Depression and Pickleball

Mary woke up with the same feeling of dread she felt every morning since her husband passed away. His death came so suddenly. He was experiencing pain in his side followed by a trip to the emergency room, tests and more test, and the horrible diagnoses of pancreatic cancer. They were holding hands as the doctor delivered the bad news. Prognosis wasn’t good; only months to live. He was sadly gone in one month. Mary was devastated. Here she was, in the dream home she and her husband had always wanted in beautiful Sarasota after they both retired from their jobs, and she was now all alone. What to do?

New to the area, she didn’t have many friends, but someone told her about pickleball. This was interesting because Mary wasn’t ready to sit in a rocking chair. She looked up Sarasota Pickleball and soon found me, Pickleball Terry. After her first lesson she felt more alive than she had in months, and she was hooked. Pickleball became her new way to exercise mixed with a social network.

What is depression? (from the internet)

A mental health disorder characterized by persistently depressed mood or loss of interest in activities, causing significant impairment in daily life.

Possible causes include a combination of biological, psychological, and social sources of distress. Increasingly, research suggests these factors may cause changes in brain function, including altered activity of certain neural circuits in the brain.

Social isolation and depression in older adults

Everyone needs social connections to survive and thrive. But as people age, they often find themselves spending more time alone. Studies show that loneliness and social isolation are associated with higher rates of depression.

What happens as we get older or as I like to put it, seasoned? Loneliness? Feeling isolated? Feeling unwanted or not needed? We have spent all of our lives hurrying through the days of our youth and middle age, when we finally achieve our retirement years. Now what to do? Read the entire New York Times everyday? Then what? Puzzles? What about social interactions? Or something to live for? No wonder people get depressed.

Is pickleball the cure for depression?

I am not so bold to say that pickleball is the cure for depression, but it can’t hurt. As long as you’re physically able, pickleball is a great way to stimulate dopamine, the happiness hormone. It also great for keeping you busy. The part of the brain that causes anxiety and depression is amygdala, hippocampus, and the dorsomedial thalamus. Amygdala is what is called the lizard brain that sends out danger signals. But unfortunately, these signals continue through the day for no reason. Thinking about what the score is, who is serving, trying to get the 3rd shot drop in can give your brain something to do besides worrying.

Things that set off depression can be a big life change like moving to a new town, divorce, or the loss of a spouse. Sometimes there is no reason you can put your finger on why you are depressed.

I was talking to another player who told me that her way to manage her depression was to get up every morning and get moving. She heads to the pickleball court where she mingles with fellow players and gets her daily exercise quota mixed with fun.

Everyone needs a purpose

It also supplies a purpose in life. Implementing pickleball as your new hobby is an excellent way to get out of the house and to see other people. I know when I go to Colonial Oaks Park, it’s an uplifting experience. I’m happy to see everyone, and I talk and laugh with the other players. Before I know it, my Fitbit is buzzing letting me know I hit 10k steps. But I take it lightly until I talk to someone who lets me know how pickleball has changed their life. That takes my breath away. When I hear some of the struggles people have gone through or are going through, and then tell me how much pickleball has helped them, it send shivers down my spine. I realize just how important pickleball is to the seniors in Sarasota and to the rest of the country. It’s bigger than I ever realized. Not just a game.

You are not alone

So, if you think your the only one who is using pickleball to help your depression or anxiety, you are not alone. My pickleball circle is large and I talk to many players. Some players are going through incredible hardships and they still show up on the court. That’s their “ME” time. A time to not think about dying relatives or their next chemo treatment. You never know what the player next to you is going through.

COVID and pickleball

Pickleball was a saving grace during COVID. What the heck would we all have done without pickleball. I took all of 2 weeks off and I was back on the courts as soon as the county allowed us. And I have spoken to players who have said if it wasn’t for pickleball they didn’t know how they would have gotten through COVID.

What other sport do you know where you can just go anywhere and drop in for a game? I was in Pompano and looked up pickleball courts nearby. With in 30 minutes I was playing on a court with new people making friends and having fun. This sport is amazing.

Sure, my upstate NY friends think I’m crazy. They have actually said they would come and visit me but they won’t play pickleball. Boy, they don’t know what they are missing. I’m busy and happy. I’m in a good place.

Thanks for reading!

Pickleball Terry

Clinics

Lessons

941-400-0978

pickleball Terry

February 27, 2022

A Night to Remember

One night a couple of months ago, I was playing pickleball with a few people at Colonial Oaks Park. The lights were on and the mosquitoes where biting. I saw a older man and a young man around 15 peering through the fence with great interest as to what we were doing. After about 5 minutes I couldn’t stand it anymore and I asked them if they wanted to give it a try. “Really?” they responded with surprise mixed with enthusiasm.

They were soon on the court with paddles. I learned that it was a grandfather and his grandson. Their names I cannot remember now as I tell you this story. What I do remember is that the grandson was cocky and rebellious. He was my partner, and as I tried to explain the rules he would look away or roll his eyes. When I tried to help him serve with some tips, he would angrily answer with. “I know what I’m doing.” Jeeezzz Louiseee! I thought. I began to regret that I extended the offer for them to play.

And then I looked down at the grandson’s feet. A-ha! He had flip flops on. A good reason to suspend his play. Besides, I had other players showing up. I said to him, “You can’t play with flip flops. Can you go home and put of some sneakers?”

He replies, “If I go home, I’m not coming back.” So what do I care if he comes back, but I look across the court and I see his grandfather trying to send me a message. His eyes are pleading with me to let his grandson stay and he mouths PLEASE!

I say, “OKAY, you can stay.” Boy, I must have been in a good mood that night to let a teenager with attitude stay and play. A teenager I didn’t even know and his grandfather.

Eventually, another net was put up and we had around 10 people playing. The teenager greatly improved as the night went on. Granddad called the rest of the family and soon uncle, aunts, mom, dad, the cousins all arrived and played with balls and tennis racquets and frisbees on the other side. All ages were running and yelling. It was a total zoo. But then I saw it. A smile across the cranky teenager’s face. His eyes were lit up and even with flip flops on he was getting the ball past his opponents. He latched on to one of the male players that had come that was a really good player, and together they were the dual to beat.

His grandfather had come over to me as we were getting ready to take down the nets…oh yes, they stayed for hours…and told me that what happened tonight was amazing. He said that they were concerned about his grandson who was very depressed and wasn’t socializing anymore. To see him playing and interacting with the other pickleball players brought tears to his eyes. He had called the rest of the family to observe this “miracle.” By then, the teenager was smiling and joking with all of us. He was now transformed from a moody kid to a fun to be around person.

Then this happened…he came over and hugged me and said, “thank you!” I froze for a second before I wrapped my arms around him and looked past him to see his mom and dad smiling at him. They were so happy.

I invited him to come back anytime he wanted to play with proper shoes, I joked, but I have not seen him since.

The other day, I was talking to somebody who explained to me that pickleball is the sport that brings the athlete out of the average person who didn’t know they were an athlete. Pickleball is more than just a sport. It is a way to be social. It molds an introvert into an extrovert.

I’ll never forget that night, the eyes of the grandfather pleading with me, the smile on the sulky teenager, the laughter and banter from the pickleball players. And I’ll never forget to bring bug spray again to Colonial Oaks Park. Ouch!

Here’s to playing pickleball with flip flops and may that never happen again.

Thanks for reading.

Pickleball Terry
Terry Ryan
Coach Terry owner of Sarasotapickleball.com
Clinics/Lessons
941-400-0978
Dinkpickleball@gmail.com

February 27, 2022

Questions Players Ask Me About The Kitchen

If I had a dollar for every time I am asked a question for clarity about the KITCHEN, A.K.A. the non-volley zone (NVZ), I’d be buying a home in Monaco. The kitchen rules are mind benders for beginners, and especially for former tennis players. I can tell by the way their eyes glaze over that THIS DOES NOT COMPUTE! My patience for repeating and reconfirming the rules again and again deserves an award for determination. Sometimes, my newbie will try to contest the rules, but I calmly repeat, “No, you cannot rush the net and slam the ball unless it bounces in the NVZ.” My newbie’s face, that a second ago had the look of VICTORY, turns into a sour frown. But, but, but….they respond.

Along with figuring out how to keep score, keeping out of the NVZ ties with -scoring on hard to remember. That 7 feet by 20 feet area is a big hurdle to get over. No, you cannot go in the kitchen unless the ball bounces. Yes, you can hangout in the kitchen all you want but you still can’t hit the ball if it doesn’t first bounce in the kitchen. Oh, that confuses them more than the 2 bounce rule.

So, here are the most questions I answer about the kitchen as a pickleball coach.

Student: So you mean I can’t go into the kitchen?

Me: Yes you can but it’s not a good idea to hangout there because you can’t hit the ball during a volley.

Student: What’s a volley?

Me: It’s when you strike a ball in the air before it bounces.

Student: Can I go into the kitchen after the ball bounces in the kitchen?

Me: Yes, you can enter the kitchen if the ball bounces but it is a good idea to get right back out or you will be a target for the next shot.

Student: Why do you call if the non-volley zone sometimes?

Me: Because kitchen is another name for the non-volley zone or NVZ. A volley is striking the ball before it bounces.

Student: Yeah, but why “kitchen.”

Me: Because pickleball is several sports put together and KITCHEN comes from shuffle board. You are penalized for being in the kitchen in shuffleboard.

Student: Can I go into the kitchen before the ball bounces?

Me: Yes you can.

Student: Do I have to go out of the kitchen and back in to hit a ball?

Me: If the ball bounces in the kitchen again you don’t have to go out and back into the kitchen.

Student: What if I hit it in the air?

Me: Then you do have to be out of the kitchen and both feet have to be on the ground to hit a volley ball right after you hit a ball that bounces in the kitchen.

Student: So, you’re saying I can’t rush the net?

Me: You can if the ball bounces in the kitchen.

Student: Can the ball go into the kitchen during a serve?

Me: No, that’s a fault.

Student: Can I return a ball into the kitchen after it is served to me?

Me: Yes.

Student: Can I go into the kitchen after I hit a volley outside of the kitchen?

Me: No, your momentum cannot take you into the kitchen.

Student: If my toe is on the NVZ line is that considered being in the kitchen?

Me: Yes.

Student: If the ball bounces outside of the kitchen in the court and I hit it then run into the kitchen is that okay.

Me: Yes.

Student: Can the ball strike the NVZ line on the serve?

Me: No. It’s a fault.

Student: If being in the kitchen is so dangerous, why are you always telling me to RUN UP TO THE KITCHEN?

Me: Because being at the kitchen line gives you the advantage of cutting your opponents reaction time and putting the ball away winning the point.

Some other things I point out.

You cannot drop anything in the kitchen during a volley like a hat, a ball that drops out of your pocket, a tissue, etc. It’s a fault.

Your partner cannot pull you out of the kitchen during a volley so you can hit the ball if he/she is standing in the kitchen. It’s a fault.

You cannot hit a dink then strike the net. That’s a fault. A dink is a light hit of the pickleball that drops it just over the net into the kitchen area.

If you have any comments or questions, feel free to email me at dinkpickleball.com.

Thanks for reading!

Pickleball Terry
Terry Ryan
dinkpickleball@gmail.com
941-400-0978
SarasotaPickleball.com – owner/Gearbox Dealer

Clinics
Group and private lessons
Tournaments
941-400-0978

January 26, 2022

Sarasota Pickleball

January 9, 2022January 9, 2022

New Pickleball Rules For 2022

Yes, the new rules by the International Federation of Pickleball and therefor the USA Pickleball Organization have been released. The big question everyone wants to know…IS THE DROP SERVE STILL IN? Yes, it is.

A picture of Terry Ryan, pickleball Terry for Sarasota pickleball — Pickleball Terry

Drop Serve

4.A.6.a. Servers must release the ball from one of the server’s hands or dropped off the server’s paddle face from any natural (unaided) height and hit the ball after the ball bounces. There is no restriction how many times the ball can bounce nor where the ball can bounce on the playing surface. The
server’s release of the ball must be visible to the referee and the receiver. In matches without a referee, the server’s release of the ball must be visible to the receiver. A replay shall be called before the return of serve if the release of the ball is not visible. The rules for feet placement (4.A.4) still apply.
4.A.6.b. The ball shall not be propelled (thrown)
downward or tossed or hit upward with the
paddle.
4.A.6.c. If the drop serve is used, the ball may be
struck with either a forehand or backhand
motion without any other restriction i.e., the
location restrictions of the ball and paddle.

Is the Chainsaw Serve legal? No!

New Rule: The Volley Serve. The server shall use only one hand to release the ball to perform the serve. If the ball is visibly spun by the server during the release, the part(s) of the hand contacting the ball must be bare. The server’s release of the ball must be visible to the referee and the receiver. In matches without a referee, the server’s release of the ball must be visible to the receiver. A replay shall be called before there turn of serve if the release of the ball is not visible or if the referee (or receiver in non-officiated matches) cannot discern whether an item on the hand contacted a visibly
spun ball. Exception: A player who has the use of only one hand may use their hand or paddle to release the ball to perform the serve.

Can I bring 2 balls on the court with me?

Yes, but the second ball must be hidden. You cannot at anytime have 2 balls in your hand. If the ball you are carrying in a pocket and out of view, suddenly slips out of your pocket and lands on the court, that is a fault.

Are headphones allowed?

No, Nope.

Calling the wrong score

YOU CAN’T STOP PLAY IF YOU THINK THE WRONG SCORE IS CALLED!!! You now must wait until the rally is over than say, hey I believe you called the wrong score. Correction is made then to the score. It is not a fault. If you do STOP play and say…hey, you called the wrong score, then the player who stopped the play receives a fault. (I know, right!)

Existing: Wrong Score Called. If the server or referee calls the wrong score, any player may stop play before the “third shot” occurs to ask for a correction.
New: Wrong Score Called. If the server or referee calls the wrong score, once the serve is made, play shall continue to the end of the rally and the correction made before the next serve. After the serve is made, a player who stops play based solely on an incorrect score call, will have committed a fault and shall lose the rally.<br />

A slice of pickleball pie. Pickleball Terry

Did you know there is a difference between a fault and a FOUL?

A fault occurs when a player hits the ball out of the court, steps into the NVZ before a bounce, steps on the baseline during a serve, hits the ball into the net, touches the net during a shot, etc. When that happens, the serving team either loses their serve or, if the opponents made the fault, the serving team wins a point. BUT if during a game, a player uses profanity (in a tournament) he receives a FOUL and a point is deducted from his team’s score. Or if he intentionally slams the ball after a point because of anger and doesn’t care where it ends up endangering his opponents or spectators, that is a FOUL.

Proposed changes that didn’t make it in. (Thank goodness!)

Rally scoring
Partners not rotating when winning a point

Surprising things

You can now change starting servers between games in tournaments.
You can take your 2 time outs between games. There are usually 3 minutes between games, but now if you think you’ll need more time (like for a bathroom break) you can add your 2 upcoming time outs (2 minutes total) to the time between games. Thought you’d like to know.

Something I wished made the cut

Saying the starting score as zero-zero-start. It stays as zero-zero-two. Why? I coach a lot of beginners. Saying zero-zero-start is easier when teaching scoring.

Click here for a copy of the Official 2022 RulesUSA-Pickleball-Rulebook

SIGNIFICANT RULE CHANGES FOR 2022
Spin Serves (4.A.5)
In 2022, the server shall use only one hand to release the ball to
perform the serve. If the ball is visibly spun by the server during
the release, the part(s) of the hand contacting the ball must be
bare.
The Drop Serve (4.A.6)
No changes were made to the drop serve other than to remove its
Provisional status.
Wrong Score Called (4.K)
The rules concerning what happens if the wrong score is called by
a player or a referee have changed. If a player thinks a wrong
score has been called, a player may stop play to ask for a
correction before the ball is served. If it has been served, the rally
is to be played out and the score correction (if any) is made before
the next serve occurs.
A Dropped Ball (7.N)
In non-officiated matches, it is not uncommon for a player to carry
an extra ball. If an extra ball is carried, it must not be visible to the
opponent. If a player accidentally drops an extra ball during a rally,
it will result in a fault. This does not apply in an officiated match
because the referee is responsible for removing any extra
pickleballs from play.
Medical Time-outs Called by a Referee (10.H.2.a)
If a referee, in the interest of player safety, determines that either
medical personnel or the Tournament Director should be
consulted for a player health issue, that time-out is not chargeable
to the player as a medical time-out. The player retains the right to
call their own medical time out later in the match, if needed.

There you go. NEW RULES FOR THE NEW YEAR
Thanks for reading! All the best!

Pickleball Terry
Owner of SarasotaPickleball.com
PPR Certified Coach

941-400-0978

Dinkpickleball@gmail.com

November 28, 2021November 28, 2021

Pickleball-The Cure For Senior Loneliness

Picture for Senior Loneliness for Pickleball Terry

On the courts one day, while I was sitting on the sideline waiting to play, and one of the older players leaned over to me and said, “You know, pickleball saved my life.” That statement out of the blue, took my breath away. Normally, I just go about my days filled with pickleball activities such as: playing pickleball, coaching pickleball, answering questions about pickleball, and fielding phone calls from visitors coming to Sarasota. I guess you could say I’m taking pickleball for granted. I forget how much it means to people.

Somebody asked me if this was a full-time job being Pickleball Terry, the self-described Sarasota Pickleball Ambassador. Job? Nahhhh. It’s too much fun to be considered a JOB!

So, when somebody reminds me on the courts, that pickleball means so much more to them then just a game well, it’s like a kick of reality. That a small part of me is involved in something that means so much to people is absolutely humbling.

The player on the court who leaned over to me that day, went on to say that he did not know what would have happened if he didn’t have pickleball during COVID. He lives alone but thank goodness now has a satisfying social life through pickleball along with getting fresh air and exercise.

There are approximately 76 million Baby Boomers; people born between 1946 to 1965. They now are retiring and moving to warmer climates to continue on the next chapters of their lives. They move away from family and friends, and find out that it’s not as easy to make friends for they don’t have the normal ways; kids in school, work friends, and maybe pub buddies. So, how do they make friends when they become seniors and move to a new place? Pickleball!
Try Prime Discounted Monthly Offering

Boomers are not ready to hang up their athletic gear. They are raring to go! No sitting in a rocking chair for them. Pickleball is a great solution. It is an activity setup with open, drop-in play. Anyone can join in for a game, and it is a way to make friends with a common interest.

I know a nurse that travels to different medical centers to work around the country, and she says all she does to get a social fix is find out where the pickleball courts are. Instant friends wherever she goes.<br />

Another player shared with me that she was thinking of moving from Sarasota until she found pickleball. It opened up a whole new world to her and now she has a very active social life and plays pickleball with her friends several times a week. Life is good for her now in Sarasota.

When I coach, usually I start out by saying, “I am a dealer and I’m going to make you a pickleball addict.” This is met by smirks and laughter as in…no you’re not. So funny because I do hook them in. Months later I’ll still see them playing on a pickleball court.

A woman took a lesson around a year ago. She arrived with a big floppy hat on and not the best shoes for the court. She was so quiet and timidly tried to hit the ball. I thought, I’ll never see her again. Well, she came back week after week and now the floppy hat is gone, new court shoes have been bought, and she can slam the ball. She is tricky too with angle shots, and gets into dinking. I’d say she plays well with others and has definitely come out of her “shell.” I love witnessing the transformations.

Other health benefits of playing pickleball.

It strengthens your bones. If your doctor tells you you have osteopenia or osteoporosis which is bone loss, play pickleball. The pounding on the floor with your legs as you run after the ball causes a vibration that promotes bone growth.

Osteopenia or Osteoporosis is a condition in which bones become weak and brittle. The body constantly absorbs and replaces bone tissue. With osteoporosis, new bone creation doesn’t keep up with old bone removal.

Many people have no symptoms until they have a bone fracture.

Here’s a good example. A few years ago, a female player in Sarasota had a bone density test. Her doctor informed her that she had osteopenia. Unfortunately, while playing on the pickleball court she went back for a lob and fell backwards on both wrists causing them to fracture. Six months later, and to the shock of her doctor, she went back to playing pickleball. When she had her next bone density test it showed bone mass improvement. Credit to her playing pickleball.

Cognitive thinking. We lose cognitive thinking as we get older. But pickleball helps:

Remembering the score
Recalling names
Concentrating on the flight of the ball
Remembering all the rules

Cognitive skills are the essential qualities your brain utilizes to think, listen, learn, understand, justify, question, and pay close attention. (From dictionary)

Pickleball boosts your happiness hormones.

Happiness Hormones for Sarasota Pickleball

And exercise…good old-fashioned exercise.

New students start huffing and puffing in the first 5 minutes of the lesson. “I thought pickleball was easier than this?” said my weary student. No, pickleball will get your heartrate up. You have to move, move, move. Don’t let that 1/2 a tennis court fool you. It’s a workout. We get sweaty together, and we will play for 3 hours or more. It is not unusual for my Fitbit to start buzzing announcing that I have racked up 10k steps after a few hours. I wait for the buzz, not satisfied if I haven’t hit the 10k mark.

Let’s get back to the social aspect.

One of the most detrimental things to happen to a senior citizen is when they start to isolate themselves. Pickleball gives them a reason to get out of the house and meet friends. It goes beyond pickleball, too. Soon, after-game lunch dates are formed, Happy Hours, and celebrating birthdays become big deals. If you don’t show up for an extended time, players will start asking around. “Hey, have you seen George lately?” We will track you down. Best to tell us if you are going to be out of town for awhile or we start to worry. You are appreciated, welcomed, and missed.

We take a passing away of a fellow pickleball player with great sadness and respect. They are deeply missed and always remembered. I have contacts that I will never be able to delete on my phone even though they have passed on. I think of them every time I scroll past their name.

So please, keep active, keep social, and keep playing pickleball.

Sincerely,

Pickleball Terry

Owner of Sarasota Pickleball Organization LLC (Not the club)

PPR Pickleball Coach

941-400-0978

dinkpickleball@gmail.com

August 29, 2021August 29, 2021

Have You Signed-Up For The Pickleball Fest Tournament?

Join us on Saturday, November 13, 2021, at Newtown Estates Park in Sarasota for our inaugural Sertoma Kids’ Pickleball Fest! Space is limited to the first 64 registered players, so don’t wait! There are GREAT prizes for 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winners in each skill level, plus lots of free gifts and giveaways for ALL participants. Continental breakfast and after-party are included as well. Register today at sertomakids.org/pickleball.

Only 64 players. Filling up fast.

What is Sertoma Kids, LLC?

It is a non-profit that provides speech therapy for children who may not be able to afford services. Many of the children have autism or disabilities.

How did Pickleball Terry become involved with this tournament?

I was sent an invite for lunch at Lauren Johnson’s house for the first brain-storming meeting for the possibility to host a tournament as a fundraiser. Lauren and most of the other women at the meeting, were avid pickleball players, and I recognized them from playing on the courts. Great ideas were tossed around as we ate lunch, and the Sertoma Kids’ Pickleball Fest was born.

Now moths later, they have already secured sponsors, and joined up with the Flanzer Foundation that will match all funds that are taken in for this great tournament.

Louis & Gloria Flanzer
The mission of the Flanzer Philanthropic Trust is to enhance the life of the people of the Suncoast through social services and healthcare initiatives

If you would like to be a sponsor for the Sertoma Kids Pickleball Fest, here are more details. Click Here.

What is the tournament format?

It is a fun round robin. You do not need to sign up with a partner, and will play with other liked skilled players. The winners from each skill level will compete with each other for the 1st, 2nd and 3rd place. They will receive great prizes!!!

Each person is guaranteed 6 games.

What else will be there?

It’s a festival… a pickleball festival! The Toasted Mango is providing breakfast to all tournament participants, the Surly Mermaid is providing lunch. All FREE for tournament participants! If you bring guests, they may purchase food from the vendors.

Silent Auction

Themed gift baskets and other surprises will be auctioned off.

MUSIC! DANCING! MUSIC! DANCING!

Do not miss out on the fun. Spots are filling up fast! Max 64 players.

How do you sign up?

Go here and sign up. NOTE: And this is important. When you sign-up, you will be directed to the Flanzer Foundation site. There is a drop down tab and you will have to filter through many non-profits. Make sure you select SERATOMA KIDS. That way you will get credit and be officially signed up for the tournament. If you have any questions. please email Lauren Johnson at johnsonlauren642@icloud.com.

Lauren Johnson. Lauren is a recent retiree from the Sarasota County School District, having taught kindergarten through second grade for 44 wonderful years. She earned her master’s degree from USF in Gifted Education and was most passionate about gifted education and the sensory needs of gifted children. She also helped begin the first chartered middle school, Sarasota School for the Arts and Sciences, in Sarasota and worked tirelessly on that board of directors for three years. Lauren has been recognized for her accomplishments with children and the arts, being named Teacher of the Year at Fruitville Elementary School and Florida Studio Theatre’s Teacher of the Year. Now, she is loving retirement with her husband, Mark, and taking the time to frequently see their grandchildren. Playing pickleball, learning golf, biking, kayaking and recently joining the Sertoma Kids Board of Directors has kept Lauren quite active in the community.

Go here and sign-up and I’ll see you there! sertomakids.org/pickleball.

Thank you for supporting our tournament. 100% of funds donated for this tournament all go to the Sertoma Kids!

Thank you for reading.

Pickleball Terry
Pickleball Coach
SarasotaPickleball.com
Gearbox Paddles Dealer

August 29, 2021

The Proposed Rule Changes for 2022

The USA Pickleball Rule Committee has recently posted the PROPOSED rule additions/changes for 2022. There are 71 . Some are controversial, and many are clarifications to existing rules.

The ones I feel are most interesting are as follows.

Keep the Drop Serve

The Drop Serve requirement to drop the ball is designed to control the ball from bouncing above the server’s waist so that an underhand/upward arc serve is automatically made. However, the restrictions imposed relating to releasing the ball at a natural height and without additional force have been difficult for referees to judge and to judge consistently. The procedure could be greatly simplified by allowing the server to release the ball in any manner and merely requiring the ball to be hit when it is no higher than the server’s waist, as is done with the traditional serve. Players could then bounce or toss the ball when making a Drop Serve and there would be no need to try to judge whether a player moved his/her hand or jumped a fraction of an inch or imparted force on the ball. Hitting the ball at or below waist level guarantees that the serve is made with an underhand motion/upward arc by most people except those who are really tall.

First serving team gets 2 serves

Doubles. Both players on a team will serve before a side out is declared.

Maintain Serving Order throughout Game

The serving order remains the same throughout each game such that server 1 for each team is the first to serve the ball after each side out followed by server 2 from that team.

Change back to 0 0 Start and discontinuance of drop serve

1 Return the first score to 0 0 Start

2 Discontinue the provisional Drop Serve

No spin on the serve

“At the start of the service motion the ball must be held in the palm of the hand and released either by tossing the ball up from the palm or rotating the hand until the ball is released. If the server is unable to hold the ball in the palm, then the toss of the ball should be done with a minimum of spin applied to the ball.”

Reinstate let serves

4.O Service Lets. There is no limit to the number of lets a server may serve. The serve is a let and will be replayed if:
4.O.1. The serve touches the net, strap, or band and is otherwise good and lands in the service court.
4.O.2. The referee calls a service let.
4.O.3. Any player calls a service let. If the referee determines that a service let called by a player did not occur, a fault will be declared against the offending player.

Rally-point scoring

Doubles. One player on a team will serve before a side out is declared. A side out will occur once a rally is lost or a fault is committed by the serving team and service is awarded to the opposing team.

Since pickleball was originally developed based on a badminton court and some of the badminton rules, you would expect that rally-point scoring would have been implemented in pickleball back when it was implemented for badminton is 2006. (Volleyball implemented rally-point scoring in 1999).

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Pickleball remains the only racquet/net sport that has not permanently implemented a rally-point scoring system!

What is rally-point scoring?

The difference between (traditional) side-out scoring and rally-point scoring is that in rally-point scoring a point is awarded after every rally, regardless of which side served.
This means that the non-serving side is also able to score points.
Unlike side-out scoring where the serve goes from server one to server two and then to the opposing team, in rally scoring, it only goes through one server before going to the opposing team.
As a result, the server number is not called out since there is only one server.
Server will serve from the side appropriate to their score, i.e. if their score is even the serve will be from the right-hand side, if odd from the left-hand side.

Allow a second serve

4.0 If a player faults on a serve due to a service motion fault, foot fault, or because the ball does not land in the service court, they get a second attempt before the serve is transferred to their partner or opponent(s).

Remove COVID/carry serve

A player deliberately carrying or catching the ball on the paddle while the ball is live/in-play

(From the USA Pickleball website.)

NEW 2022 RULEBOOK REVISION PROCESS

The improved 2022 Rulebook Revision process has begun. We do not expect the 2022 Rulebook to have the extent of change seen in 2021. The window for public input into suggested rulebook revisions is open in accordance with the overall process described below.

What follows is significantly different than last year. Changes were made in response to USA Pickleball member comments and after benchmarking other sport Rulebook processes. We trust that you will see greater transparency, public input and comment opportunities in what follows below. Ambassadors are welcome to share the process below with fellow USA Pickleball members.

Any USA Pickleball member wishing to suggest a modification to the 2022 Rulebook is welcome to submit changes by visiting https://rules.usapickleball.org

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Background and Purpose: The process outlined below will be used for the 2022 Rulebook revision. The process addresses the need for improved transparency and greater opportunities for player input and comment. In addition, it formalizes the International Federation of Pickleball (IFP) involvement in rule creation and approval.

The steps below are designed to result in an effective date of January 1, 2022 for the new Rulebook and Change Document.

pickleball bags

Public Input Opportunity. The window for public input for potential Rulebook changes is now open and will end on June 10. Each idea submitted will have a tracking number assigned that will not change throughout the process so interested parties can follow or track a particular idea through the process.
Public Comment Opportunity. Rulebook submissions will be listed (without attribution) on the USA Pickleball website for public comment. If desired, the IFP President may elect to do the same with the IFP website. The ideas will be posted no later than June 15. This will open up a two-week public comment period.
Public Review Opportunity. On or before June 30, the USA Pickleball Rules Submission Coordinator will transmit the list of ideas and all public comments collected to the IFP Rules Committee Co-Chairmen. The IFP Rules Committee Co-Chairmen will add any comments collected from the IFP website public comment period. The complete list will be posted on the USA Pickleball website. If desired, the IFP President may elect to do the same with the IFP website.

The IFP Rules Committee, under the leadership of the IFP Rules Committee Co-Chairmen, and with the advice and counsel of the USA Pickleball Rules Committee Recording Secretary (if needed), will consider each of the ideas on their merits by voting. Each IFP Committee member will vote independently of one another. The vote will be on a 1-10 scale with 10 the highest score, meaning the person voting thinks that idea should be adopted without reservation. There is no relative ranking among the ideas. After voting, the IFP Rules Committee members will have an opportunity to discuss their votes with other members of the IFP Rules Committee in one or more conference calls arranged by the IFP Rules Committee Co-Chairmen. The need for the conference call(s) is at the discretion of the IFP Rules Committee Co-Chairmen. All rule ideas with a combined average score of 5 or more is considered IFP Rules Committee-approved.
The IFP Rules Committee will complete their deliberations and voting by August 15.
Transparency of Results. The results of the IFP Rules Committee voting and the status of all Rule ideas submitted to the IFP Rules Committee is planned to be shared on the USA Pickleball website no later than August 20. If desired, the IFP President may elect to do the same with the IFP website.
The Rules Revision Committee begins writing rules for those ideas with an IFP Rules Committee combined average voting score of 5 or more. Note: Some ideas are submitted already written in ‘rules language’. Those typically don’t require much work. Most submissions, however, require significant attention to get them in the required format and ‘rules language’.
Each rule idea with a combined average voting score of 5 or more will also be entered into the Change Document. The Change Document will include the reason for each rule change idea. Note: that at this point every rule idea has been subject to either public input and/or comment.
Transparency of Results. The Rules Revision Committee finishes rule writing and the Change Document by September 15. Once finished, all the written IFP Rules Committee-approved rules (with corresponding tracking number), all the rule change ideas with less than a combined score of 5, and the Change Document are forwarded to the USA Pickleball Rules Committee and posted on the USA Pickleball webpage.
Transparency of Results. The USA Pickleball Rules Committee meets to vote on each IFP Rules Committee-approved rule. Each rule is voted on separately in the meeting. A rule is approved by a simple majority of the 5 members. The vote is recorded. After the meeting, the voting results will be posted on the USA Pickleball website.
Transparency of Results. All the written IFP Rules Committee-approved rules (with corresponding tracking number), the rule change ideas with less than a combined score of 5, the Change Document and the results of the USA Pickleball Rules Committee voting are forwarded to the USA Board of Directors for final approval. The USA Pickleball Board of Directors voting results will be posted on the USA Pickleball website.
Public Comment Opportunity/Transparency of Results. The Rulebook is proofed and published to the USA Pickleball website by December 1. That action starts a 30-day clock where the public can comment on any obvious errors in the draft. This public comment period normally ‘finds’ a small number of errors of omission and it allows players time to get familiar with the changes before the official effective date. The USA Pickleball Rules Committee Chairman can approve changes needed to correct errors that don’t change the intent of the rule. Any changes needed that change the intent of a rule must be approved by the USA Pickleball Rules Committee and Board. The outcome of any such voting will be posted to the USA Pickleball website.

Again, this is just under review and most will not make it into the official rules, so review and let me know what you think by commenting below.

Thanks for reading,

Pickleball Terry

SarasotaPickleball.com

Pickleball lessons and clinics

Dinkpickleball@gmail.com

August 15, 2021

Will the Serve Rule Change in 2022?

The serve has been controversial since the drop serve was introduced in January 2021. Then Zane came up with the COVID serve, also know as the chainsaw serve…or the Zane serve. Now that tournaments are beginning to outlaw the drop serve, the questions is…will the only serve allowed in 2022 be the standard and back to basics, underhand serve.

Here is a post I saw on Facebook and Morgan makes a good point.

Dear Rules Committee

Soon you will be asked to vote on a proposed rule change that will ban some or all techniques that create additional spin on the serve. As founder of one such technique in question, I believe I am entitled to offer an opinion.

What’s primarily in question is whether or not offensive serves are in the spirit of the game. It’s been 3 years since I started imparting spin on the ball toss, however only recently has the style gained notoriety, largely due to the creative adaptation from fellow pro player, Zane Navratil, that incorporates the use of the paddle and/or the paddle hand to provide a kind of pre-spin on the ball toss.

Allow me to wind back the clock for a moment. One day in the late 90’s Levon Major hopped the kitchen line, hit a volley and won the point. Soon Erne Perry performed the same move in a tournament, and the Erne was born. When opposite Tyler Loong, we all fear the repercussions of an errant dink, and I wouldn’t have it any other way because without the threat of the Erne, players wouldn’t have learned how to defend against them. Moves and counter moves. Levon and Erne changed the game.

The game grew.

Pickleball was born in the mid-sixties. You know what else started around then…The Alley Oop. The wild new way to score hit the big time with Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlain leading the charge. The technique is still used today but we don’t see it 10 times a game. Why? because teams learned how to defend against it.

The game grew.

In 2016 Marcin Rozpedski and myself invented the shake and bake. We were being out-dinked at the Le Master Davison classic and we needed a solution. After a couple of bottles of 5 Hour Energy we patented the new style of attack. In the following years hundreds of players had to deal with Marcin crashing the line and poaching with deadly intent. You know what those opponents did? They got better. Returns got deeper, players reacted faster, hit sharper volleys and successfully learnt how to defend against the attack.

The game grew.

The return of serve is a skill and I believe we will stifle the development of that skill by taking away the most challenging serves. Necessity is the father of invention. These creative serves force players to improve their return of serve skill. Dekel Bar can hit a serve faster than most people can pitch a baseball, and his opponents have had to learn how to return it. Power is a skill. Spinning a ball is a skill. Accuracy is a skill. No one has ever been told that a ball toss can’t be a skill. Not one Referee has ever given me so much as a warning. I’m not 220lbs with the power of an Israeli Demi-god, but I’m good with my hands so that’s what I use in order to compete in a rapidly deepening field. I believe that if the technique used is within the rules of the game, what difference should it make which skill is employed to make a serve better? If you ban one skill that makes a serve more offensive, under the pretense that the game wasn’t intended to have offensive serves, doesn’t it then stand to reason that you must ban any kind of offensive serve. Who wants to go down that road? There would be no serves with power, accuracy, or spin. That doesn’t sound too fun does it?

Imagine baseball without the curveballs, imagine tennis without the kick serve, basketball without the Alley-Oop.

What if a technique was developed under the full rules of the game, that allowed a player to serve at full speed with laser-like accuracy. I imagine it would be very effective. Should we take that technique away from the game?

What do we all get asked? When is the sport going to be in the olympics? Well, I would argue an offensive sport is more popular and much more marketable than a defensive one. People don’t clammer to see Mayweather just duck and weave for 12 rounds, and people aren’t on eBay buying tickets to the next NBA Rebound Championships.

Let’s imagine this scenario. It’s the year 2032. We finally have flying cars but the number one cause of death is…. flying cars. Pickleball is alive and well. 95% percent of professional pickleball players have either played ATP/WTA tennis or have been pro pickleball players for 10 + years. Ben Johns is approaching his mid 30’s but still looks 18. The best players are making $100K plus and the mainstream media is embracing the sport. A scrappy but adorable young Australian washes ashore, starts playing the game and develops a new way to serve, well within the rules of the game. During tournaments, the serve is used and returned by essentially everyone who meets it. It’s 2032 and the level of skill required to return the serve is possessed by all but a few. The game grew. In this scenario, would we need to ban the serve? No. It would only be seen as innovation because there is no downside. It looks different, makes the game more interesting and only slightly more challenging.

Now let’s consider another scenario. The year is once again 2032. It’s the 10yr anniversary of an important moment in the history of the game. The day the rules committee agreed to continue to allow a one handed ball toss to impart spin. In the years after the serve was born, players adapted their return technique and developed their skills to meet the demands.

The game grew.

I don’t think the problem is that the serve is not in the spirit of the game. It just came along too soon. If this serve was born 10 yrs from now, the spirit of the game wouldn’t be affected because everyone would be able to return it. I think this is a classic chicken and the egg scenario. Let’s not kill the egg before we meet the chicken.

What’s being deemed as not in the spirit of the game is being labeled so not because of the action, but by the reaction. Not by the serve, but by the return. I present to you that it’s too early to understand the reaction. I can also attest that the chief proponents of this serve, myself and Zane Navratil, both report the same thing, the players that have the most experience returning these serves, don’t have any problems getting the return in. It’s not a matter of IF players will be able to effectively return the serves, it’s just a matter of WHEN.

Each and every year the bar is raised. There are moments. People, Shots. Plays that never were, are suddenly born and once again the game grows.

This is one of those moments.

I ask you kindly to allow the game to grow once more.

Yours sincerely

Morgan Evans

ReplyForward

August 4, 2021

Why I Resigned as an USA Pickleball Ambassador

As of today (8/04/21), I am no longer an USA Pickleball Ambassador. (I loved being a USA Pickleball Ambassador.) Why? I received a call from a director of the Florida USA ambassadors last night, and he informed me that USA Pickleball Org had received a communication from a fellow player in Sarasota complaining that they were not being treated fairly by Pickleball Terry. I thought the complaints were rather silly…she drops people off her email list… she won’t post our pictures…things of that sort. First of all, my weekly emails have nothing to do with the USA Pickleball Org, but I agree that an ambassador should keep things separate. For example, don’t mix being a paddle dealer with I’m a USA Pickleball Ambassador. USA Pickleball has a strict rule about that. Now I know.

So that there is no more confusion, and so that I am able to carry on without worrying that someone is going to go over my head and complain to my “boss,” I decided to leave on a high note. That way I won’t be responsible for doing anything wrong in conjunction with USA Pickleball. (Being an ambassador is a volunteer position.)

USA Pickleball Organization is a great resource, and I recommend all pickleball players to become a member. Their website is full of wonderful information, and I enjoyed my time as an USA Pickleball Ambassador, but it’s time to move on. Maybe that guy who complained about me would like to pick up the torch and become an ambassador? No hard feelings. People have to do what they have to do.

My new title is (Self-appointed) Sarasota Pickleball Representative.

Thanks for reading,