

Finally, Homework That’s Fun!

Western Massachusetts is making history with the launch of its first-ever high school pickleball league! Students from schools like Westfield Technical Academy and South Hadley High are diving into the fast-paced sport, with packed courts and fierce competition already underway.

With aspirations to turn pickleball into a varsity sport across the state, this pilot program is creating major buzz. Could this be the next big thing in high school athletics? Find out more about the league's rapid rise and its plans for the future!
Click here to read more…

📜 ANNOUNCEMENTS

RPPA OFFERS FREE MEMBERSHIP
IN TRAVEL DISCOUNT CLUB,
50% OFF DUES & FREE DIADEM BALLS

Just One Trip a Year Would Save More Than Your Dues!

The Recreational Pickleball Players Association announced the launch of their Exclusive Travel Discount site RPPA TRAVEL. And it’s included in the RPPA Membership! Celebrating their Official Launch at PickleCon, RPPA is offering 50% Off to Premium Members, and Sponsoring Partner Diadem Sports is sending all new Premium members a 6 Pack of their Official Pickleballs!
Learn more about RPPA here…

SHIRT OF THE WEEK

🧭 COMMUNITY NEWS

RALLY RUNDOWN:
LOCAL HIGHLIGHTS


DO YOU HAVE LOCAL NEWS TO SHARE? REACH OUT TO US AT
[email protected] and send us a link to your story!

HOLDING COURT with
COACH MARY

  💪 The 5 Mistakes or Misconceptions Players Have About Skills and Strategies

Pickleball’s Biggest Lies!

Misconception #1: How to Move at the NVZ zone

Taking one lateral step to one side or the other to cover angles. (See the video.) Instead, shuffle and step one side or the other.

Misconception #2: Ready Position

Rather than using a “Paddle Out” ready position, with your arms straight out, elbow fully extended. Problem? When the ball comes fast, you must bring your paddle in towards your chest to counter, reset, defend. So, when you see your opponent attacking or speeding up, bring your paddle in closer to your body to prepare. Check out the timer!

Also: Elbow up position: In other words, Chicken Wing! This opens you up and makes you vulnerable. What do the pros do? They use a Neutral Ready Position: 6-13 inches from their navel, so they can reset, counter, or attack from either the backhand or forehand. Be sure to check out the demo position comparisons.

Misconception #3: How are we Supposed to Slow the Ball Down?

To absorb or finesse the ball over into the Kitchen, players bring their paddle back and then punch at it with their paddle laid back too far, trying to slice. This often leads to pop-ups or attackable balls. Instead, Jordan says to not add pace to the ball! Bend your knees, soften your stance, stable base, still and stable paddle. Lift in upwards motion, rather than pushing it out. Goal: get the ball to land softly in the Kitchen in front of your opponent.

Misconception #4: Trying to Slow it Down Against Bangers

If you are not good at softening and resetting, you need to be aggressive and rather than soften, try to counter! Because we are not good at executing the soft reset into the Kitchen, we end up popping up attackable balls, and then the Banger can keep attacking you. What should we do instead?

Be aggressive and work on counter attacks. Keep the counters close to their feet and deep in the court. My advanced classes are working on this. Use your hips and shoulders, and push/punch the ball deep, trying to keep them back. If you have enough time, topspin is good!

Misconception #5: Cement Feet: Never moving your feet off the NVZ line

This is new for me, but I see it with the pros. You are on the NVZ line, and they hit a dink deep. It is okay to come off the line to create space. You may be able to take it out of the air, but when it is coming close to your feet, use a step back, a drop step, or a shuffle. Be sure to watch his footwork on the video. Key: recover back to the line after contact! Use the step back to load up a speed-up!

Hollywood Plastic Surgeon Swears By THIS Household Item to "Fill In" Wrinkles

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