David Zapatka This 12 common mistakes column began after playing with some very excited, highly motivated, new pickleball players at our community courts recently. After playing a couple games, this question was posed to me, “What should we do to improve and become 3.5 players?” We reviewed the first 10 mistakes over the past five months. This month…
Tag: Relishing Pickleball
Sports, April 2021
Relishing Pickleball: 12 Common Mistakes and How to Fix Them (Mistakes 7 and 8)
David Zapatka This 12-common-mistakes column began after playing with some very excited, highly motivated, new pickleball players at our community courts recently. After playing a couple games, this question was posed to me, “What should we do to improve and become 3.5 players?” We reviewed the first six mistakes the past three months. This month…
Sports, March 2021
Relishing Pickleball: 12 Common Mistakes and How To Fix Them (Mistakes 5 and 6)
David Zapatka This 12-common-mistakes column began after playing with some very excited, highly motivated, new pickleball players at our community courts recently. After playing a couple games, this question was posed to me, “What should we do to improve and become 3.5 players?” We reviewed the first four mistakes the past two months. This month…
Sports, February 2021
Relishing Pickleball: Common Mistakes and How to Fix Them Part 2
David Zapatka This ‘12-common-mistakes’ column recently began after playing with some very excited, highly motivated, new pickleball players at our community courts. After playing a couple games, this question was posed to me: “What should we do to improve and become 3.5 players?” Last month we reviewed the first two mistakes. This month we take a look…
Sports, January 2021
Relishing Pickleball: 12 Common Mistakes and How to Fix Them (Mistakes 1 and 2)
David Zapatka While playing at the IronOaks courts in Sun Lakes for the first time last month, I ran into a group of very excited, highly motivated, new pickleball players. We played a couple games together and when we departed, this question was posed to me, “What should we do to improve and become 3.5 players?”…
Sports, December 2020
Relishing Pickleball: Dink Responsibly
David Zapatka Often called the most important shot in all of pickleball, the dink is the critical shot aspiring players must learn to improve their game. The dink is a shot hit slowly and softly into the opponents’ non-volley zone as close to the net as possible. If the opponent hits this ball hard, it…
Sports, October 2020
Relishing Pickleball: The Overhead Smash
David Zapatka When your opponent hits the ball high in the air, above your shoulders, think overhead smash! The smash is one of the most fun shots in all of pickleball. It ends rallies with an exclamation point. Execute this fun, rally-ending shot, using these seven steps. 1. Use many small steps to position your…
Sports, September 2020
Relishing Pickleball: Pickleball Bangers
David Zapatka Are you getting tired of playing the bangers? They have one strategy, hit the ball as hard as they can. They rarely hit third shot drop shots. What can you do? There are two options. The first is the punch volley, a volley hit hard and deep. The second is the soft volley,…
Sports, August 2020
Relishing Pickleball: The Third Shot Drop. Why Is It So Important?
David Zapatka The third shot drop is a shot performed near the baseline that lands softly in the opponents’ kitchen. The shot is designed with one thing in mind—get your team to the net. The mechanics of the third shot drop are simple. The ball sails up into the air and drops into the kitchen…
August 2018
Relishing Pickleball
David Zapatka, USAPA rating committee member Reader, friend, fellow Robson resident and Cottonwood Pickleball President Irene D’Alosio asked questions about balls, paddles and club policies. Since these questions seem to be on the minds of residents, I’m sharing them with our Relishing Pickleball audience. Many people have been under the impression that the USAPA/IFP list…