And just like that we are rolling over into February. While January is known for made and broken resolutions in modern times February (as we call it) was once the end of the Roman calendar.  February was dedicated to cleansing and renewal before the new Roman calendar would start in March.  So if you have punted on any resolutions from January 1, you can have a second go around or make some dedications to cleaning up your backhand dinks and renew your pledge to tolerate you partner more in the new year.  Let's climb aboard the Starship Pickle and head off to explore the PIckleverse.

1. Shoes - with the level of snow we have, it will be around for several weeks, let's see what Phil says on Monday, so if things are not frozen, they will be sloppy.  If the walk to the playing facility will be snowy or slushy please consider wearing alternative footwear and changing into your pickleball shoes after you get inside.

2. Holbrook - I think I am in love. Again.  I just test drove Holbrook's newest paddle with a dual foam core and either I was having an inspired moment or two but I was hitting with speed, spin, yet able to bring down the temperature when appropriate.  I think this may be my new go to paddle.  With 3 new paddles out in the past month, I am "over paddled".  I will be sorting my demo bag and trying to pare down what i keep for demos.  Starting Monday I should have a couple discounted demos to offer if you or someone you know is looking for something new or as a backup.

3. New Kid On The Block - Ever hear of TYPTI?  It is a new paddle sport played with what looks like a miniature tennis racquet and is set on a pickleball court.  This link can give you a pretty good idea of what it looks like:  What Is Typti. In all the videos I have found so far they are showing young athletic males having these amazing rallies.  WIld that you can you use your hand or foot as a backup striking device if you can get to a netted ball before the second bounce.  With a much quieter ball, I wonder if that is an answer for some neighborhoods that have banned pickleball.  I looked into finding a few paddles (or racquets) but I guess there is only one manufacturer so far and they charge $199 per paddle.  So I'll be waiting for prices to drop. It will be interesting to watch and see if this game catches on.

4. Tournaments - I did search for pickleball tournaments within 150 miles of Centre County and came up with a couple.  They are listed in the PDF attached to the Pickle Jar.  If you see one that looks interesting you will need to look up the registration information.

5. TIp Of The Week - A little tweak you can try if you are big reach and stretch for the ball type of play, even when not pressed.  You will hit more balls well, from a balanced steady stance.  If the ball does not fall with the bubble of you ready position stance, a lot of players either bend at the waist while reaching out or take a very wide split step.  The better approach is to do a sort of side skip to reach the ball.  If the ball is coming wide to my right side I will set myself up better if I first moved my LEFT foot towards my right foot, plant and then move the right foot out to the get to a good ready position and hit that sucker for a winner.  Conversely, wide to the left would be to first move my RIGHT foot over, plant and then move the left foot to set up your ready position.  Warm up before a game is a good time to practice that.
   
   

Have a great week.  Stay warm and be thankful the bomb cyclone is headed out to sea. Stay safe. Peace.

The Centre:  Indoor At The Centre

C3 Sports:  Indoor At C3 Sports

Randy S. Hoffman

Pickleball: The art of keeping your eye on the ball…mostly.