Pickleball Fundamentals

177 Pages·2015·17.13 MB·English

by  USA Pickleball Association

PICKLEBALL
Fundamentals
USA Pickleball Association
With Mary Littlewood
Human Kinetics
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Littlewood, Mary L.
Pickleball fundamentals / Mary Littlewood.
pages cm
“USA Pickleball Association.”
1. Pickleball (Game)--Handbooks, manuals, etc. I. Title.
GV990.L58 2015
796.34--dc23
2014047773
ISBN: 978-1-4925-0413-9 (print)
Copyright © 2015 by USA Pickleball Association and Mary Littlewood
All rights reserved. Except for use in a review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in any
form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including
xerography, photocopying, and recording, and in any information storage and retrieval system, is
forbidden without the written permission of the publisher.
Notice: Permission to reproduce the following material is granted to instructors and agencies who
have purchased Pickleball Fundamentals: pp. 11, 141. The reproduction of other parts of this book
is expressly forbidden by the above copyright notice. Persons or agencies who have not purchased
Pickleball Fundamentals may not reproduce any material. The USAPA does not mean to imply en-
dorsement to any of the brands or equipment shown or mentioned throughout the book.
The web addresses cited in this text were current as of January 2015, unless otherwise noted.
Acquisitions Editor: Tom Heine
Managing Editor: Nicole Moore
Copyeditor: Jan Feeney
Senior Graphic Designer: Keri Evans
Cover Designer: Keith Blomberg
Photograph (cover): Neil Bernstein
Photographs (interior): Neil Bernstein unless otherwise noted; Terry Guerrant for figures Intro 4,
1.4, 2.3a, 3.3, 4.3, 5.1, 5.6b, 8.1, and 8.3.
Visual Production Assistant: Joyce Brumfield
Photo Production Manager: Jason Allen
Art Manager: Kelly Hendren
Associate Art Manager: Alan L. Wilborn
Illustrations: © Human Kinetics
Printer: Versa Press
Printed in the United States of America 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
The paper in this book is certified under a sustainable forestry program
Human Kinetics
Website: www.HumanKinetics.com
United States: Human Kinetics Australia: Human Kinetics
P.O. Box 5076 57A Price Avenue
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e-mail: [email protected] e-mail: [email protected]
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e-mail: [email protected] E6414
00_E6414_FM_i-xvi.indd 2 5/14/15 10:52 AM
Contents
Acknowledgments v
Introduction vii
Key to Diagrams xv
Chapter 1 Warming Up and Stretching 1
Chapter 2 Ready Position, Grips,
and Ball Control 13
Chapter 3 Forehand and Backhand
Groundstrokes 33
Chapter 4 Serve and Return 45
Chapter 5 Volley 61
Chapter 6 Dink 81
Chapter 7 Lob 91
Chapter 8 Overhead Smash 103
Chapter 9 Drop Shot 113
Chapter 10 Shot Selection
and the Mental Game 125
Chapter 11 Strategies for Doubles
and Singles Play 143
About the USAPA 157
About the Writer 159
iii
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Acknowledgments
Thank you to the Ahwatukee Recreation Center Pickleball Club,
who provided the courts for the photos; Sandra Stultz, who as-
sisted the author with numerous tasks in the writing of this book;
and Jim Hackenberg, who served as a technical advisor to the author.
Thanks also to the following players who devoted their time and
energy to be the models for the photos in this book: Jaimi Foster,
Rena Han, Gigi LeMaster, Patrick Leonard, Ron Robinson, David
Zapatka, and Dianne Zimmerman.
v
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Introduction
If you are not already involved in the sport of pickleball, you’re
probably wondering what it is. It is an easy-to-learn game that can
be played either indoors or outdoors on a badminton-size court. A
seamless perforated plastic ball the approximate size of a baseball,
such as a Wiffle ball, is hit with a solid, smooth paddle either after
one bounce or in the air. The object of the game is to hit the ball over
the net, which is approximately 3 feet high, to the opponent in such a
way that it cannot be returned successfully. While singles and doubles
are both played, doubles is currently more popular.
Because of its popularity, this book focuses more heavily on pickle-
ball doubles play than singles play. Similarly, instructions and photos
are based on play by right-handed players; the assumption is that
left-handed players will reverse the instructions.
Pickleball, enjoyed by players of all ages and skill levels, is soaring
in popularity. Courts are springing up in backyards and public parks
regularly, and the game is now being taught in many schools. This
book provides you with information about the skills and strategies of
pickleball so that you, too, can enjoy this exciting game.
History
The game was created in 1965 by Joel Pritchard, congressman from
the state of Washington, and Bill Bell, a successful businessman, at
Pritchard’s home on Bainbridge Island as a means of entertaining
their respective families—in particular their kids—during a family
barbecue. An old outdoor badminton court on the property provided
a place to play. Family members used Ping-Pong paddles to volley a
plastic ball (unearthed during a search through rusty implements
and gardening tools on the property) over an improvised net that was
60 inches high. The players soon discovered that the ball bounced
nicely on the asphalt, so they lowered the net to 36 inches. Barney
McCallum was introduced to the game the following weekend while
visiting the Pritchards. Pritchard, Bell, and McCallum created simple
rules, staying true to the original goal of creating a game that the
whole family could play together. The game the three devised proved
to be so much fun for all of the family members that it soon became
vii
a regular weekend activity at the Pritchards’.
Accounts of how the name pickleball orig-
inated vary. A July 16, 2013, article in the
Wall Street Journal says this: “The name
c. comes not from the family dog, Pickles, as
n
all I popularly related. According to a newspaper
b
kle- column by Pritchard’s wife, Joan, it was so
c
©Pi heavily based on other games it remind-
The first pickleball court on the ed her of the pickle boat in crew, ‘where
Pritchard’s property. oarsmen were chosen from the leftovers of
other boats.’” Popular belief as related over
the years is that the game was named after
the dog, Pickles, who chased after the ball.
Others claim both accounts may actually be
true. Regardless of where it came from, the
name pickleball has endured.
c.
n
all I The game gradually caught on, and the
e-b first known pickleball tournament in the
kl
Pic world was held in the spring of 1976 at
©
the South Center Athletic Club in Tukwila,
The first wood paddle used.
Washington. Many of the participants were
collegiate tennis players who knew very little
about pickleball. In fact, they practiced with large wood paddles and a
baseball-size Wiffle ball.
As more people played the game, liked it, and wanted to continue
playing, the need for consistent rules, established tournament formats,
and equipment standards became more important. Consequently, the
USA Pickleball Association was organized in 1984 and published the
first rule book in March of that year. The USAPA continues to serve as
the national governing body of the sport. Detailed information about all
aspects of pickleball is available on their website, www.usapa.org. The
International Federation of Pickleball (IFP) was formed for the purpose
of standardizing pickleball competition and rules worldwide and pro-
duced its first rulebook in 2010. The USAPA now recognizes the IFP’s
Official Tournament Rulebook as the official reference for competition
throughout the world.
Pickleball was included for the first time in the 2003 Huntsman World
Senior Games in St. George, Utah. The games, whose mission is to foster
global peace, health and friendship, originated in 1987 and is the largest
annual multisport event in the world for athletes aged 50 and older.
The visibility of pickleball on that stage spurred a rise in the popularity
of the sport worldwide. According to the USAPA, by February, 2015,
pickleball was being played in all 50 states at more than 3,000 sites.
It is now quite possibly among the fastest-growing sports in the world.
viii
Court
A pickleball court is 44 feet long and 20 feet wide (13.4 by 6.1 m), the
same size as a doubles badminton court. To put this into perspective,
a tennis court is 78 feet long and, for doubles, 36 feet wide. Two to
four pickleball courts would fit on one tennis court.
A line going from sideline to sideline on a pickleball court, 7 feet
(2.1 m) from the net, designates an area called the non-volley zone,
commonly referred to by players as the kitchen. The non-volley zone
line is considered part of the non-volley zone, so all rules that per-
tain to the non-volley zone apply to the line. Therefore, a served ball
landing on the non-volley zone line is a fault. Each service court is
15 feet long and 10 feet wide (4.6 by 3 m). The net is 36 inches high
(91 cm) over the sidelines and 34 inches high (86 cm) in the center
of the court.
36 in.
Sideline
Non-volley
Center line 34 in. 20 ft
zone
e
n
eli 10 ft
s
a
B
15 ft 7 ft
44 ft
Diagram of a pickleball court.
E6414/USAPA/int.03/506982/alw/r3
Equipment
Very little equipment is needed for a game of pickleball. Durable pad-
dles are available in a variety of materials. There are several brands
of balls acceptable for competition. Some are more durable than
others. Standards for apparel and shoes are more lax in pickleball
than in tennis. An overview of each category of equipment follows.
Introduction ix