Though I consider myself an average recreational player, my performance last night was far below average. I just couldn’t find a groove, make good contact, or place a shot. I did enjoy one or two long dink rallies and had some decent drops, but overall bad playing gave me a reason to laugh at myself which I did throughout the hours. Again, the lobs kept coming, and many serves were “moon” shots, a large percentage of which had no real purpose in terms of strategy. Several balls went out.
What fun it was to watch the good rallies. One women's match had me mesmerized. A number of extended points, the longest of which had the players all over the place, one put-away attempt after another, one save after another, the spectators’ gasps of excitement in perfect harmony with the action. I didn’t time it but the rally lasted so long that the girls couldn’t stop chuckling. Just when they thought the swordfight was over it wasn’t. This unexpected show had almost everyone’s attention. After the point, the players laughed and laughed while catching their breath, and the onlookers were still shouting words of appreciation and support for good play. Pickleball euphoria!
One guy amused me with his backhand slice and spin, a shot that almost always ended up in the net. When he would use a different shot, though, one without slice or spin, one with better form and execution, and with proper balance and footwork, he would score. Or at least keep our rallies alive. Funny! Nothing wrong with trying new things, but when momentum is not on your side and your team is trying to find a groove and overcome a whopping deficit, maybe it would be wise to rethink your strategy, concentrate on doing the fundamentals right, and at least give your team a chance to win.
The busy night moved fast, and I saw new players—a number of tennis players—and different styles. And I even saw an Erne, the first one in my years as a recreational player! It was against me and I defended it! I got lucky.
I find humor in watching the players on the side staring at the line of paddles on the floor, pacing back and forth. I saw it again tonight. Yes, players should be mindful of their place in line so as to keep the rotation moving. The humor for me comes from the intensity of their stare, their eyes darting back and forth, perhaps wondering, “Who am I going to be stuck with? Please, not that one, or that one.” I know all about such expressions, given by those who think they are Ben Johns or Anna Leigh Waters or some other elite professional on the PPA tour. Many such recreational players believe that their expensive paddles and their name-brand court gear make them the authority. They believe themselves superior, the best in the building, the best in town, the best around, though watching them play tells an altogether different story. How amusing it is to hear their excuses when they lose to other 3.0 - 3.5 players.
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Reviewed by Ronald Hull
8/17/2026
Thank you for introducing me to pickleball with your first journal entry, years ago.
Since I quit swimming in 1980 and long walks in a state park in 1990, the only sports recreation that I recall from my youth have been on my radar all these years in a wheelchair and confined primarily to work and home, except for brief travel excursions where I found pool tables and shuffleboard for elderly residents of a retirement community.
In the years right after losing my arms and hands to paralysis, I learned that I could still play a fairly good ping-pong game switching from my right hand to my left hand with the paddle so that I could grip it. I could not play with expert players because my reaction time, while still fast, was off by lack of muscle to get the job done.
In pool, I could only hold the queue with my left hand, again not my right. But I played a pretty good game of eight ball…just straight shooting with no ability to put any English on the cube ball. Beat two sharks six games in a row.
I tried tennis once or twice. When I swung to hit the ball, the impact was so great, that the racket was wrenched from my hand and fell with a racket to the ground.
But I could still play a very good game of badminton. And probably wiffle ball, but I never did.
I remember one time with a bunch of faculty members on a picnic. Everyone got on the volleyball court except me. While they played for about an hour I drank wine and got drunk, to my girlfriend;s anger.
I might've, could've, been a contender when it comes to pickleball, if only it had been available when I was still able and my legs still moved quickly.
I've learned to give up gracefully all of those sports, but not pickleball.
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Though I consider myself an average recreational player, my performance last night was far below average. I just couldn’t find a groove, make good contact, or place a shot. I did enjoy one or two long dink rallies and had some decent drops, but overall bad playing gave me a reason to laugh at myself which I did throughout the hours. Again, the lobs kept coming, and many serves were “moon” shots, a large percentage of which had no real purpose in terms of strategy. Several balls went out.
