Played for the first time today! Fun, but I used to play tennis and my muscles still think the paddle is as long as the racket. Nope!
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If itās sunny and in the high 40s we sometimes wind up in tee-shirts shorts or skirt. The first few minutes Iāll wear a jacket, but I get warm quickly. BUT, if itās cloudy, itās totally different - and leggings and long sleeves/jacket will likely be worn.
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Welcome to pickleball. Iāve been playing for over 3 years, and usually play 3x a week. I am NOT a tennis player, but I really like pickleball.
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So glad you tried PB. Hope you keep playing.
I played a bit of tennis as a kid. (My Dad taught me. I often think of him as I squeeze the paddle grip, a tip he gave.) In the initial classes, the different and lower bouncing of the pickleball really was hard to get used to.
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I have been playing primarily in our rec departmentās classes since it has been difficult for me to find a group to play with since I am still working full time. Finally felt like I have improved as I was one of the winners of our āmini tournamentā where in other classes I have never come close! Moving up a level in another week so may be back to the bottom!
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Consider sharing phone numbers of people in the classes. Thatās how I started my group, and itās worked out really well.
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Sharing phone numbers (and/or email) with classmates is a great idea. I have continued to do that through various classes and local PB groups, plus in some TeamReach app groups. I now have about 70 āPicb ā entries in my contacts lists, really helpful on some of the big group texts others coordinate. But gotta say that the two ladies from my first class (4 night group classes in June 2024) are the closest of the bunch.
There are many other PB players about my level that I know by name (or at least by face). So fun to meet so many happy people in retirement! Today we had 4 courts playing 8:30am (brrr - added an extra vest layer), coached play with the local nonprofit clubā¦ie outside/free. It was nice that two different people asked me about joining their groups. One meets Wed evening when I already sometimes play. The other will add me to her TeamReach group.
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Tried that and it worked at first, but then folks who have more time joined Team Reach and did not want to continue. Going to try again with the class that just ended. Thanks!
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I do some PB planning on TeamReach, some by ad hoc text messaging, and some by large coordinated group text messaging (important to put those text chains on mute to avoid hearing ding-ding-ding all the time. The only regular play is Fri 7am indoors ($10 courts), that I coordinate via TeamReach - 2 or 3 courts of varying people in and out. All other play is as schedule and weather permit - I like that flexibility.
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Another pickleball public service announcement (my first is wear eye protection, in case anyone missed it 
) -
If you start to get pickleball/tennis elbow, there are some stretches (you will easily find them if you google) that really seem to help. As with any exercise, stretching/warming up is a really good idea.
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I heard some advice about doing dynamic exercise pre-PB (jumping jacks etc) and static stretching afterward. I do most of my stretching afterward or sometimes much later in same day. Also try to stretch other days.
Today weather in Colorado was delightful for PB (and yardwork - did a bit of that too). I had the please of playing twice this afternoon, with new pb pals and old. Meeting friendly people has been a wonderful bonus with the PB hobby.
It seems to me the PB is still on the upswing, with retirees and younger people too. Does it seem that way in your area too?
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I am not at all good about warming up before PB. We do warm up a little by dinking, but we donāt do any exercises.
I think it is still gaining popularity. Last I checked PB classes in our county were filling up very quickly, and I a have seen more people playing at the park we normally use. (We bring our own nets to tennis courts). There is a park about 25 minutes away that has 8 dedicated courts, and they are often full.
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Iāve met a few PB players who still play tennis as well. One fellow pointed out that in winter there are just more indoor PB courts available. He also lamented that many outdoor tennis courts have been converted to PB. When I pointed out that over the years weād noticed MANY unused tennis courts in town (and actually still do), he agreed that was true.
Iāve attended a few drill classes run by our local pb club (a non-profit organization, so free if you can get a slot reserved before full.) They always start with a few minutes of warmup, some of the moves similar to the more mellow ones shown in the link. We all do the warmups together, comment itās such a good idea. And then when on our own we revert to dink-warmups 
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Oh my gosh it was sooo windy and GUSTY when we played yesterday. But we were there, since predictions said wind was coming later. So we played a while anyway. We were the only 4 players on the 10 courts. (Ha, there was one mom there, letting the toddler kick a ball around while she hit against the a practice wall.) But gotta say, I slept REALLY well. At my nap and at night.
Does anybody else struggle with embarassment about throwing or hitting the ball to the other side (or to folks at next court). Gosh, I am SO bad. Sometimes it does not go over the net. Thinking it must be my lack of little league and ball sports experience. Considering asking my husband to play catch with me for practice.
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If weather report says it will be 10 MPH or more, we usually try to play inside. BUT, I know they donāt always get it right, and gusts can be pretty bad even when itās not so bad.
I am REALLY BAD at throwing balls - my husband laughs at me when we take my sonās dog to a tennis court near us to get her some off leash exercise. I almost never attempt to throw the ball over. Somewhere along the way I was taught itās good to throw the ball up āhighā and hit it like maybe an old tennis serve.
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Any favorite paddles?
Iāve already upgraded from my beginner model from Dickās to a nice one bought on NextDoor. I donāt really need a new one, butā¦ if I had a 3rd, I could bring along two newbie friends (they took a lesson that included equipment loan). With Black Friday coming, Iām tempted to try another. If not, Iāll wait and down the road buy from a shop where I can try loaners.
I have been very happy with my Engage paddles, and I think they are made in the US. My original one had a chunk fall out of the edge (after over a year), and they let me get a new paddle for 50% off.
The other brand many of my group plays with is Joola. Many of us started with Gamma paddles, but that was because our instructor was a rep and we got 30% off. Gamma paddles were fine too, but I like the other 2 better.
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Thanks for the feedback. For now, Iāve decided to wait til I can get a chance to perhaps swap racquets with a PB pal or two for a few pointsā¦ see what factors are important.
Itās a bit sad to have a cold snap, know Iāll be playing inside for a while. That is not as easy / spontaneous with my various groups of PB pals. (On the plus side, I can get in gear to ski. This is the first year Iāve ever bought a season pass, Ikon).
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We played outside in 36-41 degrees and 9ish MPH winds today. Wednesday when we start itās supposed to be 32 - bbbrrrrr!!!
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I got hit smack in the mouth with a pickleball the other day, on a pretty cold day. I was fine, but I was a little worried about my teeth in the cold weather. It reminded me that Iām glad all in our group wear eye protection!
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