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- InPickleball_Newsletter_12-14-23
InPickleball_Newsletter_12-14-23
Hello! As we approach the last few weeks of 2023, it’s the perfect time to step up your pickleball skills to get ready for a winning 2024. Your gameplan: a drill to improve your play, the simple strategy to stop an on-court attack, and a new way to help sore muscles recover. Plus, why your boss wants you to play pickleball.
Photo by Steve Boyle
PRO TIP: MOVE FORWARD, NOT BACK
Feel like you’re under attack on the court? You may be spending more time than you should in the backcourt and not enough time in the kitchen, says Matthew Manasse, an L.A.-based professional pickleball player known as the “coach to the stars.” Contrary to what some players believe, you don’t have a greater chance of winning from the backcourt, according to Manasse. In fact, the opposite is true: When you’re in the backcourt, your opponents gain an advantage, including a better chance to attack, he says. Follow his advice to prevent them from attacking.
DRILLS TO BOOST YOUR SKILLS
It takes just 10 minutes several times a week to improve your playing ability, says Constanza Gorches, a pickleball instructor at Toss and Spin in Chicago. Drills are useful because pickleball requires lots of repetition, she explains. “Doing drills builds muscle memory and hand-eye coordination and teaches you control.” The process is simple: For her dinking drill, all you need is your paddle, a ball, and a wall. Learn how to do it, and also get a second drill from Gorches that will help you with your drop shot.
PLAYING PICKLEBALL IS THE NEW HOLIDAY OFFICE PARTY
Your workplace holiday party is more likely to be celebrated on the pickleball court this year. Companies are moving away from the traditional cocktail party in favor of celebrations that involve activities like playing pickleball, according to a report from Bloomberg. Want to get your work friends together for a pickleball party this season? We’ve got a fun and delicious menu of easy pickleball apps and drinks to add to the festivities.
Photo by The Voorhes
POST-PICKLEBALL TLC FOR YOUR MUSCLES
Proper recovery is critical after playing pickleball and it might even help reduce injuries, experts say. One treatment to try: hot and cold immersion, which can ease your aches and make you stronger for your next game. The good news is, you can easily practice the technique at home in the shower. Not only does hot and cold therapy have a healing effect, it can also reduce fatigue and improve your mood, research shows.
