The Art of Pickleball: Techniques and Strategies for Everyone

by Gale H. Leach, Travis R Leach (Illustrator)

Overview

Arizona Book Award Winner This book describes everything from equipment to tournament strategy in straightforward, conversational language that will benefit novice and seasoned players alike. The Art of Pickleball shows how to perform basic and advanced strokes and provides excellent tips for doubles play, mental conditioning, gamesmanship, and offensive and defensive strategies. Drills are included to help readers develop recommended shots. • Master the fundamentals with step-by-step illustrations and photos • Choose the right paddle and other accessories • Polish your skills, from overhead smashes to dinks • Learn the fine points of safety • Techniques designed to take you to the next level • Quick answers to your questions • Easy to read and understand

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781937083175
Publisher:	Two Cats Press
Publication date:	03/19/2013
Edition description:	Revision
Pages:	216
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.50(d)

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements iv

A Note about Pronouns iv

Introduction xi

About This Edition xiv

A Short History of the Sport xv

Glossary of Terms xvii

Chapter 1 Rules and Equipment 1

The Basic Rules: An Overview 1

The Lesser-Known Rules 3

Scoring 6

Paddles 8

Paddle Size and Shape 9

Paddle Weight 9

Paddle Material 10

Balls 11

The Court 12

Clothing and Other Equipment 13

Portable Equipment 13

Chapter 2 Grips and Paddle Angles 15

Holding the Paddle 16

The Forehand Grip 17

The Backhand Grip 19

Paddle Angles 21

Flat Face 22

Open Face 23

Closed Face 24

Chapter 3 Body Positions and Strokes 25

Ready Positions 26

When to Hit the Ball 28

The Serve 31

Underhand Serve 32

Forehand (Sidearm) Serve 33

Backhand Serve 35

The Forehand Groundstroke 38

The Backhand Groundstroke 42

The Volley 46

The Overhead Smash 48

The Lob 52

The Drop Shot and Drop Volley 54

Midcourt Volley 56

The Dink 56

Half Volley 58

Backhand and Forehand Sweeps 60

Whatever the Shot, Keep Your Head Still 61

Get Ready for Each Shot 62

Spins 62

Chapter 4 Court Positions and Footwork 67

Your Position During a Serve 69

Serving in Singles 69

Serving in Doubles 70

Footwork and Moving into Position 72

Moving Toward a Shot and Around the Court 72

Running Back for a Ball 73

Rush to the Non-Volley Zone 74

Chapter 5 Warm-Ups and Fitness 77

Flexibility: Warming Up and Then Stretching 77

Warming Up 78

Stretching 78

Strength 79

Aerobic Endurance 80

Tennis Elbow 80

Chapter 6 Strategies and Tactics 83

General Tactics and Strategies 84

Make a Game Plan 84

Improve Your Serve 86

Improve Your Returns to Stay on the Offense 87

When and How to Make Dink Shots 90

When and How to Make Lob Shots 91

Returning Balls with Spin 94

Position Yourself on the Court 95

Limit Your Faults 97

Target Your Opponents' Weaknesses 98

Keep Your Opponent Guessing 100

Think One Step Ahead 101

Positional Strategies in Doubles Play 102

Chapter 7 Playing Singles and Doubles 123

Playing Singles 123

Playing Doubles 125

Choosing a Partner 125

Court Position 126

Communication Is the Key to Success 127

Make Your Body Language Work for You 129

Trust Your Partner 130

Shadow Your Partner 130

Poaching 132

General Tips for Better Doubles Play 133

Chapter 8 Practice and Drills 135

Correcting Part of Your Game 136

Perfecting a Skill 137

Drills 138

Chapter 9 The Mental Game 143

Chapter 10 Safety, Etiquette, and Ethics 147

Safety on the Court 148

Etiquette on the Court 149

Ethics and Sportsmanship 151

Chapter 11 Notes about Tournament Play 153

Referees 153

Tournament Rules 154

Choosing Side or Serve 156

References 157

Appendix A Rules A-1

Section 1 The Game A-3

Section 2 Court and Equipment A-4

Section 3 Definitions A-9

Section 4 Service Rules A-10

Section 5 Service Sequence Rules A-14

Section 6 Line Call Rules A-17

Section 7 Fault Rules A-19

Section 8 Dead Ball Rules A-20

Section 9 Non-Volley Zone Rules A-20

Section 10 Scoring - Game - Match Rules A-22

Section 11 Time-Out Rules A-22

Section 12 Other Rules A-23

Section 13 Sanctioned Tournament Formats A-26

Section 14 Tournament Management and Officiating A-29

Index A-37

Editorial Reviews

"This is a wonderful book for beginners and seasoned players of pickleball. It brings you from basic to advanced...if you want to go there. I have been playing pickleball for 6+ years...I recommend this book for anyone interested in learning either casual playing or for serious competition."

-- Pierre J. Boudreaux

"The instructional chapters are full of useful tips. The illustrations are great... readers will find this a wonderful resource for the sport of pickleball."

-- Fran Myer, United States of America Pickleball Association

"Very thorough coverage of all aspects of pickleball. Very well written and presented for easy reading and comprehension with helpful artwork and depictions of many aspects of play. This book has it all (history, techniques, strategies, singles, doubles, rules, etc). Should be on every pickleballer's 'need to have' list/coffee table."

-- Halfmoon

From the Publisher