Author: Al Hausmann

How to Use the St James Pickleball Website

All of the pages in our website are important. They all contain something that you were looking for, needed the information for, wanted to register for, or it may even answer an argument from the pickleball courts.

On the homepage:

  • Note the navigation toolbar is on every page
  • Our main image changes frequently based on what’s happening
  • Next – We have three featured columns
  • Just under the featured content – One of the most important sections is the “Latest Posts” it contains the most current information from our community and within our website
  • Next to the “Latest Posts” is a list of current Events

Find out more in our short video: How to use StJamespickleball.com website

BONUS!!! Win 3 Pickleballs!

Be on the lookout for an EASTER EGG!
An Easter Egg is hidden code or images placed in the website, on a CD, or in an appliance by the developer. Typically it requires a series of keystrokes or inputting code to reveal an Easter Egg. 

BUT in our circumstance, it will be a hyperlink to a claim form, or it may be a very small picture of an egg that links to a claim form. It is your job to find the link or a picture of the egg, click on either and then fill out the form to claim your 3 FREE PICKLEBALLS.

NOTE: Should someone find the Easter Egg (or link), and claim it, and then should it turn into a mass uncovering of the hidden Easter Egg, the first person find and fill out the form wins. There will be several on the website throughout the year.

Around the Post (ATP)

What an interesting ball return. You’re dinking in the non-volley zone. The ball goes wider and wider, and the next thing you know you are pulled way off the court for an unbelievable get. But instead of returning the ball in a dink fashion back across the net, you are so wide and so low off the court you look up and see an open shot to the rear, baseline section of the opponent’s court. BAM! you just hit your first ATP.

Here are a few things to keep in mind:

11.K.1. A ball contacting the net, the net cable, or rope
between the net posts remains in play.
11.L. The Net.
11.L.1. The net and the wires or strings holding up the net
are positioned (mostly) on the court. Therefore, if the
ball strikes the top of the net or strikes the top net
wire or string and lands inbounds, it remains in play.
11.L.2. If the ball travels between the net and the net post, it
is a fault against the striking player.

Our Opponent Dropped Their Paddle on the Court During Play, Do They Lose the Point?

Thanks for posing this question, which is a very good question and it is always best to discuss these things outside of play.

11.H. Items on the Court. If any item a player is/was wearing or
carrying lands on their side of the court, unless the item
lands in the non-volley zone as a result of a volley, the ball
remains in play even if it hits the item.

But remember, no part of you or anything that has contact with you, including your : hat, paddle, etc., may touch the non-volley zone while in the act of volleying.

9.B. It is a fault if the volleying player or anything that has contact
with the volleying player while in the act of volleying,
touches the non-volley zone. For players using wheelchairs,
the front (smaller) wheels may touch the non-volley zone.
9.B.1. The act of volleying the ball includes the swing, the
follow-through, and the momentum from the action.
9.B.2. If the paddle touches the non-volley zone during the
volley motion, before or after contacting the ball, it is
a fault.

The #1 Move to AVOID in Pickleball

What is the #1 Move to Avoid in Pickleball? This is a great question and of course, there are many good answers, but this was an answer that Scott Hettinger provided.

Do you want to be a better player? Do you want to move from2.5 to 3.0, 3.0 to 3.5, 3.5 to 4.0 or 4.0 to 4.5? Do you want to be a successful doubles pickleball partner?  HERE IS THE NUMBER ONE MOVE TO AVOID…………….

                                                          The Eye Roll

So… your partner popped it up for the 5th time… your partner hammered the ball into the net… again… your partner hits that easy kill shot into the parking lot… etc., etc., etc. We’ve all been there. Resist the urge to give the EYE ROLL. Your partner is doing their best. They didn’t try to pop it up, slam it into the net or crack a windshield in the parking lot. Give them some encouragement. They already feel bad about it. They are doing their best at that moment.  

It certainly isn’t going to improve their play by giving the condescending EYE ROLL or other disparaging moves like mumbling under your breath or dropping your head in disgust.  How about we tell them “No worries you’ll get the next one. That was a tough shot, keep at it you’re doing ok! Good try on that one. You’ll get it.”   Just remember… if you are the best 3.0 and move up to the 3.5 level, you aren’t the best anymore. You are probably starting out at the bottom of that next level.  You might be the one popping it up, hitting the net or the back fence for a while. Do you now want to be on the receiving end of that EYE ROLL? I think not!!!

So, let’s all remember that pickleball is for fun. We aren’t making a living off of it. We are playing with all our friends and neighbors, and we enjoy their company. Don’t lose sight of that fact. Be a better partner. Be a better player. Be a better friend. Just a thought for your day………………….

Scott Hettinger

Every time My Partner Calls the Wrong Score the Opposing Team Says We Must Replay That Point.

Funny how we can’t remember who served, even after we just served. Of course, who can remember the score? But how should we handle it when the opposing team calls the wrong score?

Wrong Score Called (4.K)
The rules concerning what happens if the wrong score is called by
a player or a referee have changed. If a player thinks a wrong
score has been called, a player may stop play to ask for a
correction before the ball is served.

If it has been served, the rally is to be played out and the score correction (if any) is made before the next serve occurs.

My Partner Yelled, “OUT.” The Ball Then Landed In and My Partner Yelled, “No, it’s IN.” The Opposing Team Said You Called It Out.

Well, as confusing as it may be, this happens all the time. Let me read what the rule book states:

6.D.11. While the ball is in the air, if a player yells “out,” “no,”
“bounce it,” or any other words to communicate to
their partner that the ball may be out, it shall be
considered player communication only and not
considered a line call.
6.D.12. An “out” call made after the ball bounces is a line call.
The ball is dead and play shall stop. If, upon appeal,
the referee overrules any type of “out” call, it is a fault
against the player or team that made the “out” call.
Exception: If the match has line judges, the baseline
and sideline judges are responsible for the call. (See
Rule 13.E.2)

NOTE: we also mention this in a previous post from last year, further down in the posts.

New Rules added for 2022: NO Chainsaw serves, NO Swearing!!!

It’s a new year, and that means new pickleball rules. Every January, USA Pickleball issues an updated rulebook. If you cuss during your games, wear headphones, carry more than one ball, or have been using a chainsaw serve, get ready to adjust your play this year. Here are some key things to know about how the game is changing in 2022.

No headphones or earbuds during competition play

These devices have been banned because they could allow players to receive coaching during the match. Another reason for the rule? Player safety — earbuds can be dropped on the court and cause an injury hazard. Also, USA Pickleball says such devices can prevent players from hearing calls or the score, thereby causing potential delays to explain or repeat calls that were not heard. Note: Hearing aids are still allowed.

Spinning the ball on a serve

In 2021, many players experimented with the so-called “chainsaw” serve. In this move, the server rolls the ball against the paddle, sometimes even including the grip, as the ball is being tossed. Then the player hits the fast-spinning ball to finish the serve. The intense spin on the ball can make it kick left, right, up or down.

In 2022, this move has been banned. But you can still put “finger spin” on a serve. The new rules say server can use only one hand to release the ball to perform the serve. If the ball is visibly spun by the server during the release, the part(s) of the hand contacting the ball must be bare (no gloves, band-aids, etc.).

Moreover, the receiver (and referee, if there is one) must be able to see the server’s release of the ball. 

Example: A server is wearing a glove on her hand that releases the ball, but she has removed the glove material allowing the thumb and first two fingers (that touch the ball) to be exposed and add spin to the ball. The referee lets this glove be used.

Extra balls

In officiated matches, you’re not allowed to carry an extra ball on the court. However, in social play, USA Pickleball says you may carry a spare ball. However, the balls are not to be visible to your opponent during play. And if one of your extra balls falls on the playing surface during play, that’s considered a fault.

Example: A player is carrying an extra ball in his pocket. During a rally, the ball falls out of his pocket but lands out of bounds. The opponents claim a distraction fault, but the player who dropped the ball contends that because the ball landed out of bounds and not on the actual court, it is not a fault. The player who dropped the ball is wrong; the opponents are correct that a distraction fault has occurred.

Multiple bounces before a serve

USA Pickleball is clarifying this year that on a serve, there is no restriction how many times the ball can bounce nor where it can bounce on the playing surface before the server hits it. 

The intent of this rule is to let the ball bounce as many times as the server chooses before he strikes the ball to perform the serve, as long as the serve is made within 10 seconds after the score is called. The rule also clarifies that the ball may bounce anywhere on the playing surface before it is hit to perform the serve.

Swearing.

There are a number of new rules about how and when referees can issue warnings for foul language.  

Previously, a referee was allowed to issue one “global warning” per match for use of profanity. When the warning was issued, it was made generally to all players — not just the potty mouths. Now, a referee may give each team a single verbal warning per match. Refs can also give technical warnings and fouls for bad language, which can cost you a point. Refs are not supposed to stop play to issue warnings or fouls, but they are to mete them out once a rally has ended. Check out these examples:

  • Team A receives a verbal warning for uttering an expletive.  Later in the match, a player on Team B   says the same word. The referee may give a verbal warning to Team B regardless of the prior verbal warning issued to Team A.
  • The referee calls a non-volley zone fault on a player who enters the kitchen when he was not permitted to. After the rally is over, the faulted player walks by the referee and without looking directly at the referee says, “That was a bull—- call.”  The referee may issue a verbal warning for unsportsmanlike conduct.
  • Team A gets a verbal warning for a specific profanity. A player on Team B later says the same word, but more loudly. The referee gives a technical warning to Team B. Team B asks why they did not receive a verbal warning the same as Team A. The referee may explain that their volume was greater and verbal and technical warnings are based on referee discretion.
  • A player utters a profanity, and the referee issues a technical warning. The player protests and says the ref should have issued a verbal warning first. The referee reminds the player that there is no requirement that a verbal warning always be issued before a technical warning or technical foul.
  • While players are warming up before the referee’s pre-match briefing, one player loudly calls an opponent an “[expletive] cheater.” The referee issues a technical foul for extreme profanity and issues a point to the opponents before the match has started. 

Easy way to avoid all these warnings and fouls? Don’t swear during games!  If you are looking for ways to re-train your mouth, consider during drills or practice play deducting points for each bon mot uttered. Or, keep a “swear jar” and a roll of coins on the sidelines; deposit a fee for each infraction and your opponent keeps the money. Finally, if you have an Apple Watch or similar device, you can keep track of how many bad words were blurted out during the game by keeping a running tally with Siri. 

To see the full list of new pickleball rules, visit https://tinyurl.com/2af8d7tv. For a complete set of rules, visit https://usapickleball.org/docs/ifp/USA-Pickleball-Rulebook.pdf

Golf’s Growth Has Nothing On Pickleball, But The Two Sports Enjoy Synergies Nationwide (Troon)

Forbes Magazine: 12/30/21

Erik Matuszewski – Contributor – SportsMoney

While golf’s popularity soared across the country over the past year and a half, it was actually the No. 2 participation sport in terms of growth at many country clubs, resorts and golf course communities. 

Tennis has long been a natural complement to golf, but it’s pickleball that’s seen an explosion of adopters in recent years – both in terms of participants and facilities adding courts. While the numbers for 2021 haven’t been released, consider that in 2020 pickleball saw a growth rate in excess of 21%, according to the Sports & Fitness Industry Association’s participation report, jumping from about 3.5 million players in the U.S. to over 4.2 million. That’s still a fraction of the approximately 25 million U.S. on-course golfers, but the growth is substantial and it’s definitely not just a sport for the senior set, with an average participant age of 38.1 years old in addition to an almost a 60-40 split between men and women.

Yale And Other Top U.S. Universities Hit With Lawsuit For Allegedly Price Fixing Student Aid

It was notable that Troon, the world’s largest golf management company, earlier this year partnered with one of pickleball’s leading equipment brands, Selkirk Sport. In golf terms, Selkirk is akin to a PING, a popular, family-owned brand known for their quality products (in this case pickleball paddles) and growing legion of loyal customers. The number of devoted pickleball courts at Troon clubs continues to grow and Selkirk became Troon’s first “preferred pickleball partner” and an official part of the company’s Cliff Drysdale Tennis Division.

“Pickleball has certainly caught people’s attention,” said Troon President and CEO Tim Schantz. “There are clubs with multiple tennis courts that are converting some of that space into pickleball courts and, given the demand for those pickleball courts, they’re thinking about more. There’s something in the game that combines competitiveness for people that like racquet sports, but also the ability to play at a competitive level for a long period of time. That’s kind of the magic of golf too.”

Count Sherri Steinhauer, who played on the LPGA Tour for 26 years and won two major championships, among those who have embraced the golf-pickleball crossover. Steinhauer, now 59, turned to pickleball in 2016 after her golf career was waylaid by hip injuries and today competes professionally in a 50-and-over division while playing almost daily as a resident of Phoenix, Arizona. Visit any golf-centric residential community in states like Arizona, California, North Carolina or Florida and it’s a good bet you’ll hear the sound of a plastic pickleball, which looks a bit like an oversized Wiffle ball, being struck by a paddle. 

“I just fell in love with the sport,” said Steinhauer, who today is a brand ambassador for Selkirk and tried to qualify for nationals earlier this year. “It actually replaced the competitiveness that I felt in golf. But I wasn’t enjoying that in golf anymore. When I played pickleball, I suddenly had that feeling back like when I was a kid and starting out in golf. It’s just gone on from there.”

Steinhauer says there are quite a few LPGA players who play pickleball, among them 29-year-old Amy Olson, who was the runner-up at the 2020 U.S. Open. “We’ve played quite a bit together,” said Steinhauer. “She’s really, really good and fun to play with. And she’s got a group of gals she plays with out on tour.”

Phil Mickelson and Matt Kuchar are among those on the PGA TOUR who play pickleball, a sport that combines elements of tennis with badminton and ping pong. It’s played on courts that are a good bit smaller than tennis courts, which is why a number of clubs, resorts and communities have transformed some existing tennis areas into multiple pickleball courts. Others, like BallenIsles Country Club in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, have sought to expand their pickleball presence in a meaningful way that complements its outdoor activities.

In addition to its three 18-hole championship golf courses, BallenIsles has been rated as the No. 2 tennis facility in the country and the posh South Florida club has been the home training ground for Venus and Serena Williams for almost two decades. But while the tennis program continues to thrive, BallenIsles added an entire complex of pickleball courts this year to keep up with the growing craze; in just two years since introducing options as part of a strategic plan, the club saw its number of active and interested pickleball participants almost quadruple.

“It’s been on our radar for so long, but this last year has been a real eye-opener on how much our program has grown,” said Gary Henderson, the Director of Tennis at BallenIsles and former world-ranked player who competed at Wimbledon and as a member of Great Britain’s 1995 Davis Cup team. “People can take to the sport with maybe not an advanced skill level in racquet sports and can immediately play again. You can elevate your game very quickly, to a point where you can compete or enjoy a game of social pickleball with people who have played for many years. And the pickleball community, they fit in with each other very well straight away. You’re seeing such growth because of nature of the sport.”

Schantz talked about visiting with the Drysdale team during a Troon teambuilding event earlier in 2021 and getting to play a five-set match against the now 80-year-old Drysdale, the well-known tennis announcer who was once ranked as high as fourth in the world and reached the final of the 1965 U.S. Open tennis championships. While tennis is his central to his lifestyle, Drysdale today plays a good bit of pickleball.

“I was pretty wiped out,” said Schantz. “It was really fun and, much like golf, pickleball has a handicap system in place that lets Cliff and I play against each other and be evenly matched. Although he did beat me.”

Having a golf-focused company like Troon get involved with pickleball is a huge legitimizer for the sport, said Selkirk co-founders Mike and Rob Barnes. When they first got into pickleball in 2014, focusing on research and development as well as marketing efforts, the sport was just starting to take off.

“The amount of people in the sport now is probably one thousand-fold. It’s been crazy to see the adoption,” said Rob Barnes. “Overall, the sport has been growing 10% a year, they estimate, but we think it’s more. Last year during Covid, it doubled. Our company has grown a minimum of 50% to 100% a year since our founding.

Now, with a company like Troon having that foresight for where the sport is going and showing other resorts and management companies the future, that’s huge for the sport. Having them enter is a big legitimizer for the sport and where it’s going.”

The synergies between golf and pickleball are significant – from the demographics to the facilities – and are really helping grow the sport, especially at properties like resorts, country clubs and residential communities.

“The momentum it has right now, we wake up everyday and are blown away where the sport is going and where we think it’s going to be,” said Selkirk’s Mike Barnes. “We don’t see it slowing down anytime soon.”

SJPA October: 1st, 2nd & 3rd – Team Tournament RESULTS

With almost 100 players broken into four teams the competition began. Teams were divided by ratings: 2.5 mixed, 3.0 women, 3.0 men, 3.5 women, 3.5 men, and 4.0 men.

Then the competition began: Men’s and Women’s Round Robin events on Friday, October 1, 2021. Drill competitions all day Saturday, October 2, from 8:30 – 5 pm. The grand finale was dinking competition on Sunday the 3rd and wrapping up the tournament with a mixed round robin event.

We had fantastic weather with warm but pleasant temps. The clubs provided lunch on Saturday. Then on Sunday, after the tournament ended, we enjoyed a celebration dinner and drinks (drinks provided by SJPA). The winners of the three-day tournaments was the Captain Morgan team headed up by Laurie Morgan. The team included: Rosemary Reines, Marge Ferguson, Holly Ahrens, Michelle Volk, Eileen Kuponek, Darin Denzler, Marion Johnson, Susan Lamar, Lisa Daly, Richard Kelly, Bernie Collins, John Summerville, Jim Ahrens, Cynthia Damato, Karen Fania, Lynn Albrecht, Jim Fania, Kevin Daly, Rick Depetris, Tommy Boggs, Joe Beitz.

The Sunshine Club

The SJPA is initiating a new group called “The Sunshine Club” whose purpose is to reach out to those members of our pickleball community who are experiencing, illness, surgery, family crisis, etc., and need a little pick me up to show we care.

We would also like to know about any positive news in your lives. Our hope is to reach out to all members of our community with a card or note, to show we care.

The group folks:

  • Marcia Leeds (chair)
    • E: marciaeleeds@gmail.com
    • C: 914 216-3512
  • Cindy Hettinger
    • E: cindyhettinger8@gmail.com
    • C: 570-436-2530
  • Kathy Goliszek
    • E: kfgoliszek@gmail.com
    • C: 336-682-9003
  • Cynthia Mendoza
    • E: csmendo@yahoo.com
    • C: 201 723-4797

Please contact anyone in this group if you know of a situation requiring our group’s participation.

We look forward to hearing from you.

A Few More Questions Have Come in About Line Calls

“Code of Ethics” for Line Calls in Pickleball

  1. Only make line calls on your side of the pickleball court and always strive for accuracy.
  2. Only call ‘”out” balls when space is clearly visible between the line and where the pickleball lands.
  3. Call “out” ball promptly.
  4. Use voice and/or hand signals to call “out” balls.
  5. Give the benefit of doubt to your opponents.
  6. If you and your partner disagree, then the ball is “in”.
  7. Spectators should not make any line calls, especially if this is at a match.
  8. Do not question opponents’ line calls unless there is a referee.
  9. You may ask your opponents to make a line call (but then you give up your right to make the call and, if you opponents cannot make the call, the call is automatically ruled “in”.
  10. AN “out” call prior to the pickleball bouncing will be deemed partner communication and not a line call.
  11. You may overrule a line call that is to your disadvantage (and in favor of your opponents) at any time.

We Are Just Beginners, What Are The Rules?

Well, that is a good question, but could require a long answer. Let’s start with a few basic rules and then you can build on these.

10 Must Know Pickleball Rules

  1. The serve must be underhand.
  2. Both the serve and the return of serve must bounce.
  3. The first side to serve in doubles pickleball only has one serve: then, each side has two serves.
  4. Only the serving team can score points, and the serving team switches side of the court after each point won.
  5. The serve must call the score loudly before each serve.
  6. No volleys are allowed in the Non-Volley Zone (also known as the Kitchen).
  7. Shots after the pickleball bounces are allowed in the Non-Volley Zone.
  8. Shots on the lines of the pickleball court are generally “in”, with one exception – the Non-Volley Zone line on the serve (because it is considered part of the Non-Volley Zone).
  9. “Out” calls are made by the pickleball players on the side of the pickleball court where the pickleball bounces.
  10. If the pickleball hits you, then you lose the rally.

The #1 Move to AVOID in Pickleball

Court Sign-up

If you are not using a court you reserved, remember to delete your sign up.  Folks are complaining about empty courts that are reserved.  Your friends are also trying to organize a time to play.

Participating in Events

Events are planned based on your committed registration. If you cannot make this commitment for the full 1.5 hours due to scheduling or for health reasons, please cancel your registration.

Hey, Al, What Did Bob Say About The Pickleball Ten Commandments?

Good question, one Bob spoke these divine words:

  1. Thou shalt have no other sport before it. Thou shalt not make for thyself a softball diamond, a football field, a basketball court, a ski run, an ice-hockey rink or any likeness of any sport that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; thou shalt not admire them or train for them; for Pickleball is a jealous sport, punishing for generations those who confuse it with tennis but showing steadfast improvement to those who love it and keep its commandments.
  2. Thou shalt not curse thy opponent nor hold him in contempt for placing the ball out of thy reach; neither shalt thou blaspheme thy partner for missing the shot down the middle, which was clearly his forehand.
  3. Remember the sabbath day, to keep it fun. six days you practice, and do all your drills; but the seventh day is an amusement day to Pickleball; in it thou shalt not beat thyself up nor allow thy sons or daughters or spouses or the new person who joined the Church just this week to force feelings of inadequacy upon you; for, while for six days Pickleball may have handed thee thine buttocks upon a platter, it has blessed the sabbath day and made it blissful.
  4. Honor thy coach and his spouse, that your invitations to return may be plentiful.
  5. Thou shalt not kill the pickleball either by striking it too high and thus sending it to the neighbor’s yard or too low and propelling it mightily into the net; for the pickleball is a marshmallow and must be dinked with softness and suppleness and, above all, self-control.
  6. Thou shalt not commit schadenfreude; neither openly by shouting “YES!” and pumping thy fist when thy opponent blunders his return, nor in thy heart, nor even in a small, gleeful upturning of the corners of thy mouth.
  7. Thou shalt not poach from thy backhand position.
  8. The shalt not bear false witness against the landing of the ball on the wrong side of the line; neither shalt thou bear ANY witness to its placement if thou be on the other side of the net.
  9. Thou shalt not covet thy opponent’s partner. Be thee satisfied with whosoever has been randomly paired with you and communicate often with them.
  10. Thou shalt not covet thy opponent’s paddle, or his shoes, or his coordinating clothing ensemble, or his ox or ass, or anything that is your opponent’s. These earthly things will not make purchase of thy game; keep thy head clear, thy feet emancipated, and thy paddle prepared.