David Zapatka Pickleball continues to grow in popularity around the country. It’s now making its way into U.S. universities. The leading example of this is my friend, Jarrod Smith, coach of Drury University’s men’s and women’s tennis teams, and in 2024, coach of Drury’s co-ed pickleball team in Springfield, Mo. In August, Drury announced the…
Tag: Relishing Pickleball
Sports, November 2023
Relishing Pickleball: Doubles Strategies (Continued!)
David Zapatka Continuing our study of Pickleball Fundamentals Master the basics and compete with confidence by Mary Littlewood, Ms. Littlewood offers these basic doubles strategies for players of any level. To read all her advice, buy her book. Strive for 100% accuracy on serves. The serve is the only shot in the game that is uncontested. There…
Sports, October 2023
Relishing Pickleball: More Doubles Strategies
David Zapatka Continuing our study of Pickleball Fundamentals Master the basics and compete with confidence by Mary Littlewood, we will continue to learn from two professional Hall-of-Fame players, Alex Hamner and Jennifer Lucore. (Quotes are paraphrased for brevity. Buy Ms. Littlewood’s book to get the whole story!) Unforced errors happen! Nobody means to hit an unforced…
September 2023, Sports
Relishing Pickleball: Doubles Strategies
David Zapatka Continuing our study of Pickleball Fundamentals Master the basics and compete with confidence by Mary Littlewood, we will now learn from two professional Hall of Fame players Ms. Littlewood quotes in her book regarding doubles strategies. Alex Hamner and Jennifer Lucore were the national women’s doubles champions in 2011, 2012, 2013, and 2014, and continue to…
August 2023, Sports
Relishing Pickleball: Shot Selection
David Zapatka Continuing our study of Pickleball Fundamentals: Master the basics and compete with confidence by Mary Littlewood, we will now learn about the selection for the third and fourth shots of a rally. Third Shot: Serving Team “The third shot of any rally—a shot hit by the serving team—determines which doubles team will gain the…
Sports, July 2023
Relishing Pickleball: Shot Selection
David Zapatka Continuing our study of Pickleball Fundamentals Master the basics and compete with confidence by Mary Littlewood, it is time now to learn about shot selection. Mary Littlewood says the ideal sequence of shots provides a means for all four players to get to the net where pickleball is won and lost as opposed to…
Sports, June 2023
Relishing Pickleball: The Drop Shot
David Zapatka Continuing our study of Pickleball Fundamentals Master the basics and compete with confidence by Mary Littlewood, it is time now to learn about the drop shot after learning about the overhead smash the past two months. Mary Littlewood says the reason to hit a drop shot is to give the team deep in their…
Sports, March 2023
Relishing Pickleball: The Lob—Part 3
David Zapatka Continuing our study of Pickleball Fundamentals Master the basics and compete with confidence by Mary Littlewood, following is a summary of her advice regarding how to defend against the lob. How should you defend against the opponents lobbing over your heads? In a word, “communication.” Both partners must communicate with one another. The first priority…
Sports, February 2023
Relishing Pickleball: The Lob–Part 2
David Zapatka Continuing our study of Pickleball Fundamentals Master the basics and compete with confidence by Mary Littlewood, “The lob is a lofted shot hit off a bounce that can be either offensive or defensive in nature. The object of lobbing is to force your opponents, who are in a strong position at the non-volley…
Sports, August 2022
Relishing Pickleball: The Lob
David Zapatka Continuing our study of Pickleball Fundamentals: Master the basics and compete with confidence by Mary Littlewood, “The lob is a lofted shot hit off a bounce that can be either offensive or defensive in nature. The object of lobbing is to force your opponents, who are in a strong position at the non-volley line,…