This is copied from The Dink Newsletter You read The Dink Newsletter, so chances are you’re not a 3.0 player. But there are plenty of newbies out there that still need help leveling up.

Plus, it’s always nice to get a refresher on the basics. Here are 7 tips from pro Eric Roddy to help ‘your friend’ level up.

1. Keep Your Eye on the Ball

This will not only help you make clean contact, but it will help train your brain to withstand longer rallies as you advance.

2. Use the Continental or "Handshake" Grip

Beginners will often use a ‘pancake’ grip because it is familiar or easier. This can lead to bad habits and restrict players from hitting certain shots. Using the continental grip is crucial, especially as you add shots to your arsenal.

3. Get Low

Stay low for every shot. It can look or feel ridiculous at times, but staying low before, during and after every shot will lead to the best results. Staying low also allows a player to better identify out balls.

4. Reduce Your Swing

Less is more in pickleball, especially when it comes to the backswing. Try to keep your paddle in front of you, especially when you are at the kitchen. This will help your timing and will help you react more quickly when the game starts to speed up.

5. Loosen your grip

As you start to learn how to dink, try to keep a firm wrist, but softly grip the paddle. Use the paddle as an extension of your arm and keep it straight, instead of letting your wrist turn over.

You can find tips 6 and 7 here along with a bonus tip to help keep you in peak playing condition.

Share these tips with someone you want to help level up.

Top 5 Pickleball Mistakes to Avoid in 2024

DECEMBER 2023 STACIE TOWNSEND

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Although the sport of pickleball was invented over 50 years ago in 1965, the sport, the strategies, the shots, etc. are all constantly evolving. As a result, to stay ahead on the pickleball court it is important to constantly evolve yourself as a player. 

As we prepare to step into a new calendar year, we reflect on the common pitfalls of 2023 in an effort to avoid the same mistakes in 2024 on the pickleball court. This article unveils the top 5 pickleball mistakes to sidestep in the coming year, in an effort to help you elevate your performance on the court. 

Avoid these top 5 pickleball mistakes to up your game in 2024:

1. Easy Serves: The serve in pickleball is not just a “point starter.” Rather, it is a shot that can give you an advantage from the start of the rally. So, adopt the mindset and pickleball strategy to be aggressive on your serves in order to keep your opponents on their toes. 
2. Big Backswings: Avoid trying to do “too much” on the pickleball court. Bigger is not always better, and this is true of your pickleball game. In other words, simplify your strokes and avoid unnecessary, elaborate backswings. The goal should be to take short backswings. The more you limit your backswing, the faster reaction time you will have, the more consistent your shots will become, and the more you will be able to disguise your shots on the pickleball court.
3. Moving and Hitting at the Same Time: Master the split step for better positioning and more effective shots on the pickleball court. In other words, split step prior to hitting the pickleball in order to avoid moving your feet and hitting the pickleball at the same time. Moving and hitting at the same time will cause unnecessary unforced errors, as you will be prone to overrunning the pickleball, missing your contact point, overhitting the pickleball, and other avoidable errors.
4. Underutilizing the Lob: One of the most underutilized shots on the pickleball court is the lob—and, to be more specific, the offensive lob. The offensive lob is a critical shot that can help push your opponents back in the court to give you more space to win a rally. Embrace offensive lobs strategically for a powerful weapon on the pickleball court.
5. Stagnation: Too often, we get complacent with where we are at—including where our pickleball game is at. Pickleball is a relatively young sport that is constantly evolving, so it is important to constantly evolve yourself. In other words, in 2024, do not stagnate or become complacent. Rather, find something to work on. For instance, work on your ability to vary speeds and to disguise your different speeds and shots by having the same pre-motion and body language on every shot. Work on your footwork, which will improve every shot on the pickleball court. Work on new strategies, such as “the fade,” the “bait ball,” the “shake and bake,” etc. Stay ahead by actively adding new dimensions to your pickleball play.

From rethinking serves to unleashing the power of offensive lobs, simplifying strokes, perfecting your split step, and embracing a continuous learning mindset, these strategies aim to guide pickleball enthusiasts toward a more successful and rewarding gameplay experience in 2024. Upgrade your skills and outsmart opponents by steering clear of these common pickleball mistakes in 2024.

Created by: The Pickler, www.thepickler.com

Click on this link to read the article.

Summer is officially here and balls across the nation are...soft. Hot temps = soft plastic = slow balls.

Don't be surprised if your Ferrari forehand drive starts looking more like a Prius, your overheads don’t end the point, and rallies last longer than an episode of Succession.

What can you do about it?

Sorry bangers, but it's soft game season. Stop trying to crush drives through your opponent. Button up your third shot drop and embrace peak consistency.

It's also a great time to work on defense. Resets are a breeze with a softer ball. You have more time to react and the ball is easier to control coming off your paddle.

The effects of a soft ball are even more noticeable on the bounce. The overheads you could never return should look less intimidating in hot weather.

Don't give up if you leave a ball high. Let their smash bounce and watch it slow down dramatically after it hits the ground.

Like it or not, it's time to adjust to warmer weather. Don't throw out your shoulder trying to find more power. Embrace the summer vibes and slow things down a little. © The Dink Newsletter 228 Park Ave S, #29976, New York, New York 10003, United States

We have over 400 members of the Madison Pickleball Meetup Group. While the group's 11 organizers are doing our best to schedule as many events as possible, we understand that many of you are frustrated when you don't run across them in time and try to sign up, only to be put on a waitlist.

There are a couple of things you can do about this. The first is to become a co-organizer yourself! Then you can schedule events when and where you want them and indicate the skill levels you're trying to attract, so you can have reasonable competition. Just click on the "Contact Organizers" button on the home page and we'll be happy (delighted, really) to help you get started.

The second is to not wait for an event to be scheduled but to reach out to other players whom you've met at a meetup and invite them to a game to be arranged directly among yourselves. Below are instructions for how to go about it.