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

What's Cooking in the Kitchen This Week:

• The 4 Types of Footwork Every Serious Player Needs to Practice

• Is the Secret to More Stamina Hiding in This Ordinary Spice?

• The Achilles’ Heel of Pickleball: Sharp Rise in Tendon Injuries

• Pickleball Footwork Tips That'll Improve Your Game

• Fitness Expert Glenn Dawson: The Ultimate Ankle Test (95% of people fail)

• Ben Johns Traded To LA Mad Drops In Shock Move

• Top-Ranked Waters Shines At ESPYs As Pickleball Steps Into The Spotlight

• College Students Pick up Pickleball for Community Wellness

• Suburban Coach Breaks Record For World's Largest Pickleball Lesson

• Erica Wheeler’s Pickleball Tournament Kicks Off WNBA All-Star Weekend

• Ben Stiller To Produce And Act In Pickleball Comedy Starring Jake Johnson

• Coach Mary: The Return - How To Set It Up For Success

🥷SKILLS

The 4 Types Of Footwork Every
Serious Player Needs To Practice

Smart feet mean fewer mistakes—and more points.

Pickleball players love to talk about paddles, technique, and strategy. But the most overlooked skill—the one that quietly separates confident players from inconsistent ones—is footwork. You can’t hit what you can’t reach. And you can’t hit it well if your body isn’t balanced when you get there. In this article, we’re breaking down the four essential footwork patterns every serious player should practice.

They’re not complicated. 
In fact, once you know what to look for, you’ll start to see them in every match. Master these four types of movement and you’ll win more points—not by doing anything flashy, but by being in the right place at the right time.

Why Footwork Fixes So Many Problems 
Think about the last time you hit a shot into the net or popped one up. Chances are, it wasn’t just bad paddle work—it was bad positioning. You were too close, too far, too late, or off balance.

Great footwork solves that. 
It lets you:

💪 Health & Fitness Section
Weekly Advice To Keep You Fit & Injury Free

  Is The Secret To Stamina
Hiding In This Spice?

Ever find yourself limping through a second game, wishing your legs had just a little more energy left?

For those of us 50 and older, the thrill of back-to-back games can easily be replaced by next-day regret: sore legs, stiff joints, and running out of steam before you're ready to quit.

People love to say, "Just rest more." But let's be honest – you want to stay on the court, not just recover on the couch. Well, scientists may have found the answer in an unlikely place.

The Surprising Discovery 
About two years ago, a group of researchers had an idea. What if the answer to better stamina was hiding in something humans have used for centuries?

HEALTH NEWS

The Achilles’ Heel Of Pickleball:
Sharp Rise In Tendon Injuries

Pickleball has brought millions to the court—but it’s also sending a surprising number to the surgeon’s table. Cedars-Sinai now reports an “epidemic” of Achilles tendon ruptures among older adults, especially women, as casual players take on explosive movements without proper conditioning or form.

The good news? These injuries are preventable—with one surprisingly simple technique already used by pros.

Learn the stance that could keep you off crutches and on the court, click here…

 🏋️ STAYING FIT with
GLENN & BRIANNA

The Ultimate Ankle Test
(95% Of People Fail)

🏓 PRO NEWS

Ben Johns Traded To
LA Mad Drops In Shock Move

Why Carolina Hogs Let Go Of Pickleball's Biggest Star

Pickleball fans were stunned as Ben Johns—the undisputed #1 in men’s and mixed doubles—was traded from the Carolina Hogs to the LA Mad Drops in a blockbuster Major League Pickleball move.

The Hogs had poured major resources into securing Johns, spending 840,000 draft points and a $420,000 keeper fee just this year. But now, in a bold play for the 2025 title, the Mad Drops are going all in.

Get the full story behind the trade, the roster shakeups, and what this means for the MLP season ahead.

🤩 PRO CELEBRITY NEWS

Top-Ranked Waters Shines
At ESPYs As Pickleball
Steps Into The Spotlight

Pickleball officially entered the spotlight as world #1 Anna Leigh Waters walked the red carpet at this month’s ESPYs—becoming the first player from the sport to attend the annual awards ceremony. Still just 18, Waters is on a staggering 69-match winning streak and has racked up 163 gold medals while pushing to redefine pickleball as a legitimate, high-level competition.

With Olympic dreams on the horizon and the sport's popularity booming, her visibility signals a major turning point.

See how Waters’ rise is changing perceptions—and what it means for the sport’s future.
Click here…

 💼 BUSINESS NEWS

College Students Pick Up
Pickleball For Community Wellness

College students are picking up paddles—and not just for fun. As pickleball surges in popularity, campuses nationwide are scrambling to meet demand, adding courts, launching clubs, and even offering scholarships.

From SUNY Brockport to the University of Florida, what started as a social activity is turning into a powerful driver of student wellness, connection, and even entrepreneurship.

See how today’s students are transforming pickleball into a campus movement—and what colleges are doing to keep up, click here…

👏 COMMUNITY NEWS

Suburban Coach Breaks Record
For World’s Largest Pickleball Lesson

A suburban coach just smashed his own world record — again. In Highland Park, Mark Miller rallied 444 kids for the largest-ever pickleball lesson, up from 300 the year before.

Backed by the Chicago Slice and aimed at kids as young as three, his Munchkin Program is turning pint-sized players into future stars… and possibly future pros.

See how Miller’s mission is reshaping the next generation of pickleball, click here…

🏀 SPORTS NEWS

Erika Wheeler’s Pickleball Tournament
Kicks Off WNBA All-Star Weekend

Erica Wheeler brought more than her A-game to All-Star weekend—she brought pickleball. The WNBA veteran and former All-Star MVP turned a red-eye flight into a sold-out charity tournament, blending celebrities, pros, and fans in a celebration that’s as much about community as it is competition.

The event honored her late mother and showed why pickleball is quickly becoming the go-to sport for stars looking to give back.

See how one player’s love for the game—and her mom—sparked an All-Star tradition that’s here to stay, click here…

🤩 ENTERTAINMENT NEWS

Ben Stiller To Produce & Act In Pickleball Comedy Starring Jake Johnson

Ben Stiller’s next big swing? The Dink — a new comedy about a disgraced tennis pro who’s dragged into the world of pickleball.

With Jake Johnson in the lead and Andy Roddick making a cameo, this could be the sport’s breakout moment on the big screen.

Get the cast, the plot, and why Hollywood’s betting on pickleball, click here…

RALLY RUNDOWN:
LOCAL HIGHLIGHTS

BELLHAVEN, NC: Pickleball Tournament Raises $1300 For After School Center
FAIRFAX COUNTY, VA: Hollin Hills Pickleball Tensions Rise Over Noise Complaints
FRANKFORT, MI: Pickleball Courts Are In Play
SEATTLE, WA: Pickleball Facility Breaks Ground At Former RV Shelter Site In Interbay
AUGUSTA, GA: Hundreds Of People Compete In Local Pickleball Tournament
PLYMOUTH, NH: Pickleball Angels Tournament Benefits Plymouth State Students
ALBUQUERQUE, NM: Honoring Fallen Firefighter With Inaugural Pickleball Tournament
APOLLO BEACH, FL: Pickleball v. Tennis: Residents In Fight Over Noise


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

  💪 The Return-
How To Set It Up For Success

THE RETURN - HOW TO SET IT UP FOR SUCCESS

Going back to the Pickleball Journey boys this week. Elijah and Justin offer a great lesson on return of serve. Check out the attached video and watch it several times.

Would you like to become a return master, keeping your opponents on defense?

Stance and Positioning: Generally, you should be 4-5 feet behind the baseline, with a wide stance, and on the balls of your feet. However, notice your opponent’s tendencies, and try to anticipate their serve. If they serve short, you might want to start closer in.

Next, you want to be moving forward as you contact your return. Momentum forward! For those of you just learning, this means you need to speed up your footwork and body position before the ball gets to you!

When your opponent contacts the ball, you turn to that side (FH or BH) When the ball bounces towards you, you should be moving your paddle to contact the ball in front of you, as the ball comes up. Do not wait until the ball has already reached you!

Time margin. . . hit a slower, deeper return, so you can get to the NVZ line quickly.

Placement: Deep – 3 feet inside the baseline.

Hit to the weaker player, who does not have a strong third ball drop.

If the opponents are equal in skill, go cross court on your return. This gives you more time, and the ball is traveling over the lower part of the net.

Extra Tip for Advanced Players: Hit your return to the more aggressive player! You want to keep them off the net, so they cannot attack you or execute a “Shake and Bake.” Allow the weaker player to come to the net.

When playing mixed doubles at the 4.5 level, I often returned to the guy, because he would often just drive it, so we could reset and get them in the dink game. The gal often had a better third ball drop, and then the guy would already be at the net to attack. Returning to him kept him back and off the net.

Spin – slice on your return Do not cut the ball too much, avoid a chopping motion. Use slice, but shorter backswing, pushing through with the paddle forward. Spins in Pickleball are executed in front of your body!

The slice will allow you more time to get to the net, and the ball will drop on your opponent.

If they hit a shorter return, you can attack with topspin and power, coming in.

With Rally scoring on the uprise, the return will be a critical part of your arsenal. Keep it deep!

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