Alastair Stone At a recent newcomer’s session, the Pickleball Club was delighted to see Tennis Club members enjoying themselves on two of the courts! Our reporter liked seeing one of his former tennis coaches, Dean Alfrey, on the receiving end of instruction! And Bo Jessop, it’s okay if you were also trying to recruit new…
Alastair Stone Pickleball players all showed great respect to the sheriff in charge early one morning. Thank you, Shelley Ziegler, for showing us all how the monitor of the day should look and behave!
Alastair Stone SaddleBrooke Ranch Pickleball Association (SBRPA) has introduced a new methodology for “testing up” to a higher level. Previously, one testee played three games with three testers and had to score a total of 23 points. Now, four testees have to go through a four-element program together. This covers serving, dinking (yes), a couple of…
Rick Heine Pickleball members can play seven days per week during the three 2-hour sessions of play per day. New members are welcome. There are free newbie classes twice per month, in which paddles and pickleballs are supplied. All play follows HOA required COVID-19 rules of play. SBRPA is the largest club at the Ranch,…
Alastair Stone SBRPA players have continued to play in the hottest weather! Rainie Warner, Lupe Cook, Doreen Reynolds, and Consuelo Melhuish found a way to keep cool!
Alastair Stone The first session, on July 13, was standing room only with 20 participants. First, Susan Ness had to check everyone in; get those waivers signed etc. Then, Training Coordinator Mike Healy took over, coaching one group of four himself, while Jim Hardison, Brandt Carter, Mark Young, and Jennifer Campion each had a group of their…
David Zapatka Are you getting tired of playing the bangers? They have one strategy, hit the ball as hard as they can. They rarely hit third shot drop shots. What can you do? There are two options. The first is the punch volley, a volley hit hard and deep. The second is the soft volley,…
Alastair Stone On July 21, there was another test. This time, Chris Logan was the referee, and with the help of testers Kathy Becker, Sheila Davidson, and Doreen Reynolds, Lori Page successfully tested up to 3.0. Wow, a lot of colorful attire on display!
Alastair Stone Even with our 24 courts being used so much, the SaddleBrooke Ranch Pickleball Association (SBRPA) has still found time for training sessions. On Monday mornings, Marti Gasser and Bill Reynolds, and Corine and Keith Sturdivant coach for 1.5 hours; on Thursday evenings, Corine and Keith do it again. Thank you to all of…
The Third Shot Drop. Why Is It So Important? David Zapatka The third shot drop is a shot performed near the baseline that lands softly in the opponents’ kitchen. The shot is designed with one thing in mind—get your team to the net. The mechanics of the third shot drop are simple. The ball sails…