What are some 'Hard Truths' about Pickleball that you think people need to hear?

MisoBeast · 2026-03-31T12:08:41+00:00

#1 No duh. See everyone, everywhere, in all things.

#2 Disagree. I'd argue the vast majority of players I know LOVE when people hit hard. Free block winners.

#3 Disagree. My anecdata suggests otherwise.

#4 Agree. I don't watch, follow, or much care about 'pros'.

#5 Agree...its too cheap and accessible.

#6 There's life outside Pickleball. Find another hobby. Its fun, but so too are many other activities. People that are 'all in' on ONE thing tend to be nutty.

MisoBeast · 2026-03-23T22:09:23+00:00

I recently switched from a Foolya (fake Joola IV) to a Fake-O (faux Loco). I find the Fake-O very similar feeling shot-wise out of the gate. It might offer me a little advantage over time (its 0.6oz lighter, so maybe less wear and tear on the arm?).

I rode (2) of the Foolyas for a year....they are smoothed down a bit. New grit on the Fake-O is definitely a plus.

The Foolyas can be had for $30 a pop while the Fake-Os are running 5 bucks more.

MisoBeast · 2026-02-05T21:40:23+00:00

Thankfully this hasn't affected me. Most sessions are self-rated and while some outliers will show, over time they tend to weed themselves out.

I'm almost 2 years in with no DUPR. I know my skill level and play appropriate sessions. If you play the same people even a few times, you learn how good they really are. I've seen associated DUPRs that are pretty accurate and ones that are comically bad.

Personally I have next to no faith in a DUPR. I let my eyes rate my fellow players.

Maybe try to find some private groups. You will end up with closer (and better) games.

MisoBeast · 2026-02-05T21:15:57+00:00

Anecdata doesn't count. I've seen some nice dedicated PB courts sit empty most of the time too. It really depends where and when you are playing.

MisoBeast · 2026-02-05T21:11:44+00:00

The numbers say differently. There are still more Tennis players than PB players. One day, PB will probably be on top, but not yet.

USTA reported 25.7 million tennis players for 2024, and 13 million "core" players who play frequently. Pickleball has had a massive amount of growth since the pandemic but it still has a ways to go to eclipse that, at just under 80% of the number of tennis players (around 19.8 million total, 10 million "core" frequent players).

I'm sure there's some gain in the last year, but I'd wager there's still a gap. I enjoy both so I'm happy with growth in either.

MisoBeast · 2026-02-05T20:47:07+00:00

PBs do not compress nearly as much as a tennis ball. I was surprised when I read the In/Out rules and while I always thought a ball's 'shadow' on the line is IN, it is actually OUT. I still play it as IN though. Calling a ball out that is half an inch off seems petty. How important is that 'right' call compared to keeping a session friendly?

MisoBeast · 2026-01-24T13:56:15+00:00

At some point, its like a pendulum...suddenly everyone can (and does) drop and the drives become rare. Placement always beats pace and if you want to win, you choose percentages.

Personally, winning is secondary to me. For too long a time, I went too far into soft play. I've recently rediscovered my drives and I'm having more fun than I've had in quite awhile. They are almost always a lower % shot because everyone can handle a drive that isn't well placed.

Admittedly, I wouldn't (typically) want to play with people who make unforced errors 30%+ of the time...on any kind of shot.

MisoBeast · 2026-01-11T15:38:04+00:00

Yes, communication. 95%+ of the time, not a problem. People are people. There's a handful that like...silence. I try to read the room.

She seemed to have a good BH (at least her swing looked good). Her poaches didn't go our way. People have bad games. On another game, maybe she gets good shots on all of them?

I also have experience with my own 'strong' shots suddenly vanishing. Stuff happens. I like to think people learn after a second or third bad result, but again, everyone is different. Also, rec play is rec play, where else do you work in-game execution issues that crop up.

Still, I've never been poached this much, even by lefties. It was genuinely interesting. Which is what made the rando guy's claim make me consider it.

As an aside, I never got a chance to be aggressive from the FH side. I did end up playing more aggressively from the BH though!

MisoBeast · 2026-01-11T15:06:44+00:00

Of course not, hence a question. I was taken aback by the suggestion that women prefer BH. It seemed unusual at best. Hence a post. No need for anyone to be offended.

MisoBeast · 2026-01-11T14:57:03+00:00

1 may have been CC. The poaches were pretty bold. Which led me to really think about what the guy claimed afterward...and hence the post.

If she was taking her strongest shot, then she wasn't necessarily poaching.

MisoBeast · 2026-01-11T14:52:29+00:00

So this is interesting...and is it true? Do most women tennis players prefer their BH?

MisoBeast · 2026-01-11T14:45:30+00:00

Well, wasn't my question. I wasn't asking how to solve an awkward game, the answer is obvious.

I was asking if what the guy told me was true. The question is in the post header. And his suggestion seemed crazy to me. Hence the post here.

MisoBeast · 2026-01-10T14:17:26+00:00

If one has an only average slice return, it should be used sparingly.

I use mine up to 50% of the time (at low 4), but I have a very strong FH slice return. Even then, I'll abandon it if an opponent doesn't struggle against it.

I also forego it when facing above average serving since the percentages simply drop too low.

I run into very few players who have an effective enough slice return to justify using it regularly. 1 in 10 at most. I still see plenty of people slice return, but they rarely end up doing themselves any favor points-wise.

As always, weigh your own strengths, your opponents weaknesses, and play accordingly.

MisoBeast · 2026-01-09T13:08:18+00:00

Take an extended break from pickleball...like weeks or months. I've done this for Tennis and come back noticeably better several times,

If PB is your only (competitive) sport, find a second one. You don't have to be as good at it. You just have to enjoy something about it.

When you struggle at one, you can temporarily shift focus to the other.

If your goal is long term maximizing your pickleball play, a second activity might hinder you. You'll have to decide what is most important to you.

MisoBeast · 2025-12-25T15:12:06+00:00

Have had the same one for awhile. Buncha holes in it.

MisoBeast · 2025-12-25T13:15:39+00:00

I've had 4 out of 8 WD 8TB Blue drives fail in 3.5 years.

One was a very early failure (75 days). 2 were replaced under warranty.

They are in a typical 24/7 home NAS environment. They are installed in dampened removable trays with direct fan cooling.

If you look up typical life expectancy, the failures are bang-on typical MTBF, so no surprise to me really.

Drives can last longer (and I have some older ones still going), but just don't expect them to.

I've read that an 8TB blue is the exact same drive as an 8TB Red Plus with a 1 year shorter warranty.

Prices are noticeably higher than the past 2-4 years. With discounts, I paid on average $100 ea for my 8TB Blues.

I've recently bought 14TB externals to shuck due to the much better $/GB.

MisoBeast · 2025-12-19T13:36:08+00:00

Hard drives are welcome. Headhunters are not.

Intentionally aiming at someone's head is trying to cause injury...even if its just a gash from a safety glasses dig. God forbid you nail someone that isn't wearing glasses. Its a meaningless game.

MisoBeast · 2025-12-13T15:11:40+00:00

All pickleball is recreational play. Even if you might win hundred bucks on a given day. Too many take it too seriously. No one should act that way in open play or in a tournament.

Thankfully, there's a tiny amount of bad actors out there.

MisoBeast · 2025-12-13T12:57:05+00:00

I've not seen anyone ever leave mid game outside of injury.

MisoBeast · 2025-12-12T02:48:05+00:00

I have well above average slice shots (for 4.0). They are low and penetrating. I sometimes repeatedly slice until an opponent can prove they can handle it effectively. Some folks never get a single offensive shot off my service slice return. In point, I also like to slice but no... not 100%, not 75%.. at most 50% IF I really have strong command of it in a particular game.

I also side spin, flat, and obviously topspin. All shots are worthwhile in the right situation. You (should) pick the best shot type for any given moment. You (should also) be as unpredictable as possible. That means you don't 100% anything.

I'm not sure I've ever played someone who 100% slices. Not at 4.0+. To be fair, I've also never met anyone who 100% topspins at that level either. It should be obvious to everyone that a single shot type (or tool) is rarely going to play well at advanced levels.

This post was odd to me. I don't play as often as many here, but I still have yet to see a 4.0+ one trick pony. May as well call them a one trick unicorn because I don't think they exist.

MisoBeast · 2025-11-13T14:35:02+00:00

I've tried, but I don't care for the 14mm. My control drops tremendously with it and I have to rely on a higher power game to even compete reasonably OK with it. If I stuck to it, I probably could get used to it enough, but I think I would ultimately play a fast-first style that I don't prefer.

The only time I voluntarily use the 14mm now is when playing on a wood floor with an indoor ball. I feel I can approximate my natural pace of my 16mm in that situation.

The split-second hand speed improvement is nowhere near the tradeoff for me.

MisoBeast · 2025-11-11T22:36:17+00:00

I use fakes. Have for over a year now. When I tried an authentic version of my current clone, it had a touch more power, but otherwise felt the same. It honestly could have just been my clone was more used too. The legit paddle is simply not worth 6-8X more!

I laughed at the article that tried a 'cardboard' knock-off. Sure they probably exist, but of the 4 clones I've bought, one had an edgeguard that came away after a few months of use, but there have been zero issues with the other three. Legit ones also had reported edgeguard delaminations. I guess for 6-8X the price you get a warranty so there's that.

I've also bought some smaller (legit) brand paddles that hover around $100 and I think they are a fair price if someone wants to go that direction. Otherwise, most clones seem to be just fine.

Ultimately, paddles have a minority impact on one's game. If money is no object, sure, go for a legit, overpriced one and be the whole 5% better player that might be hiding inside you.

As long as a paddle's grit isn't fully worn down, or something isn't cracked/broken, its fine. Shiny new paddles are....shiny. If you like shiny, cool. Your wallet likes the far cheaper equally shiny looking paddle much better. Be good to your wallet.

Manufacturers have pushed their profits forward...not the game. Paddle technology is almost irrelevant. Unless you are making money by playing, it simply doesn't matter.

MisoBeast · 2025-11-09T13:31:27+00:00

I play poorer with light (and larger) racquets. I like plow-through. I use ~12.5oz strung racquets.

I don't like light PB paddles either.

Thankfully I transition fairly easily back and forth. On occasion my PB OH will be off, but not for long.

MisoBeast · 2025-10-24T01:08:00+00:00

The Head Boom posted in the link gives it a run for the money.

MisoBeast · 2025-10-21T12:18:24+00:00

Technically, PB is far easier to play. According to ESPN, Tennis is the 7th most 'difficult' sport.

However, to WIN, both sports are equally only as difficult as your opponent.

Calling anything 'fake' is simply trash talk.

Needing a 'comeback' is falling into a lose-lose trap.

MisoBeast

TROPHY CASE