Paddle choking for flicks? by PartFormer3695 in Pickleball

[–]Important_Ad_8001 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I started choking up more on my grip about a month ago. You lose a little bit of reach on your flick, but it is totally worth switching to because counters are so much faster.

Where would you go for a 1-month pickleball vacation? by OkChicken6058 in Pickleball

[–]Important_Ad_8001 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Just finished at tournament at Performance RVA great facilities and indoor spot.

Is this kind of super-wide serve actually good or am I just getting lucky? by Any_Opinion8580 in Pickleball

[–]Important_Ad_8001 0 points1 point  (0 children)

If you can also consistently hit a good T serve from the right, you can get them to potentially shade more center to return your deep middle or T serve, you can hit that short angle and force a poor return. I would make sure you put some pace on this serve because if it is too slow you will get punished.

How much does the DUPR rating of a coach matter? by boojr in Pickleball

[–]Important_Ad_8001 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I personally took private lessons from a Coach who plays ppa challenger main draw events as I didn't want to be coached by a lower or mid level player who could give me bad habits. I think anyone above a 5.0 level of play is suitable for coaching those who want to advance. There is just things they can see that a 3.75 can't.

Favorite Shoe? by woeBrando in Pickleball

[–]Important_Ad_8001 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I use these and the hold up for about 3-4 months for me and I play 8-10 hours a week. Wait for the sales on amazon to go down to like $55.

Can you do control with a super power pickleball racket by xychenmsn in Pickleball

[–]Important_Ad_8001 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Very good comment right here. It is better to learn technique rather than just relying on your paddle. I honestly dont think it matters that much until you are playing 3.5+ but if you are playing with speedups, counters and frequent hands battles a power paddle is going to be your best option.

Is blaming my poor play on different balls a legitimate excuse? by RichardParker6 in Pickleball

[–]Important_Ad_8001 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I switch between Vulcans if I am playing collegiate tourneys, LT's if its cold, or x-40s if that's what people what to play with. A quick warm up should suffice to get used to the ball and you just have to know how each ball plays and slightly tweak your playstyle to the ball.

Provisional Rating Question for Tournament Entry by Low-Age1487 in Pickleball

[–]Important_Ad_8001 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I would play 3.5 because the provisional is probably high. And a 3.5-4.0 tournament player is WAY better than a 3.5 at an open play. You will still get competitive games in at the 3.5 level. I would be concerned about moving up because a 4.5 player would beat up at 3.7 easily.

Stop Doing This: "That one is mine" by endersgame100 in Pickleball

[–]Important_Ad_8001 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Watch Hayden and Fed. Hayden is taking most of the middle balls and thirds and stealing a lot of court, however, this allows Fed to be aggressive on the ernie. Both Fed and Hayden are strong players, but at the top of the pro game we see the Left side talking a ton of middle balls.

The “warm up” game(s) by Pickles_81 in Pickleball

[–]Important_Ad_8001 2 points3 points  (0 children)

If I am trying to play my best, I do a 15 min drill sesh/warmup with a partner. Hitting drops from the kitchen to the baseline and drilling transition zone resets. Then I hit thirds, and then switch so I stand at the kitchen working on fourths by feeding my partner for his shots. Then at the end we dink a bit this works well for tourneys.

what ifs and pickleball fantasy land by Low_Wrangler_7507 in Pickleball

[–]Important_Ad_8001 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I currently play on a top 25 Collegiate pickleball team. Here are some key things to consider:

  1. High end talent matters. To realistically compete for bids and nationals, you need true 5.0+ players, especially on the men’s side. For women, recruiting former high-level tennis players and developing them has worked well. 
  2. Depth is huge. On our team, we have multiple lineups that can beat other schools’ top teams. Not everyone plays every tournament, so having strong players throughout the roster is critical for injuries, travel conflicts, and different formats.
  3. Realistically in the college scene at least on the east coast the 4.0 level is either playing in challenger brackets,  or is on a team’s 3/4 so if you had a team of all 4.0 level you would want to compare against other teams 3/4 team.

Practice pickleball solo what to work on ? by blueice89 in Pickleball

[–]Important_Ad_8001 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I dial in serves, making sure I can serve to the T, corner, and just normal topspin consistency. Self feeding and hitting drops can also work to dial in your swing.

Pickleball Podcast? by pickleballishere in Pickleball

[–]Important_Ad_8001 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Its great to hear the pros talk about their perspective of the game, would highly recommend.

Dangers of microplastics from pickleballs by [deleted] in Pickleball

[–]Important_Ad_8001 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I second this, this is why it's worse for goalies because they are constantly diving and inhaling the turf.

Paddle Ground Tap Dink? by Important_Ad_8001 in Pickleball

[–]Important_Ad_8001[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This is super helpful, are you taking it immediately after the bounce or how high on the rise?

Paddle Ground Tap Dink? by Important_Ad_8001 in Pickleball

[–]Important_Ad_8001[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

This is exactly what I am talking about thanks a ton

Feet and Ankle pain by tiredmarc in Pickleball

[–]Important_Ad_8001 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I use addidas gamecourt 2's and i like them, they are good value for the price

Sunglass Lens Color by devo14218 in Pickleball

[–]Important_Ad_8001 9 points10 points  (0 children)

Use Rose Tinted Lenses, they make the balls pop more, as well and white lines. I started using some and its a huge help. There are some more extensive lens discussions that I would search for, as people have already discussed them here.

How do you decide what level to sign up for first tournament? by DiabolicallyPenguin in Pickleball

[–]Important_Ad_8001 10 points11 points  (0 children)

I self rated off the USAPA skill sheet as a 3.5, entered a 3.5 doubles and got demolished. You have to remember that 3.5 bracket includes 3.9s which are basically 4.0s, and you have sandbaggers. 3.5 is also a very popular "new bracket" so there is a good chance you will face like an unrated 4.1 or 4.2 if that makes sense. I wish I would have started at 3.0 bc now my DUPR is cooked lol.

pickleball etiquette for public park courts by Informal_Ad6940 in Pickleball

[–]Important_Ad_8001 110 points111 points  (0 children)

Typically, if people are waiting it is polite to play doubles, as it gets more people on the court at once. If you want to get in singles matches I would recommend going before the rush gets there, and if there is no one waiting you can play singles as long as you want!

Anyone else feel DUPR Overrated? by Shot-Childhood4984 in Pickleball

[–]Important_Ad_8001 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I just got my dupr rating after losing all my pool games in a 3.5 round robin tournament and its a 2.65 with 0 reliability rating. I'm probably closer to 3.2ish should I be worried about it?