Tag: pickleball

Relishing Pickleball: The ESPY Awards Recognize Pickleball!

David Zapatka The ESPY Awards, or Excellence in Sports Performance Yearly Awards, are an annual American awards show produced by ESPN that recognizes individual and team athletic achievements and other sports-related performances. The awards are presented for achievements during the calendar year preceding the ceremony. Has pickleball ever been recognized in the ESPY Awards ceremony?…

Captain Kathy’s Pickleball for Beginners

Spike Razem Teaching pickleball to PebbleCreekers needs to be educational and fun. “Captain” Kathy Aalto, along with her various instructors and student partners, performs this excellent role for the PebbleCreek (PC) Pickleball Club on a weekly basis. As most active adults agree, pickleball is the fastest-growing sport in North America and proves to be important…

Relishing Pickleball: The Art of Blocking

David Zapatka Last month we discussed how to beat the bangers. Blocking at the kitchen line was a key strategy. This article will pick up with that focus. Consider these strategies to improve your blocking skills. 1. You know the hard shot is coming. Be prepared, knees bent, relaxed, eyes on the ball, paddle out…

Relishing Pickleball: Keys to Successful Net Play

David Zapatka We’ve all heard the saying, “Pickleball is won at the net.” What does this mean? Honing your skills around the non-volley zone (kitchen) can improve your play and results. Here are a few key points: 1. It all starts with hitting a deep serve, putting the opponents in a position where it’s tougher…

Ninth Annual PebbleCreek Pickleball Tournament!

Pam McWhorter The Ninth Annual PebbleCreek Pickleball Tournament was an enormous success! Despite a weather hiccup of wind on Thursday, the tournament went off without a hitch. Club member Lisa Kellis posted that there were over 550 participants from multiple states and Canada. This large-scale competition gave players the opportunity to compete in 17 various…

Major League Pickleball at Its Finest!

Pam McWhorter Tournament director Jim Barbe reports that the first official club MLP (Major League Pickleball) event was held on Jan. 24. “We had a fantastic turnout of 240 players with three different start times to complete the event in one day,” Jim said. “Plenty of spectators attended as well and lunch was provided by…

Relishing Pickleball: $100,000 Australian Open Pickleball Slam Made History

David Zapatka The Australian Open Tennis Championships, known as the “Happy Slam,” made history this year when it hosted the Australian Open Pickleball Championships in tandem with their famous tennis tournament on finals weekend, January 24-26. Tennis court #3 was transformed into center court for the pickleball championships. $100,000 in prize money was offered. The…