Lesson of the Month

April 2025

Third Shot Drop Fundamentals

This month we have a special treat for you, Henry Gonzalez has written a detailed treatment of the Third Shot Drop. This includes the how, why, and when to use the Third Shot Drop. Henry has given us so much information and research to prove his advice that we had to link the lesson rather than print it here. So, follow this link to read this month's lesson on the Third Shot Drop Fundamentals by Henry Gonzalez, PPR.

March 2025

Deactivate Your Wrist

I hope I have your attention with what may be a cryptic phrase for a title. I wanted to share this tip with

you that I recently learned because it has helped me gain confidence and consistency when dinking and

even when hitting resets or drop shots.

The idea is this – keep your wrist firm and straight during your dinks. I find this particularly helpful on my

forehand, crosscourt dinks. Taking my wrist out of the shot makes the shot less reliant on perfect timing,

thus it allows me to execute the shot with much greater consistency.

When you deactivate your wrist, what muscles and joints are you using to hit the shot? You are

activating the bigger muscles of your arm, such as your biceps, and your shoulder joint. These bigger

muscles and joints allow to you be much more consistent with your shots.

When you watch the pros on TV or in person, one thing stands out (besides their blazing fast hand

speed!), their dinks are hit with very long, slow strokes swinging almost exclusively from their shoulders.

These strokes lead to their tremendous consistency and allow the ball to stay on the paddle for a long

time.

Some may be thinking, ‘Will I still be able to put spin on my dinks if I deactivate my wrist?’ Of course!

The spin comes from bringing your paddle from under the ball to over the ball (topspin) or bringing your

paddle from over the ball to under the ball (underspin or cut). Just try it.

As I alluded to at the beginning, these principles also apply to shots other than dinks. Try them on your

resets and third shot drops as well. I believe this will help you as it has helped me!

David Eversole, PPR

February 2025

BASIC RULES AND PET PEEVES OF PICKLEBALL

If you play pickleball for any length of time, you will have questionable calls, whether it be line calls, score, double hits, kitchen faults, etc. 

Rule of thumb is the person, or persons, closest to the ball being called should make the call. You have the right to question the opponent in their call, but must still accept their call.In challenging the call, it could be a wakeup call, letting them know you are watching too. Maybe next time they won't be so quick to call it out.

Anyone can call a foot fault or net touches, but the person at fault has to agree. Again, question it if you see it or they are getting off easy.

Many people ask about foot faults on the baseline while serving. The server may step into the court while serving, as long as they strike the ball first, but not as they are swinging or hitting the ball. This means, contacting the ball to the paddle before you step over or on the line. The opponent may give a warning but cannot call a fault. If in a tournament, you call an official if it becomes a problem.

FAULT ON KITCHEN VOLLEYS

You cannot, at any time, including after the play, go into the kitchen as a continuing motion when hitting the ball out of the air (volley). I have been asked several times over the years, can I step in the kitchen if the ball is getting ready to hit short in the kitchen or do I have to wait until it bounces? You can actually stay in the kitchen anytime you want, but don't hit the ball in the air or get hit while you're in there.

AROUND THE POST

Around the post is just at it says, hitting a ball when pulled out wide into the opponent's court straight down the line. The ball does not have to go over the net, but around the post without you stepping in the kitchen.

ERNIE

As easy as it sounds, you have to be fast and have a pretty good sense of timing and jump to perform

this trick shot. While jumping over the corner kitchen area you hit the ball out the air, again not going into the kitchen, only your paddle is close to the net.

                                                                Melinda Tate PPR, USPTA

January 2025

Pickleball Etiquette

Talk like a pirate day is not until September 19, 2025 but the warm, dry days of autumn and  outdoor pickleball are a dream, no wait a minute, if it was a dream there would be a spirit  libation drink. So, Avast ye, quoting from the “Pirate’s Code” or in this case etiquette is more of  what we call guidelines than actual rules. Most of the points below are guidelines and if it is a rule, then it will be noted as a rule. The etiquette/rules are divided into groups: “Pleasantries”  Court, Game and Players/Safety.  

Pleasantries 

If you do not know the other players, introduce yourself to them. (Ahoy, mates! Just kidding, only use this on September 19th.) 

   Offer an apology if you body bag/tag/hit someone with a ball. (Blimey! An apology) 

Paddle-tap the players paddles at the end of the game at the net and a good game or well  played. Show respect, like tapping cutlasses. (Be respecful when you send them to Davy Jones’  locker.) 

Court  

When courts are full, use the paddle racks and keep close watch when your turn is up. (Be a lookout!) 

If there are gates, close the gates. There could be unnecessary time wasting if a ball goes out a gate. (Batten down the hatches) 

Do not leave personal items on the court, take them with you after a game. Clean up, dispose  of trash. If you see trash, left by others, consider picking it up as a courtesy to the next players.  (Swab the decks, just kidding, just pick up things.) 

Game 

Call the score loud and clear so that your partner and your opponents can hear the score. (yo ho ho!) 

Before serving, make sure that all players are set and ready to play the point. RULE 

Don’t distract other players: avoid making unnecessary noises, movements or comments while  a point is being played, don’t go behind players while a game is in progress, please wait until  after a point is over. (Shiver me timbers is not good when trying to play a point.) 

Don’t make wishy washy line calls. Make a decision, live by it/own it, if you call it out and your partner calls it in, then it is in! Doubt goes to the ball being in. For out, point up or call out, and for in, free hand open, facing down. Respect your opponent’s ability to make their line calls on  their side of the net. Different perspectives could result in a different line call and it is theirs to  call.

Players/Safety 

If a ball from another court goes onto a court or is behind a court while that court is playing a point, yell “ball on court” don’t be afraid to do this…ankles and other body parts are at risk. (Yell “ball”, don’t be a lily-livered.) 

If you are a veteran player (old salt) wanting to offer a newer/beginner player (scallywag) some advice, ASK for permission first and only after discovering that they are newer. Players likely  will ask for advice if they want it.  

Encourage new players. Pickleball is known for a welcoming and inclusive community, and one of  the best ways to uphold this tradition is by encouraging new players. Everyone was a beginner  once and kindness can make a big difference in someone’s experience and keep them playing  the game. (Remember when you were a scallywag and not an old salt!) 

DO NOT take advantage of a person’s physical limitations when you play them SOCIALLY/open  play. If someone cannot go back for a lob, why lob? Maybe they have fast hands with volleys  and you could learn something by hitting shots to their strengths.  

Respect ball ownership – if you did not take a ball onto the court, it is probably either your partner’s or your opponent’s ball, please return after the game is over. (Don’t hornswoggle the ball owner!) 

If your partner violates the kitchen/NVZ, and you see it, call it on them. (Don’t be a freebooter, if you see it, call it.) 

These are just some of the etiquette guidelines when playing and as always, the most important part of pickleball is have fun! 

Godspeed, good luck, heave ho and remember that pickleball is NOT a “give no quarter” game.

                                         Kay Parker, PPR

November 2024

5 Step Warm-Up

What do you do when you first get to the courts to begin your play, beside greeting your friends and catching up on all the ‘goings on’ in the pickleball world since you were last together? Today we’ll talk about a pretty quick 5 Step Warm-Up that will get you prepared for game play, but also help improve your game over time. 

• Prepare Your Body - If you come right out and start playing, your chance for injury increases significantly. Prepare your body for the exercise of pickleball with some stretching (think toe touches, torso twists, and shoulder stretches, etc.) and some dynamic warm up (think light running, side steps, knee lifts, etc.). It is important to get your blood flowing and tell your body you are going to be moving and exercising.

• Dinks - Most people start (and many end) their warm-up at the Non-Volley Zone (Kitchen). Just starting with some straight on dinks back and forth with your partner is good start. After a minute or two, you may start moving each other around a little bit, alternating between their forehand and backhand and working on your angled dinks. Then you can move to cross-court dinks with your partner, working on forehands and then backhands (assuming you have the same dominant hand). I also like to ‘gamify’ these dinks by trying to see how many my partner and I can get consecutively without hitting it in the net or outside the sidelines. You can also play a short game against your partner to get your competitive juices flowing.

• Drops - From Dinks we go to drops. I prefer to start behind the baseline and work on my drops to try and get some kind of ‘feel’ for the day. Of course, my partner is moving me around with the feeds, some to me forehand, some to my backhand, some longer, and some shorter, but I am trying to drop everything just over the net in front of my partner. We also like to work most of these drops cross-court, if we have a whole court to ourselves. Before leaving Drops, I will start behind the baseline and work my way in to the Non-Volley Zone trying to drop every shot along the way, taking some off the bounce and some out of the air. This is good practice for working through the transition zone.

• Drives - Next up are Drives. This is usually just hitting some ground strokes from the baseline. It is important to work both your forehand and backhand and to have a target in mind for each shot. Vary your targets so that your partner gets to naturally hit both their forehand and backhand as well. One other thing, you may want to be aware of short shots and follow them in to the Non-Volley Zone allowing you to hit some deep volleys back to your partner.

• Serves & Returns - Finally we come to Serves & Returns. We are, of course, warming these up cross-court as we do during a game. The way we like best is to do Serve, Return, Drop. The server hits their serve, the partner hits a return, and the server hits a drop. We find this the most game-like way to warm-up or practice the drop. This also naturally alternates the server. Spend a few minutes on each side of the court. Remember when serving and returning to vary your targets, but the primary goal for both shots is ‘in’ and in the last 3 feet of the court.

Happy warming up!

                                         David Eversole, PPR

October 2024

The Lob

Ok, let’s deal with a controversial topic - The Lob. We have all played against players we feel like lob too much against us. Or, when playing on a very bright, sunny day (our favorite kind of day!), they hit lob after lob, forcing us to look directly into the sun to try to find the ball. It gets to the point when they hit another lob, you and your partner (discreetly) look at each and just groan or roll your eyes!

But let’s try to look at the lob objectively. In fact, I recently heard a well-known Pickleball teacher say there should actually be more lobbing in pickleball! So, let’s try to consider the good and the bad of lobs.

The Good: an effective lob can first of all buy you extra time to get back into the rally and get back into proper position, a lob can catch your opponent by surprise and put them on the defensive, a well-executed and timed lob can be an offensive shot forcing your opponent out of position or even hit for a rally winner.

The Bad: a poorly executed lob often ends up as an easy shot for your opponent - often even a put away, ending the rally, a poorly timed or poorly placed lob also often ends up as an easy shot for your opponent, also a lob not very well played or played in misjudged wind conditions will go out of play.

Considerations for better lobs: Here are a just a few thoughts for finding more success with your lobs. 

• First, if you are going to incorporate a shot into your game you must practice it!

• Use the lob to buy yourself time - when you need to get back into position or get to the Non-Volley Zone line.

• Use the lob as a surprise - especially when all 4 players are in a ‘dink battle’ at the Non-Volley Zone line, take a medium to low ball and try a lob.

• Give yourself space - lob to the longest parts of the court from where you are, typically the corners.

• Make it harder on your opponents - try to always lob where it is most difficult for your opponent, typically over their backhand shoulder.

                                         David Eversole, PPR

September 2024

Are All Balls Attackable?

This month we have recorded another Lesson of the month brought to you on video. Follow this link https://youtu.be/5irbKTfI2EU to get to September's lesson of the month. The lesson focuses on making the split-second decision about a ball is attackable or not. The lesson is brought to us by David Eversole, PPR Certified Coach with help from his playing partner Lesa Haynes.

August 2024

What's Next

Forty-five years of tennis; 3.5 player, playing competitively, locally and at state, organizing leagues, serving as an officer in a couple of associations, playing 3 times a week at least, but couldn’t get my tennis foursome together most of the time.  It’s 2020 and we are playing outside to reduce the risk of Covid. What’s next?

A friend suggested learning to play pickleball. OK. Let’s do it!  She said Anna Walters, Kingsport, USA Pickleball Ambassador, was offering free “Introduction to Pickleball.” An e-mail to her asked about details and when could we meet?  She responded right away and meeting with her twice was all it took.  She said, “Go play!”  It was obvious that transitioning from the tennis background and experience to this growing sport was fun meeting new friends and provided physical and competitive workouts. A couple weeks later there was an opportunity to meet with a group for professional lessons at Kingsport.  I loved it and began encouraging friends and anybody who would listen to try pickleball.

I was learning fast and playing a lot.  Would you be interested in becoming a USA Pickleball Ambassador?  What do they do?  As a volunteer, you will represent USA Pickleball, the USA governing body, pass a security clearance, and promote and encourage this fastest growing sport.  OK.  So that happened the following year.  What next?  I wanted to learn to play better to teach and coach others and found out that I could participate in a 5-hour workshop as a member of Professional Pickleball Registry (PPR) in Hilton Head with Sarah Ansbury, Teaching Professional…and possibly be certified as a coach.  It didn’t really matter about coaching, I wanted to learn and get better fast.  There were required videos and guidelines ahead of the workshop…many techniques and drills and an online test after the workshop.  Whew!  Done deal!  

Pickleball is therapeutic and addictive!  What’s next for you?  There is more demand for this fastest growing sport than there are courts.  You can play on permanent courts in Bristol, Kingsport, and Johnson City.  Play socially or competitively for fun, meet new friends, and become better fit.  In 2021, the drop serve became legal and it has become my “go to” that works…recently I purchased a new paddle that has an endcap for adding weight in the handle.  It’s great! Things are changing in the pickleball world and I invite you to keep learning and take the time for more fun!  Ask me about “Introduction to Pickleball!”  The best is yet to come!

Jan Goodsell, PPR

USA Pickleball Ambassador

July 2024

Drills to Dink with Purpose

This month we try our first Lesson of the month brought to you on video. Follow this link https://youtu.be/pT_sEGxawdE to get to July's lesson of the month. The lesson focuses on two drills to help players dink with purpose. The lesson is brought to us by David Eversole, PPR Certified Coach with help from his playing partner Lesa Haynes.

June 2024

Third Shot Drop Drill

As a former College baseball Coach and MLB envoy I was looking for something to be competitive at again. While working for the City I was introduced to Pickleball at Lynn View Community Center. Transitioning from baseball to pickleball has been smooth and easy due to the transferable skills and athletic qualities both sports share. As a baseball player, I developed strong hand-eye coordination, quick reflexes, and strategic thinking, all of which are crucial in pickleball. The familiarity with striking a ball with precision and power, akin to batting, made learning pickleball's paddle techniques intuitive. Additionally, the agility and footwork honed from fielding grounders and chasing fly balls translated well to the fast-paced, lateral movements on the pickleball court. This foundation in baseball not only facilitated a swift adaptation to pickleball but also gave me a competitive edge in mastering the game's intricacies.

One pickleball drill that significantly helped me improve from a 4.0 to a 4.5 rated player is the "Third Shot Drop" drill. This drill focuses on mastering the critical third shot, which sets the tone for the rest of the rally. By repeatedly practicing the third shot drop, I learned to consistently place the ball softly into the kitchen, neutralizing aggressive opponents and gaining control of the point. The drill involved a partner feeding me deep shots, simulating a game scenario, and requiring me to execute precise drops. Over time, this repetitive practice enhanced my touch, accuracy, and decision-making under pressure, elevating my overall gameplay and helping me reach the 4.5 rating.

                                                                  Kenny Lawson, Kingsport Parks & Rec

May 2024

The Question, Part II

Again, with all due respect to Shakespeare, for our purposes, “the” question is not “to be, or not to be”, but instead, “to drop or to drive” the third shot. 

This month’s lesson is the second of two dealing with this burning question and I hope you find it helpful, meaningful, and enlightening to your pickleball life.

For years, there was not much debate to this question. We were all taught and expected to play a drop on our third shot. It seems as pickleball attracts more young people and many former high-level tennis players, we are seeing more variety in the type and style of shots and when they can be chosen. It is now acceptable and even advantageous to sometimes choose a drive for your third shot. Let’s discuss when and why to play a drive on your third shot.

One of the main reasons to play a drive is if you believe you and your partner benefit from a ‘harder’ or ‘faster’ game. Often the third shot sets the tone for the rest of the rally. When you are making the third shot, you have probably the best opportunity to set the tone.

Another reason to play a drive is when one (or both) of your opponents remain at the baseline or in the transition zone. If they are not fully at the Non-Volley Zone line, you and your partner may have an opportunity to take advantage of a vulnerability and you should try to capitalize on it. Any shot from further back in the court is more difficult, plus if you and your partner can seize the Non-Volley Zone (be the first ones to the line), your chances of winning the rally go up significantly.

The final reason we’ll discuss to play a drive is when the return of serve is short. If you or your partner have to run forward to hit the third shot it may be a good opportunity to speed up the rally and go for an aggressive shot. Again, this is putting your opponents on the defensive and taking advantage of a weak return of serve. This is not always the best shot, but it can be very effective.

I hope these points on drop and drive have been helpful to you. It takes practice and developing a feel for what works best. Give both shots a try!

                                                                   David Eversole, PPR

April 2024

The Question

With all due respect to Shakespeare (though I doubt he was much of a pickleball player), for our purposes, “the” question is not “to be, or not to be”, but instead, “to drop or to drive” the third shot.

This month’s lesson is the first of two dealing with this burning question and I hope you find it helpful, meaningful, and enlightening to your pickleball life. For years, there was not much debate to this question. We were all taught and expected to play a drop on our third shot. It was just how pickleball was played. After all you didn’t want to be labeled a ‘banger’! Now the game is evolving and there are some times when a drive on the third shot is a better play. We will deal with those next month. So, let’s start with when and why to play a drop on your third shot.

One of the main reasons to play a drop is if you believe you and your partner benefit from a ‘softer’ game. Often the third shot sets the tone for the rest of the rally. When you are making the third shot, you have probably the best opportunity to set the tone. It is often more difficult later in the rally to play an effective soft reset that is not attackable for your opponent.

Another reason to play a drop on your third (or any subsequent shot) is to ‘buy time’ and get to the Non-Volley Zone line. If you are hitting the third shot, that means your team served, your opponents have the advantage and have likely already taken their places at the Non-Volley Zone line. To have the best chance to win the rally, you and your partner need to be at the Non-Volley Zone line as well. The best way to get there is with a drop in front of your opponents. In fact, it may take more than one drop shot for you and your partner to make it all the way in to the Non-Volley Zone Line, and that is fine. Be patient!

The final reason we’ll discuss to play a drop is that it is a higher percentage shot to prolong the rally (assuming you have practiced). If your opponents are in their place of advantage at the Non-Volley Zone line, their arms almost cover the whole width of the court. Even if you hit your very best drive, the chances of you hitting a successful passing shot by or between them is pretty small. Make the percentage play, prolong the rally, be patient, and play the drop.

Come back next month and we’ll talk about the times when it is good to go for a drive on your third shot.

                                                                   David Eversole, PPR

March 2024

The Drop Serve

To drop or not to drop that is the question?  If you decide to use the drop serve, here are some keys to success:

The Drop Serve is just what the name says.  It is a serve where you DROP (not toss or throw the ball down) the ball and let it bounce on the court before hitting it. 

Very, very, important: On the Drop Serve, make sure you  release the ball from your hand and  do NOT toss it.

 Key points to know:

1. You can hit your Drop Serve with a forehand or backhand and don't have to worry about any of the Volley Serve rules.  In other words, anything goes with how you hit the ball after it bounces. .

2. Once you drop the ball, you can let it bounce as many times as you want before you hit it.  

3. You can pick up the ball and re-drop it if you choose.  Just make sure you get your serve going within the 10 seconds after the score has been called.  The clock does not restart if you pick up the ball. 

4. You can drop the ball inside or outside the baseline.  If inside, be sure you do not step on or over the baseline before you make contact with the ball. 

5. You may drop the ball from any height.
   
   And keep in mind that all the rules for your feet apply the same to the Drop Serve as they do to the Volley Serve.
   4.A.4.a. At least one foot must be on the playing surface behind the baseline.
   4.A.4.b. Neither of the server’s feet may touch the court on or inside the baseline.
   4.A.4.c. Neither of the server’s feet may touch the playing surface outside the imaginary extension of the sideline or the imaginary extension of the centerline.

                           Anna Walters, PPR

February 2024

Keep It Deep

In my experience, playing any doubles matches, if you keep the serve, as well as the return, deep in the court, it can be a great first offensive move.

Returning deep allows your partner to move freely to poach and will limit your opponent's ability to fire a ball back. It can also allow you to move forward faster in most cases.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, short returns allow the serving team to beat you in, and or attack your partner, since they are standing at the net, helpless!

Remember the serving team has to let it bounce first.

Serving the ball deep in the court does not allow your opponent time to attack, and many times presents you with a short return. Thus, putting you in the offensive position. 

Remember practice won't make you perfect, but it will make you more consistent!  

                                                                Melinda Tate, RDH, CPI, PPR, USPTA

                                                                 And I Approve This Message  

January 2024

Hold on Loosely

Yes, you are in the right place for a quick lesson on pickleball. You are not in the 1980’s hit songs discussion forum, if there even is such a thing. But who knew all those years ago when 38 Special gave us this sage advice, that they were actually referring to how to hold your pickleball paddle?

This is one of the most common tips I give to beginners and even those who have played longer: don’t hold your paddle with a ‘death grip’! Not only is this uncomfortable, but it builds tension throughout your arm and body. You don’t benefit from this extra tension in any way.

If you think of your grip pressure on a scale of 1 to 5, with 1 being barely holding on and 5 being the dreaded ‘death grip’, the recommended grip pressure is about 2! Surprised? Yes, holding loosely really gives you the best control of your paddle and allows you to have the best ‘touch’ on your shots. What I mean by ‘touch’ is going immediately from a hard to soft to firm shot without a change in grip or pressure. This loose grip also relaxes your hand and arm, allowing you to play longer without fatigue.

Next time you are on the court, remember your 38 Special from 1981 and ‘Hold on Loosely’!

                                         David Eversole, PPR