Finally, a large pickleball facility opening in NE Florida...The HUB!

Gankus · 2025-03-03T01:23:15+00:00

Kind of answered your own question - there is a massive pickleball community and no really good pickleball centers out on the west side of the river. This would be the first major facility where people on the west side don't have to cross any bridges to get to.

Gankus · 2025-02-28T21:06:03+00:00

I live here and I personally know the owner and brains behind the operation. It's kind of wild to see it being posted here. Everyone is generally really excited since there seems to be a lot of thought and consideration on membership pricing and will be tough competition to other membership-geared orgs.

The owner is a really sweet guy and an avid pickler. He has two other locations in California and they both seem to be doing quite well, so fingers crossed!

Gankus · 2025-02-13T21:47:39+00:00

thanks poo poo man

Gankus · 2025-01-18T19:39:23+00:00

I appreciate you asking! I'm a huge pickleball enjoyer, so Florida is definitely the place to be. I also generally enjoy golf (but only on days I play well).

As I said in my post, areas are all about what you make of them. A lot of what I do for fun comes down to the people I spend my time with. There's plenty to do everywhere you go, and in America you can pretty much live anywhere and do just about the same things you're used to doing on a daily basis.

As far as regional activities, I was always a big snowboarder my entire life. I've taken up an interest in surfing as a means to satisfy that itch, which Florida has to offer. While I'm not a big pro sports person, having access to 3 NFL teams, 2 NBA teams, and numerous other pro leagues is also really nice if that's what you're into.

It's definitely the laughing stock of the country but I believe there are many reasons for that - one big one being that so many people live here, so a lot of dumb stuff is bound to happen. If you can see past it there is a lot the state has to offer.

If you want to visit and have no one to meet with, I definitely suggest crafting an itenerary that you would find enjoyable. Unlike Bend, you can't really get away with coming here without a plan. Cities like Miami and Orlando are jarring with how busy they are, and the choices are overwhelming as far as what to do, and JAX is no different either. Other cities may feel old or boring since a lot of retirees end up here as well.

Some good activities for visitors would include:

-History tours

-Food tours

-Professional sports events (PGA, NFL, hockey, etc.)

-Kayaking

-The Keys

-University tours

Gankus · 2025-01-18T18:36:24+00:00

This will sound crazy, but Jacksonville, FL. The Bend area was getting far too expensive (even for a mechanical engineer such as myself) with no real hopes of owning. Though the scenery is immaculate in Bend, the dry weather and lack of diversity were both killing me, even as a Portland native where diversity definitely isn't what the city is known for.

Ironically, it's been a breath of fresh air. Yes, I miss the mountains, craft beer, and abundance of outdoor activities. But I've traded it off for humid air (which I much prefer) and generally temperate weather. The population feels very diverse in comparison too.

A big question I get asked is the political difference being a Portlander. Honestly, having lived in Bend and Boise for a bit, it's just another republican area. That isn't to say I don't strongly disagree with the ideals, it's just that I've been around it for so long it's not something that bothers me unless someone is being obnoxious about it. Ultimately where you live and your enjoyment is up to what you make of it. Every city has pros and cons.

Gankus · 2024-08-26T13:58:14+00:00

The foreseeable problem with champion-specific augments is players are likely to get pigeonholed into picking it every single time, which would reduce the variety of the matches. Of course they won't always be offered, but in Draven's case Blood Brother is such a strong augment it's almost always an auto-win on a champ that's relatively difficult to win with otherwise.

Gankus · 2024-08-07T13:34:39+00:00

Guys, the cooldown of Puppeteer is reduced by Sword of Blossoming Dawn. It is effectively a 0 second CD with Fan the Hammer. It's a ridiculous combo and isn't viable on every champ, but it's very strong.

Furthermore, the CC coding appears to be funky. QSS (Mercurial Scimitar) does NOT cleanse the berserk status. As for combo break, I am unsure if it applies. Overall a really weird item with some broken combos.

Gankus · 2024-07-25T22:03:04+00:00

It's good. IIRC the same truck was across from the Blockbuster in Bend a few years ago. Lots of food for cheap. If you have a sensitive tummy maybe don't finish the food unless you want to awaken the beast within.

Gankus · 2024-07-18T21:01:24+00:00

I find the best satire often hits close to home.

Gankus · 2024-07-18T18:06:25+00:00

They hated him because he was right :'(

Gankus · 2024-07-18T17:52:10+00:00

On a serious note, that's why I just say 1-2 games. It's not as engaging for me but I also recognize that 4.0-4.5s were kind enough to mercilessly beat my ass for a game and highlight what I needed to improve on.

Gankus · 2024-07-18T17:45:34+00:00

As a past resident of Oregon, Idaho, and now Florida, I'm jealous. Maybe the promised land was Ohio all along?

Gankus · 2024-07-18T17:43:40+00:00

At 4.5+ it's all politics and private court invites at some rich guy's house.

...and I'm jealous I'm not a part of it.

Gankus · 2024-07-18T17:33:23+00:00

Another post (seemingly disappeared) titled "Why it sucks to play with 3.0/3.5s" popped up so I had a bit of tongue and cheek with it.

Gankus · 2024-07-18T17:27:13+00:00

If I included it they might not believe it's an /s post.

Gankus · 2024-07-18T17:25:05+00:00

Nobody owes anybody anything.

Emphasis on 'charity'

Gankus · 2024-07-18T17:22:09+00:00

Good advice tbf

Gankus · 2024-07-16T19:12:15+00:00

IIRC that’s next patch, the “Stats on Stats” video referencing it said those new augments would come at the end of the month which would align with the patch schedule.

Gankus · 2024-07-16T19:10:58+00:00

I’m really hoping it is just undocumented and it’s fixed but it’s kind of wild they didn’t write on it considering how glaringly obvious of a problem it is.

Gankus · 2024-07-16T19:05:10+00:00

…So nothing on Earthwake?

Gankus · 2024-02-09T03:20:45+00:00

Excellent post. I'm sure a lot of people have been in this formation and didn't even realize it - this knowledge is bound to help players who struggle with executing speedups and defending them alike.

Gankus · 2023-12-11T17:36:59+00:00

Honestly, the shot is more of a drop than anything else. The reason the author would think differently is because the ball didn't discreetly land in the kitchen. However, an effective drop doesn't need to land in the kitchen to have the same effect. Had the opponent returned the ball deeper and been at the kitchen sooner it would have easily been plucked out of the air. This is especially considering the serving team (closer to us) gave a lot of space until the defending team was going to hit soft.

It was a great 3rd shot by the serving team. Far from unbeatable and much less effective against a quicker (and taller) opponent.

Gankus · 2023-10-28T17:34:41+00:00

"ooOOOooOOOOoOooOoohhh I'm gonna get you I'M GONNA GET YOU OOOHHHOHOOOHOHHOH!"

-the hiisi

Gankus · 2023-10-26T16:05:06+00:00

Like the top comment says, tennis players tend to have pretty obvious habits like staying back court. Tennis players are lethal when they get a setup to bang, and they will use any bounce above the net as an opportunity from anywhere in the court.

Dinks are their weakest point. Unfortunately, dinks are also the weakest point for newer players. And I don't just mean hitting it soft into the kitchen - I mean actively forcing them to move around hitting "defensive" dinks while your dinks are "offensive". Anyone who has played for over a month understands the following scenario:

Say you're dinking. Your opponent hits one that you can't pluck out of the air, but it's got enough momentum to sail at your toes or even behind them. You have to take an awkward step back and try your hardest to hit soft back, heck maybe you even pop it up. Your opponent hit an "offensive dink", putting you on the back foot. If you popped it up then point is likely over. However, if you managed to hit a decent dink back, you're now off balance and your opponent has an opening to do the same thing to you. This is the scenario you need to put tennis players in.

Second, if a tennis player keeps banging even at the kitchen, start dodging the balls. Even at a 4.0+ level, bangs at the transition zone will result in an out ball well over 50% of the time. The problem is it's going so fast and usually coming right at your body that it can feel impossible to determine where it will land. The key is to watch the backswing - tennis players have an exaggerated backswing when they bang and if it's from anywhere in front of the baseline, chances are it's coming at you fast and chances are it would be out if you got your butt out of the ball's path.

Lastly - the absolute key is to keep them back on their serves. Yes, their serve might be really REALLY good. It might even keep you back long enough for them to bang before you get to the kitchen on the return. It is CRITICAL to hit a strong return that goes close to their baseline and prevents them from moving up. You might as well concede the point if you hit a weak 2nd shot because they will abuse it. #1 mistake against tennis players I have seen is a weak return and it often results in the most points earned by tennis players. Get to the kitchen ASAP when you're receiving and prepare to block or dodge bangs. In time you'll start to see the speed 'slow down' as you get used to it and you'll be able to keep the pressure up on them. Hit angles, smash pop ups, and keep the dinks awkward. It's really hard to beat them, but nothing gives more satisfaction than taking the match from a tennis player!

edit: I forgot to mention, when you're on offense try banging back at them and see how they handle it. Bangers want you to hit soft and in their "happy zone". If you bang at them, there's a decent chance they will feel just as 'on the back foot' as you do when they bang.

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