David Zapatka Let the bad ones go bad. This is a skill we all need to learn to improve our game. How can we become more aware of balls that are traveling out of bounds? Any shot by the opponent that lands out of bounds ends in a winning rally for your side. Don’t give…
Tag: Relishing Pickleball
June 2025, Sports
Relishing Pickleball: Beating the Bangers
David Zapatka From 2.0 to 5.0, we have all faced the “bangers,” those players who prefer to hit everything hard rather than play the soft game hitting dinks and drop shots. Would you like to defeat these hard hitters? Consider adopting these tips. Hit deep returns. Keep the banger at the baseline with a deep…
Sports, April 2025
Relishing Pickleball: Resetting the Rally
David Zapatka You’re in a crosscourt dinking rally and your opponent continues to put you under pressure with consistent dinking that tries your patience. The rally becomes more difficult as your opponent pushes you closer to the sidelines with shots close to the net. How long can you dink like this? Is it a battle…
March 2025, Sports
Relishing Pickleball: $100,000 Australian Open Pickleball Slam Made History
David Zapatka The Australian Open Tennis Championships, known as the “Happy Slam,” made history this year when it hosted the Australian Open Pickleball Championships in tandem with their famous tennis tournament on finals weekend, January 24-26. Tennis court #3 was transformed into center court for the pickleball championships. $100,000 in prize money was offered. The…
January 2025, Sports
Relishing Pickleball: Playing the Middle
David Zapatka If you have played pickleball very long, you’ve heard of this strategy, “hit the middle of the court.” What does this mean, why should we do it and why does it work? Our first thought may be that this means to hit the middle of the opponents’ side of the court. This is…
December 2024, Sports
Relishing Pickleball: Be Courteous on the Pickleball Court—Make It Fun!
David Zapatka I play pickleball for fun. Do you? If it wasn’t fun, I wouldn’t play it. I like to play with fun people. Don’t you? Are these things important to you? If they are, this article is for you and your friends. Being courteous and having fun means finding enjoyment in the sport and…
September 2024, Sports
Relishing Pickleball: Be the Best Partner
David Zapatka The No. 1 priority is to always remember you are on the same team. Do everything possible to help your partner, support your partner, and encourage your partner. Words and body language are powerful. They both have meaning and influence on you and your partner. Your energy is real. Partner cannot only hear…
Sports, August 2024
Relishing Pickleball: The 4th Shot, Part 2
David Zapatka Consider these targets when hitting the 4th shot. 1. Hit to the opponent who is furthest back in the court. This will keep your opponents on defense. 2. Hit to the middle. The middle often causes confusion between the opponents. 3. Hit to your opponents’ feet. This is always an excellent target. It…
July 2024, Sports
Relishing Pickleball: The 4th Shot
David Zapatka We have learned the importance of the 3rd shot drop and that the receiving team has the initial advantage in the rally. The question now becomes, what does the receiving team need to do to maintain their advantage? Court positioning is vital as you prepare for the 4th shot. Only the player receiving…
May 2024, Sports
Relishing Pickleball: New Player Tips
David Zapatka New to pickleball and want to improve quickly? Try these tips: * Seek out a mentor to help you learn the game. Talk with experienced players to glean information and helpful tips. Try what they suggest. Practice using their advice. * Serve deep and into the middle of the opponents’ court. Do not…