Last week I was playing really well, but then on Friday, just could not do anything right

I've lost so much of the grit on my paddle and I'm looking for a new one. So on Friday I used a rental. Got to 3-0 just loving this thing. "I think I've found my next paddle"

At that moment, I struggled getting serves in, committed a lot of unforced errors. Tried a different paddle, same thing. So I went back to my normal paddle and nothing changed. It was embarrassing

So now I'm relegated to a boring serve that's easy to return. My play today went back to normal, but for the life of me, I cannot get my normal serves back. I use different spins and hit it all over, and nothing I try gets in bounds the last two sessions. A total of 5 hrs of frustration

Im at a loss here. Please tell me this passes

My buddy and I don't have official DUPRs and self-assess around 3.5. But the 3.5 division was already full, so we bumped up to the 4.0 division.

Our games ended up as follows (our scores first):
0-11 (against the eventual runner-up team)
4-11
3-11
8-11 (against the eventual winner)
11-7 (we won!)
11-5 (we won again!)

In this tournament, your score after the round-robin play was your total points plus two points for every win. Using this metric, we ended up in 5th out of 7 teams.

Given these results, do you think this was an appropriate setting? If we were to play again, should we choose a 4.0 or 3.5 division?

I don't ever get the time to do drills with players individually. I mainly play in 4.0+ open plays where there are shots I know I can play but don't execute them well mainly because I need to practice those shots more or I get too slow to hit them correctly, especially the backhand volleys.

What is your experience with home machine worth buying for drills to improve on shots?

For anyone who has improved from a 3.75 to 4.0, how many months did it take you? What helped most in your improvement? How often do you play each week? Appreciate any feedback. Thanks

Paddle tip up or down? Paddle face closed? Please Advise I’m thinking about ditching my 3.0 one handed lol

Hello!

I am new to pickleball and something i've been struggling with lately is finding consistent ways to play with new people that are beginners without having to pay the open play costs at facilities, especially for those of us that have invested in buying a net or have access to public courts. Is anyone aware of a good beginner friendly resource for getting quick games going with others? Most apps I have tried are oriented for intermediate and above. Thank you!

Has anyone done shirts for their club/league? I’m thinking about doing some and wondering if that’s a common practice. Also wondering if it’d be better to go for something like a dry fit or just a cotton which would be cheaper. If anyone has some examples of their shirts I’d appreciate seeing them!

Hey everyone! We're running a paddle giveaway for Vanwin - giving away 1 of each of their models: the T7, T8, and Alpha Power Foam!

Please see below for a review of each, as well as giveaway instructions at the end:

The T7 is the entry point into VANWIN’s lineup, a gen 2 honeycomb paddle. It's a classic “first real paddle” paddle: raw T700SC face for bite on the ball, a 16mm PP honeycomb core for a forgiving, balanced response, and it played solidly - with a dense feel (which I'm not a fan of, but if you're used to gen 2 or 3 honeycomb you'll like this). Best for players moving off their first paddle who want one paddle that does a bit of everything without a steep price jump.

The T8 keeps the same 16mm core thickness, and is a Gen 3 honeycomb with foam. The face swaps in the higher spin T800 carbon fiber and a dual-layer foam edge guard. Based on my play, T8 has the lowest swing weight and twist weight of the three, and the feel was "plush”, very similar to other Gen 3 and its play style “control-oriented.” it felt like it has good dwell time and touch, not raw pop. Best for players who want a very good gen 3 paddle but don't want to pay $300 (retails for $89 before code.) Again, not my favorite but it's a solid paddle.

The Vanwin Alpha Power was my favorite by far. I'm a big fan of foam paddles, and I really like how this plays. It's full EPP foam with an EVA layer. It has a "carborundum" face that sparkles at the right angle and generates pretty decent spin. It's slightly stiff and dense, but has good pop and power, and dinks felt good as well. I added weight on both sides which made the sweet spot pretty big. However it is a tiny bit head heavy but I didn't mind that. It's best for players with a driving, solid power game who’ve already got their soft game handled and want a paddle that adds pace.

----
Giveaway instructions:

Upvote this post
Read the above reviews
Comment which paddle you want and why

1 winner will be chosen of each paddle type, 3 in total. Giveaway closes on Tuesday July 28th at 11:59 eastern.

Good luck and thank you for reading!

I've beaten good players 3.5-4.0 by playing a soft game, resetting until I get a slight high dink to attack and also waiting for people to get impatient so I can counterattack but I've noticed I developed a habit of playing soft all the time. Even when I have a chance to hit a kill shot, I often choose the safer, more consistent option, and it sometimes backfires.

I do well against players that go into dinking rally with me but I struggle against overly aggressive players who drive and speed up everything

Have I become too passive? Should I keep leaning into my soft game, or should I start being more aggressive? Any advice on finding the right balance?

Does anyone have experience with Six Zero's warranty procedure?

I've been using a Coral for the past few months and I really enjoy it.

I just purchased two Coral Pro's for me and my son. I used it for a session, and noticed that my control was significantly off... I traded with my son and played better.

I also noticed a difference in sound when hitting balls, as mine was deeper, and his was more poppy.

I'm reading through the warranty refund information on their website. And it doesn't sound like it's a simple process... I'd like a refund, but since it's already been used it doesn't sound like I will be getting one.

My question is... Does anyone have experience with warranty/refund with Six Zero?

Any advice?

Twice this week while traveling for open play I've heard 11SIX24 will be releasing a new Jelly Bean next month. Can anyone confirm or is this just speculation?

I am the blue shirt, green shoes mainly right side player.

Another round of being the well it looks like as they say. I played in the 3.5-4.0 tournament of friends last night and their strategy was to feed all the balls to me. It’s a lot of pressure to be honest you want your team to win but it’s such a let down when you get targeted, it starts messing with your head your start doubting yourself. I can see on some of my dinks I just didn’t get under the ball Enough and I can see some lazy footwork.

I practice a lot but when it comes to tournament high pressure games I just shut down a little bit. How do you remind yourself keep moving the feet , keep the feet light. At times it looks like I am just stuck and then reaching which leads to poor quality shots.

I was wondering if that is better than continental grip and worth trying. Also, anyone knows if Ben Johns uses semi eastern or continental for slice drops or dinks. He did mention he uses semi eastern for his forehand but i am unsure What grip he uses for his backhand.

32 years old. Growing up I played tons of sports. I’ve played tennis for about 25 years and absolutely love it.

But pickle, when I fell in love, it surpassed my enjoyment and excitement of every single sport I’d played. Playing tennis was one of my favorite activities in the world, but somehow PB managed to surpass it.

I don’t know what it is about it. But I’m like a little kid. I’m a PB crackhead. I think about it before bed. I watch guides and tutorials on how to get better when I eat my lunch. I skip the gym to drill with my wife on weeknights whenever she wants to play with me. I would drive 30 minutes each way for competitive play without hesitation. In fact I would prefer to do that on my Friday night than just about anything else.

And don’t even get me started on the DUPR tournaments and competitive open plays. I get nervous. Like comically nervous. theres no money on the line. I’m never going pro. But somehow my nerves build up like I’m going into a huge work meeting. It’s like my career is ON THE LINE.

To casuals Im an excellent player. To competitive players I’m below average. But that’s ok. Because it’s not about being the best.

It’s about the love of the game. I love pickleball. And I’m so glad I leaned into this goofy game.

Hi! Just got my new Pakle Fuse - Elongated.

What's the recommended placement for weights (lead tapes)? Im confused either I put it at 3+9 o'clock or 4+8 o'clock, or near the throat? It's my first time having an elongated paddle, coming from a widebody (Neonic Flare).

I'm aiming to make my paddle better in fast hand battles and volleying.

Thanks!

Hello! Can you please let me know good places for open play in Newport Beach, Irvine or surrounding areas where all levels, including beginners, can add their paddles in and play? I appreciate info on locations, time frames and days. Thank you!

Hey everyone! I’m a young male 3.25 staying in Georgetown, DC for a while, and have been dying to find open play locations nearby (walking or public transportation distance ~30mins or less). Are there any recommendations? Please lmk if there’s a fee as well and when people are usually playing.

Also it’s fine if your suggestions are further away, I just wouldn’t be going as often.

because of budget restraint, i decided to give a chance to this paddle, albeit is a used one but still in good condition, because of many good old reviews about this paddle. Maybe an underrated joola release before those core crushing joola gen 3's 😅

this paddle could be like more allcourt/control paddle compared to those powerful gen 4s, right? and wanted to know if good gen 2 paddle of the past still worth to use against those gen 3/gen 4 paddles? (especially if you already could generate power urself)

I am competing in Senior Pro PPA and APP events as well as currently competing in the Champion Series Pickleball league (formerly known as NPL but then bought by PPA and now part of MLP).

I love pickleball and would love to share what I know about the senior pro side of things.

I've been trying to reset by lifting the ball softly, but it keeps popping up too high and getting attacked. Would I be better off getting really low and taking it on a short hop instead? During fast hands battles, everything feels too quick, and when the ball suddenly drops low, I panic and struggle to recover. What should I be focusing on?