Terry Ryan – Page 2 – Sarasota Pickleball Organization, LLC

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

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.

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.

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

July 18, 2021August 3, 2021

In The Beginning By Pickleball Terry

A picture of blog post In The Beginning By Sarasota Pickleball

I was standing on the court between pickleball games and passing the time by talking to a relative newbie to pickleball. I said to him, “Did you know when we all started playing pickleball in Sarasota we all played indoors?” He…dead silence and a look of shock on his face. But that is right, we did not play pickleball outdoors. We only played indoors, as shocking as that now sounds.

We had a certain schedule and played inside at Arlington Park on certain days, and other days, we played inside at Colonial Oaks, RL Taylor, and YMCAs when they were the YMCAs. Then more places opened up and we had Newtown and Longwood Park. The Salvation Army on Tuttle offered pickleball on a couple of days. Never, NEVER did we venture out and play pickleball outdoors. Most of us didn’t have our own nets, and we preferred the air conditioning and no wind inside. Nets were provided at all the indoor facilities and the Salvation Army even started putting up the nets and taking them down for us. The cost was all of $2.00 and we paid with cash. You always had your bag of ones and quarters in your backpack.

And balls….we had one kind of ball. The standard green Jug ball that is cheap to buy. The facilities would supply them. At first, they would leave a bucket of balls for the players to pick from and return them to afterwards. They didn’t last long as they quickly got soft or would crack, and some places started handing balls out one at a time, so you would have to bring a cracked ball to the desk to get a new Jug ball.

Also, for example, Arlington had four courts and it ranged from the beginner court located closest to the door, and the quality of the players got better as it got to the 4th/last court where the strongest players played. Things would get tricky when a not-so-good player would try to play on a court that he/she wasn’t really qualified to play on. I would see fights break out, feelings getting hurt, and people complaining at the front desk. Oh boy. Lots of drama.

I also remember the LONG WAIT during the winter season. We would wait 45 minutes to an hour between games. UGH! But you got a lot of time to visit with fellow players. We also had pot lucks and a couple of us would reserve the indoor courts for private play. People would wait to see if they would get an invite. Some people wouldn’t. They still talk about that.

I had a women’s league inside at Colonial Oaks for 2 years that was a wonderful time. Someday, after COVID, I hope to resume that and expand on league play to include men’s and mixed.

Two years ago, one of the last things that Coach Russell and Terry W. did was approach Church of the Palms and ask them if they would consider having pickleball. After a little negotiations, the Church offered pickleball in their beautiful new gym. It has been an outstanding relationship.

Speaking of Coach Russell, the man was instrumental in getting major pickleball pros to come to Sarasota and host clinics. I took clinics from Kyle Yates and Lucy Kitcher for all of $30.00. What an honor to meet people like them. Those clinics were held at RL Taylor Community Center which also is a wonderful place to play indoor pickleball.

I remember the first time i played outdoors. It was on the courts at Newtown. I was so thrown off. The net looked too high, the court looked too big. It was a totally different experience. I didn’t like it. There was , wind and sun in my eyes and I preferred playing inside. Even all the tournaments I played in were indoors. Summer came in 2019 and the indoor facilities were closed because the kid’s camps were using the indoor space, except the Church of the Palms and the Ys had some limited time to play.

Then Dick Friede starting something amazing, he started borrowing portable nets and setting them up every morning outside at Colonial Oaks Park. It was a slow start but now has become a popular place to go. The success is mainly because Dick with his partner, Jan, are reliable and you can count on them being there everyday.

In the fall of 2019, the indoor facilities opened back up after school started again, and we all happily went back to playing indoors. Players began to become more interested in playing outside especially on the weekends when most facilities were closed, and we ventured to the courts of Siesta Key. Oh boy, did we clash with the tennis players who thought we were not worthy to play on their courts. God help you if a pickleball rolled on their court.

In 2020 COVID hit and everything changed. We were forced to play outside as the indoor facilities shut down. There were a couple of weeks when we were not allowed to play even on the outdoor courts as the country went into lockdown.

But life goes on, and here it is, the summer of 2021 and we are all now devoted outdoor pickleball players. We have learned to love playing outside and playing inside is no longer as desired. We play in the heat, the cold, the wind, and even the rain. We have pretty much taken over the courts at Colonial Oaks Park during the mornings, much to the dismay of the few tennis players that want to play there. After all, we live in beautiful Sarasota, FL. Who wouldn’t want to play outdoors.

And the wait time is less. I never will wait 45 minutes to play a ten minute game as I did at Arlington. No thank you!

Hopefully soon, Sarasota will construct the outdoor courts they have been promising us. The Longwood project has been delayed for another year. and don’t hold your breath for the courts off of Pompano. That may be 3 years into the future.

As pickleball takes off as the fastest growing sport in the country, I have seen on the Internet, new outdoor massive pickleball complexes popping up. There is a trend of people buying or renting warehouse and putting courts in; some keeping them for private use and others charging for public to play. Malls are converting empty space into pickleball complexes. It’s really an exciting time to be involved in pickleball.

Lastly, along with all the different paddle brands out there (I’m a Gearbox authorized dealer), there are now over 300 brands of pickleballs. The Jugs balls I still use in my clinics and for my ball machine, but people are now very picky about what ball they are playing with indoor and outdoor. I once saw one player throw a ball down and announce. “I won’t play with that ball!” Wow! How far we have all come.

Keep playing pickleball!

Pickleball Terry

April 30, 2021April 30, 2021

I Signed Up For The Club Med Sandpiper Tournament Championship

I did it! I signed up for the Lucy Kitcher Club Med Sandpiper Championship; the most difficult process I have ever gone through to sign up for a tournament in my life. Holy moly!

First of all, I talked a few players into signing up for the tournament. Just look at the flyer. It sounds like a fantastic time. All inclusive for 4 days! Plus a sanctioned tournament.

This is the email I received from Lucy Kitcher, pickleball pro.

zerozero stay

Attachments Mon, Apr 26, 2:40 PM (4 days ago)

to Dinkpickleball

Pickleball Tournament Club Med Port St. Lucie.

All Inclusive Pickleball Tournament and Trip

22 pickleball courts

Port St. Lucie, Florida

What’s included

This is a four day all inclusive tournament and trip for only $599 per person. Everything is included from the moment you arrive at the resort until you leave. It covers all day gourmet dining and open bar (both alcoholic and nonalcoholic drinks), lovely accommodations, daily pickleball tournament, play, and court rental, day and night entertainment, cocktail party, and unlimited water and land activities around the resort. Plus medals and a t-shirt! A limited number of single rooms are available for a $100 supplement.

Location

This trip is held at the Club Med in Port St. Lucie, Florida not far from West Palm Beach on the east coast of Florida. The closest airport is Palm Beach International (PBI). There is a resort shuttle from the airport available for an additional fee (shuttle is only included in international trips). Advanced reservations are required. Another option is get an Uber from the airport. The ride is about fifty minutes.

Alternatively, you can rent a car. If you do so, you will have a greater selection of flights to Fort Lauderdale, Orlando or Miami airports which are all approximately one hour thirty minutes. Miami is slightly more.

Arrival and departure info.

Check in on day one is at 3pm. If you want to arrive before three and use the facilities, they charge $20 per person. That gives you full access to the resort which includes meals, drinks (alcoholic and nonalcoholic) and the use of all the resort amenities. However your room may not be available until 3pm. You can leave your bags in your car or at the front desk. We will meet at the pickleball courts for open play at 3:30. Stop by after you arrive. If you arrive early, feel free to go play!

Check out on the last day is 10am. You can stay and enjoy the resort all day for no additional charge, but you have to have your belongings out of your room by 10am. If there is no one checking into your room that day, you can ask for late check out at noon. There are showers available around the resort and you are welcome to leave your luggage at the front desk until your departure.

Pickleball activities

The tournament will take place first thing in the morning. In the afternoon there is optional open play.

On day three there will be an award ceremony at a cocktail party with drinks and hors d’oeuvres. There will be presentations for gold, silver and bronze medals for each skill group. There will also be a paddle give away on the last evening.

We have a reserved section in the restaurant for dinner and the option to sit together at breakfast and lunch. If you prefer to sit outside this is also an option.

Other activities

The following activities are included:

Golf: access to the driving range & lessons.
Tennis: free access to courts & lessons
Water sports: sailing, kayak & paddle boardIng
Trapeze: available in small groups
Collective sports: free access to courts, soccer, beach volleyball & basketball)
Pools
Outdoor Yoga
Outdoor Cardio & Fitness Classes

This list is during Covid. It may expand prior to our trip

Available for an additional fee:

Access to The Saints Golf course, 18-holes, 5 min from the resort
Water skiing
Spa

Deposit and payments

The total price of this trip is $599 per person based on double occupancy. There are a limited number of single rooms available for a supplement of $100. Your deposit of $199 is due when you book on PickleballTournaments.com (plus single supplement where applicable). Two additional payments of $200 each are due prior to the trip start date. You must be paid in full 60 days before travel. Your deposit is nonrefundable, however if you’re unable to attend, you are able to send someone else in your place, as long as you provide fourteen days advanced notice. After that, there is a $60 name change fee. If there are guests on the waitlist you will be provided a refund minus a $30 administrative fee. Included in the price of your trip is Club Med’s basic travel insurance which covers the cost of your stay at Club Med in case you are unable to attend the trip due to an injury that might prevent you from traveling, a death in the family, or similar.

Please refer to this website for more detailed information regarding the basic travel insurance. https://ns.clubmed.com/amn/rwd/terms/ClubMedTravelInsuranceBasicPlanUSA2009.pdf

If the resort closes for any reason, including COVID 19, you will be provided a credit to be used on a future LucyKitcher.com trip within two years.

Still have questions?

Visit https://lucykitcher.com

If you have any other questions, feel free send an email. ZeroZeroStay@yahoo.com

Ready to book?

For the tournament trip click here

https://www.pickleballtournaments.com/pbt_tlisting.pl?when=F&searchkeyword=Lucy&selsanctioning=&openregonly=false

Click here to go to the booking form for instructional trips

https://lucykitcher.com/book-a-trip/

Lucy Kitcher

ZeroZeroStay@yahoo.com

954-534-6292

A picture of Lucy Kitcher for Sarasota Pickleball

Okay, we were all in. Here comes the hard part. Signing up. Yep! FRUSTRATION! And I am dang good on the computer, so you know if I had a hard time….it had to be hard,.

(READ ABOUT LUCY KITCHER HERE)

To sign up you have to go through Pickleballtournaments.com. Okay, that’s not unusual because that’s where I sign up for most of my tournaments, Been there many times. And I went to pickleballtournaments,com and logged in. It went like this:

MUST BE MEMBER of USAPA or also know as USA Pickleball Association. Well, I am an AMBASSADOR. I am a member and on automatic renewal. I try many times and get the same message. MUST BE A MEMBER.

I log on to the USAPA site and click the button to renew for another 4 years just out of frustration, and I go back to Pickleballtourments,com to try again. Same message. What the????

I call Lucy. She looks into it and says it may take a day to reset.

That night at 7:00, I receive a call from USAPA that I have signed up for 4 years of magazines and not 4 years of membership. The USAPA will refund the $$$, and I am to go back in and renew the membership again. OH MY GOODNESS! By the way, I am also talking to Diane who is going through the same thing. She signed up for the magazine, too. She is also going though hell and high water to sign up for the Club Med tournament.

I have emailed Pickleballtournanments.com about my difficulties. They responded by saying I have to contact the tournament director. By this time, I have Lucy Kitcher on speed dial so I have talked to her, texted her and emailed her.

Lucy explains that you must be a member of the USA Pickleball Association at the time of the tournament which is at the end of the January 2022. That’s right, we are planning ahead. I tell Lucy, I better get a private room. She says she’ll save one for me. (I already know that one of my friends from New York is going to beg to come stay with me last moment and I’ll let them bunk in so private room….probably not.)

Outdoor Lounge Inspiration

My membership at USAPA was up for renewal 7/21. Even though I am on automatic renewal, when I tried to register for the Club Med, it said I wasn’t a member in January 2022. USAPA corrected that for me and I was back to Pickleballtournaments.com to try again and again and again.

Next snafu…you have to be a member of the SSIPA. What?! You cannot sign up unless you have a membership to the SUPER SENIOR INTERNATIONALPICKLEBALL ASSOCIATION.

Another test of my patience…I went thought the steps and signed up for $20.00.

Back to Pickleballtournaments.com. (Any sane person would have given up by now.) We also ran into the issue of someone who was in our group was under 50, so did she have to join the SSIPA? Another Lucy text.

Now all things right at USAPA and SSIPA, I went through the process once again; chose PRIVATE ROOM, MIXED DOUBLES AND WOMENS DOUBLES to play in the tournament; paid the down payment, and I am happy to report—I am signed up and good to go!

Now that I have become a sort of EXPERT on signing up for this tournament, feel free to contact me if you run into problems. I have done this for a couple of people. Last time I checked, over 90 from all across the country have signed up. I am hoping to have a large group from Sarasota attend.

So, that’s my story. I must really want to go to go through all that rigmarole.

Please join us.

Pickleballtournaments.com

Pickleball Terry

USA Pickleball Ambassador
PPR Certified Coach
Owner of Sarasotapickleball.com

Dinkpickleball@gmail.com

Text or call me for lessons at 941-400-0978

April 17, 2021April 17, 2021

What? The COVID Serve? By Terry Ryan

What did I just read? There is such a thing called the COVID serve??? Okay, first there was the standard underhand serve which pickleball players used since the game was invented. Then in 2021, the provisional DROP SERVE was introduced, but not even on the first of the year, but on January 21. So there was a little bit of controversy that some players were using it before the 21st, and other people were saying, “No, not until the 21st.” Any who, the drop serve is being used by a small percentage of players. Most seasoned players can get a more aggressive serve in using the standard serve. I must admit, I still have to correct players who BOUNCE the ball rather than dropping for the drop serve.

So, how do I know there is a 3rd style of serve? I just received an email from the US Pickleball Open where I will be participating in next week. And here it is:

(What??? No let serves for pros???)

And here is a video of Zane demonstrating the COVID serve around in the middle of the video. I also have heard it called the chainsaw serve. But I see that serve will NOT be allowed in the pro division.

If you are confused about the drop serve, here is a video I made back in January.

So, there you have it. The COVID serve. Not officially in the rule book that I can see but some of the PROS were using it. Well, you learn something new every day. What do you think of the COVID serve?

Thanks for reading,

Pickleball Terry
Terry Ryan
AKA Pickleball Terry or Coach Terry
PPR Certified Coach
USA Pickleball Ambassador

Everyday, I am thankful I can still play pickleball.

March 14, 2021

The Curse of the Number 10

We all have been there. The magic number 10. Just one point away from 11 and victory. You can almost taste the success. And that’s when it happens. You turn cocky. Cocky as heck! OVER CONFIDENT. Then what happens? The opponents start gaining on you. All of a sudden, you and your partner start making silly mistakes as in hitting the ball out or knocking it into the net. You and your partner look at each other in total disbelief as another side out happens, and the opponents gain a couple more points. Uh-oh! They are catching up and now the score is 9-10.

So now you are really frustrated and try to do some kill shots but alas, they go sailing by your opponents and they yell OUT! Your partner, feeling the same angst, serves the ball into the net. Side out again!

Now the opponents can see you coming unglued and quickly get 3 more points, much to your horror, and win the game. You all go to the net to tap paddles and you have to congratulate them on their comeback.

What happened? It’s the curse of the number 10. I’ve seen it happen over and over again, and it has happened many times to me. But not anymore. Because I figured out how to UNCURSE the number 10.

How do you solve the curse of number 10?

You play with even more control then you did throughout the game. I teach this technique to my students. When you have 10 your strategy is to just get the ball over the net. Do not try for a kill shot. Don’t be tricky with your strokes, just get it over the net. Let the opponents make the mistakes. And they will as long as you stay cool as a cucumber and just place the ball over the net . Sooner than later, your opponents are going to crumble like a saltine cracker, and sweet victory is yours.

Play smart out there.

Pickleball Terry

USA Pickleball Ambassador
PPR Certified Coach
Owner of SarasotaPickleball.com

Dinkpickleball@gmail.com

March 3, 2021March 7, 2021

Your Lizard Brain And Pickleball

Your lizard brain…what?! I have a LIZARD BRAIN and what does it have to do with pickleball? Good question. Let’s start with the lizard brain…

Also referred to as your reptilian brain as it refers to the most primitive part of our brain, where lay the instincts that warn us of danger when it lurks.

Image result for reptilian brain psychology –

The “basal ganglia” (lizard brain) refers to a group of subcortical nuclei within the brain responsible primarily for motor control, as well as other roles such as motor learning, executive functions, emotional behaviors, and play an important role in reward and reinforcement, addictive behaviors and habit formation.

In Nick Bollettieri, tennis master and founder of IMG tennis camp, said in his documentary (Love Means Zero-Showtime) about your lizard brain, it is the part of your brain that automatically knows when to step out of the way of a speeding car. You don’t have to process it…look there is a car…what should I do? No, the lizard brain automatically takes over and you jump out of the way.

Wilson Men’s Pickleball Shoes Click Here

Activate your automatic…This is what your pickleball instructor means when they say, “MUSCLE MEMORY.” The pickleball students execute a drill over and over again until it is locked and loaded into their brain and it becomes automatic.

Example: I was standing at the net at my Friday clinic when one of my students popped the ball up. At the moment, my thinking was more on what I was going to cook for dinner, but my lizard brain saw the ball and I automatically slammed it down the middle and past the dinking students. I apologized immediately. One of them said wide eyed, “How did you do that?” I said, “My lizard brain took over.”

Hence: to be better, to level up, and to be a competitive player, you have to DRILL DRILL DRILL. What do you have to do? DRILL!!! Lock in to your muscle memory.

If you don’t want to drill, you don’t want to win.

But Terry, drilling is boring. No. it isn’t. If you find it boring, you are doing it wrong. Get a foursome together and go to a court, not during the morning rush, and drill. Set a length of time, say for an hour or two. Somebody gets lazy in the group and declares it is boring and they want to play a game, then don’t ask them to drill next time. Get a group of DEDICATED TO IMPROVE. DRILL FOR THE THRILL!

Pickleball Terry — Receiving instructions at Pickleball Camp

Examples of some drills

Youtube is an excellent source to find pickleball drills. You can do 3rd Shot Drop drills, and dinking drills. Or sign up for a drill session with me.

Complaining students…

Whoa… I have blogged about this before, that in a clinic I was taking in Punta Gorda, one of the players complained to the instructor that his drill was boring. Oh, it went from bad to worse in just a few seconds as the student was scolded by the coach. “Don’t tell me how to run my class.” he demanded.

And I’ve had that happen to me. “Let’s move on, this is boring,” said one of my students. I moved on to another drill hoping she would find it more interesting.

IF YOU WANT TO MASTER ANY SPORT, YOU HAVE TO PRACTICE!

Tom Brady: Hey Coach, I don’t have to practice anymore, I’m Tom Brady.

Coach: Get out of here!

Muscle Memory and Learning Skills

The famous saying practice makes perfect applies here.

You might have heard people mention the term muscle memory when you’ve been training and exercising. Muscle memory can also be referred to as motor memory and it refers to your body’s memory to perform certain actions.

And researching MUSCLE MEMORY I find this…

The two parts of the brain which are responsible for controlling the muscle memory are the basal ganglia and the cerebellum. They help to learn sequences of actions and help to adjust errors in learning in order to improve our ability to perform the movements correctly.

The cerebellum (which is Latin for “little brain”) is a major structure of the hindbrain that is located near the brainstem. This part of the brain is responsible for coordinating voluntary movements. It is also responsible for a number of functions including motor skills such as balance, coordination, and posture.

In order to learn movements and make them habits which can be performed efficiently, you must go through a process of attempting the movements and then refining these movements until you are happy with how you perform them. The movement or behavior becomes learned and ‘hard wired.”

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A good example of this could be the first time you preform a pickleball underhanded serve with a continental grip. It feels weird and you fail at first, but keep on trying and you are able to improve your serve. During this process, you go from thinking really hard about how to execute it to performing it effortlessly without thinking!

The best example of motor memory would be learning to drive or to ride a bicycle – combinations of movements which at first are extremely difficult but once mastered are performed mostly without over thinking.

I hope this blog post inspires you to drill and not just get out there and play. Unless you are just a Sunday/Funday- kind of player, then ignore all of the above. But for the players who want to become better and be the kind of player everyone wants to challenge on the courts, then drilling is thrilling, and practice makes a better player.

Thank you for reading! All the best!

Pickleball Terry

Picture of Pickleball Terry, Terry Ryan

USA Pickleball Ambassador
PPR Certified Coach
Owner of SarasotaPickleball.com
Dinkpickleball@gmail.com

May 17, 2020May 17, 2020

How to Maintain Your Focus

When I first started out playing pickleball, I found it very hard to maintain my focus. Little things would steal my concentration; a yell “OUT!” from another court, people walking behind the court I’m playing on, or just someone new walking in the door. And the minute something steals my attention whoosh there goes a ball by me.

Here is a video on improving your mental focus.

Sometimes my mind will wander, and I’ll even start thinking about my shopping list, or other errands I should do after pickleball. All the above is not good for your game. Your mind should be on one thing, and that is the next shot. Not even the hopeful outcome of the game, but your next shot. Meaning; don’t get ahead of yourself.

You can become rattled by a bad shot you made, or even by the opponents saying the incorrect score, and you’re thinking, wasn’t it 2 – 4? How did they get 3? Meanwhile, the ball is going back and forth and you are still thinking of the score. Not good! Your head should be in the game. What is happening right now? Where are your opponents’ weaknesses? Who has the weak backhand?

There are some tricks to keeping your mind in the game. As the ball is moving back and forth, pickleball pro Sarah Ansboury, likes to point her paddle in the direction of the ball. She feels this keeps her focused.

(Check out this video by Sarah Ansboury-What’s in my bag?)

Sarah Ansboury keeping focused Sarasota Pickleball — Sarah Ansboury

Another way, is to say “ball” (to yourself) as the ball is coming towards you, and another pro told me to look for the holes in the ball. It’s hard to be distracted when you are focusing on the ball.

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I would recommend getting into your game head. As soon as you step onto the court clear your mind of everything else. Say to yourself, I am only thinking about this game. Between points, I will tap my hat with my paddle and that is code to my brain to FOCUS! You can tap your knee or squeeze your paddle as a way to get ready. But please don’t slap your thigh with your paddle so it creates a loud SLAP. That is neither helpful or comforting to your partner.

If you miss a shot, don’t continue to think about it. Shake it off. Tap your knee. Focus on the next rally. If someone rolls their eyes at you or gives you a smirk, ignore! Ignore! Ignore! Think only about winning the next shot.

In a tournament, one of the opponents’ strategies is to call a time out if you and your partner are getting way ahead in points. This is a method to break your concentration. Take this time, for a water break and keep thinking about the game. When you get back on the court, stay on the balls of your feet, give your partner a little encouragement with a tap of the paddles, a look meaning “we’ve got this!” and proceed where you left off.

To summarize, stay FOCUSED!

By Pickleball Terry

USAPA Sarasota Ambassador
Creator or SarasotaPickleball.com

February 1, 2020February 1, 2020

The Tremendous 12 Pickleball Shots

A picture of Pickleball Terry, Terry Ryan, and Coach Russell of Suncoast Pickleball

I had the pleasure of participating in a Suncoast Pickleball Camp in Punta Gorda this past week. What an amazing experience, and boy, did I learn a lot…under fire. The 4 pros, Barry Waddell, John Sperling, Scott Tingley and David Dunkin all kept a close eye on the 32 students, so much so, that 2 courts over from me one of the pros yelled out, “Terry, did I just see you step in the kitchen?”

Sue serving at the Pickleball Camp — Sue showing her serve.

The camp started at 8:00 a.m. on 8 courts at the Pickleplex. If you don’t know what the Pickleplex is, it consists of 16 outdoor pickleball courts constructed on the Florida Southwestern College campus, and it literally put Punta Gorda on the pickleball map. Read this article here on how much $$$ the Pickleplex brought into the community.

We were divided into groups of 8 and had a different pro in the mornings and afternoons practicing: dinking, reset, lobs, serves, blocking and more, for 7 hours with a break for lunch. After 3 days, I’ll admit I was tired and sore.

It was an amazing experience and I would suggest anyone who is serious about pickleball and sharpening their skills should take a clinic or camp.

On the first day, pro, Barry Waddell, mentioned that there are 12 tremendous pickleball shots with subshots. I asked him to send them to me via email, and I will share them with you.

https://blog.pickleballcentral.com/2019/05/28/meet-the-pros-barry-waddel/

The 12 Pickleball Shots according to Barry Waddell:

Serve (3 types: Topspin, Slice, Lob)
Forehand return of serve (2 types: topspin and slice)
Backhand return of serve (2 types: topspin, slice)
Forehand topspin ground stroke drive
Backhand topspin ground stroke drive
Forehand volley (5 types: block, jab, roll, reset, kill)
Backhand volley (5 types: block, jab, roll, reset, kill)
Overhead smash
Lob (2 types: flat, topspin)
Dinking (3 types: flat, slice, roll)
Third shot drop (3 types: flat, slice, roll)
ATP shot

There you go. Master these and you master the game of pickleball.

A picture of Pickleball Terry Ryan and Coach Russell from Suncoast Pickleball — Pickleball Terry and Coach Russell, owner of Suncoast Pickleball

December 29, 2019December 29, 2019

The New Owners of Sarasota Pickleball Academy

I had the pleasure of meeting with the new owners of Sarasota Pickleball Academy, Brian and Valerie McCarthy, and I am happy to say that they are down-to-earth and sincerely wonderful people. In fact, they are the kind of people you want to succeed in their next endeavor; buying the Stardust Roller Skating Rink and turning into a 12 indoor pickleball courts facility.

With the husband’s and wife’s familiarity with commercial real estate (shopping centers, marinas in the Keys, an olive grove in California, etc.) and their equal interest in pickleball, they agreed to undertake the massive project of rehabbing the old building located on 12th St and turning it into the first dedicated, indoor pickleball facility in USA.

They plan on opening in the fall of 2020 after putting in over a million dollars of improvements that will include a new roof, floors, HVAC and repaving of the parking lot.

Some of the programs planned are drop-in play, ability to reserve courts, clinics, lessons from area pros, veteran leagues, youth programs, and tournaments. There will be a coffee and juice bar, locker rooms with showers, a pro shop and possibly beer and wine available to encourage the after-play, social aspect.

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