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

What's Cooking in the Kitchen This Week:

• Fitness Expert Glen Dawson: How to Diagnose & Reset Ankle Pain

• Mastering the 3rd SHOT DRIVE in Pickleball

• Who Will Govern Pickleball? USAP vs. UPA

• Target and Lululemon Are Courting Picklball Players

• Humor: Do You Have Issues Keeping Score?

• Sony Television Arm To Invest Up To $10M In Indian Pickleball League

• Hoops Legend Active On PB Court While Son Pursues Olympic Gold

• The Fit Pickler Survey Contest: Enter Today!

• Rally Rundown: Local Highlights

• Coach Mary: Who Covers The Middle?

 🏋️ STAYING FIT with GLEN

How to Diagnose & Reset Ankle Pain

🥷SKILLS

Mastering the 3rd Shot Drive

Seasoned players were asked to list the skills that they mastered that took their game from 3.5 to 4.0. Of the many skills listed, several spoke of mastering the 3rd shot drive as one shot that can significantly boost your game and propel you to the next level.

Why the 3rd Shot Drive is Essential?
The 3rd shot drive is a powerful offensive weapon that can quickly put your opponents on the defensive. When executed correctly, it allows you to:

• Dictate the pace: Seize control of the point and force your opponents to react to your aggression.
• Create offensive opportunities: A well-placed drive can open up the court for put-away shots or create scrambling situations for your opponents.
• Exploit weaknesses: If your opponents have trouble with fast-paced shots or struggle to defend deep in the court, the drive can be a devastating tool.

Read more about when to choose drive or drop and how to execute the perfect drive here…

🗞️NEWS

Who Will Govern Pickleball?
UPA vs. USAP
The Gauntlet Has Been
Thrown Down

If you thought the sport or Pickleball was finally done with the squabbling alphabet soup of competing acronyms, think again! The pro leagues may have merged, but the battle for who gets to be the “governing body” is just beginning.

One one side there is USA Pickleball, aligned with APP who use UTR sports for their ratings and events and on the other side there is UPA which oversees the professional leagues and collaborates with DUPR and Pickle Pro Labs.

Since 1978 USA Pickleball has been the one to set the rules and determine equipment standards, however there is no official “governing body,” as an official designation is not needed until Piclkeball becomes an Olympic sport.

Ratings, paddle standards, tournaments and pro leagues will all potentially be affected by the outcome of this drama.

Read more about this (or should we say get “the blow by blow”) here in Todd Boss’ excellent article. Click Here…

💰FINANCIAL NEWS

Why Big Retail Like Target and Lululemon Are Courting PB Players

Big retail brands are all vying to ride the pickleball wave since there is still no “standout” brand that is entirely associated with Pickleball. Brands like Lululemon and Target are carving out portions of the market for themselves by partnering with Pickleball brands, Lifetime Pickleball and Prince respectively.

The speed and consistency of the growth of the sport, along with the multigenerational appeal has attracted many large retailers looking to acquire more customers.

Read more about how these retailers are approaching the opportunity here…

🤣HUMOR

Do You Have Issues Keeping Score?

@pickleballbesties

Why are three little numbers so hard to remember?! #pickleball #pickleballbesties #pickleballislife #pickleballlifestyle #pickleballtourna... See more

🇮🇳GLOBAL NEWS

Sony Television Arm To Invest Up To $10M in Indian Pickleball League

Over the next 5 years, SETVI, Sony’s entertainment company is investing $10M in India’s Pro Pickleball leagues. The league will have six city-based teams, with 5-8 players each.

The investment will allow the league to be streamed on live television. Currently there are 35,000 amateur players in India and 8,000 professionals and projected to grow to 1 million within the next 5 years.

Nachiket Pantvaidya, chief executive, SETVI said Pickleball could potentially reach 30 million middle and upper-middle class Indian households.

Read more about this global expansion here…

🏀 PRO SPORTS NEWS
Hoops Legend Active On Pickleball Court While Son Pursues Olympic Gold

Hall of Fame Basketball legend, Rick Barry, has traded the basketball court for the pickleball court and he is keeping his competitive spirit alive by playing at the U.S. Open Pickleball Championships in Naples.

When not playing, Rick is rooting for his youngest son, Canyon Barry, who will be competing on Team USA in the Men’s Olympic 3x3 Basketball team in Paris this summer.

✅ SURVEY CONTEST ✅

We would love to get to know you better
So we can provide the most value possible!
Please fill out this quick 1 Minute Survey.

As a BIG THANK YOU,
At the end of each month we will choose one name
from those who replied and send the Winner
a $150 AMAZON GIFT CARD!

RALLY RUNDOWN:
LOCAL HIGHLIGHTS

VAIL, COLORADO: Vail Ski Shop Switches Summer Business Away From Bikes To Pickleball
WASHINGTON D.C.: Youth Tennis Nonprofit To Host First Major League Event in D.C.
ANNADALE, VA: Annadale Neighbors Fight To Keep Pickleball Courts WESTERN MI: Local Girls Scouts Earn Silver Awards For Pickleball Sets Project
NASHVILLE, IN: Indiana Launches Brown County Pickleball Courts Crowdfunding Campaign
MANCHESTER, MD: Manchester Valley High School Students Raise Mental Health Awareness Through PB Fundraiser
FISHERS, IN: Closed Marsh Supermarkets Getting Major Overhauls
TURNER FALLS, MA: Turners Falls pairs pickleball with donations for food programs

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

Become a Founding Member RPPA.org

No competing acronyms here, just an organization founded to celebrate recreational and social players and use our strength in numbers to connect with each other, find events and partners, advocate, educate and get member-only discounts from vetted vendors.

What YOU Get As A Member of RPPA:

• Players Directory – Create groups, post events, message members
• Vendors Directory – First ever nationwide source of all things Pickleball
• Deals & Discounts – Special members-only pricing from our verified vendors
• Training & Fitness Videos and Community Resources
• Calendar of Local & National Events
• Private Facebook Group

Our Association will be growing everyday and we are adding new features as we speak, and that's where YOU come in. As a Founding Member, you'll get a special discount and can help shape the future of RPPA and ensure it truly reflects the needs and desires of recreational players.

Special Founding Member Offer: The first 200 players to sign up will be entered into a raffle to win either a Paddle of their choice (up to $200) or a $200 Shopping Spree at The Pickleball Exchange.

  💪 WHO COVERS THE MIDDLE?

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