About PickleballMAX

Tennis player turned pickleball player. I blog about how one maximizes their picklebility. Picklebility is simply defined as an embodiment of one's passion, ability and addiction to #pickleball. See you on the courts!

Similarities between Pickleball and Ping Pong

Pickleball is frequently described as a mashup of tennis, ping pong and badminton. And, indeed, there are several similarities amongst the four sports. Ping pong, in particular, has remarkable similarities to pickleball. Not only is the paddle … [Read more...]

Pickleball Dedicated Indoor Venues that will Turn you Green with Envy — Unless, of course, You Already Regularly Play at one of these Facilities!!!

At last. With dedicated, outdoor pickleball courts sprouting up in smaller cities and villages around the country, we are also beginning to see indoor options become just a little more plentiful. While we are certainly grateful for those YMCAs, … [Read more...]

Does Pickleball Paddle Technology Really Matter?

Go to any pickleball dealer website – or listen for just a couple of minutes to a pickleball paddle brand “ambassador” – and you’ll likely hear them extol the virtues of their brand’s latest paddle technology: A graphite core. A polymer core. A Nomex … [Read more...]

WinterMAX 2019 Pickleball Tournament

With temperatures plummeting and players flocking out-of-the-cold and indoors, we are once again approaching the date for our annual pickleball between-Christmas-and-New Year's get together – also known as the 2019 WinterMAX Pickleball … [Read more...]

Stop White-Knuckling your Paddle when Dinking!!!

As new students take pickleball lessons from me for the first time and we begin our progressions by dinking from the NVZ line, at some point during this initial lesson, I always pose the following question: On a scale of 1-10 (with 1 being a very … [Read more...]

Disagreement Over a NVZ Infraction in a Non-Officiated Match — What’s the Call?

You Make the Call! Here's the Scenario: In a non-officiated pickleball match, (and from the other side of the net) you notice your opponent has their foot on the NVZ Line during execution of the volley. You call them on the fault. Both opponents … [Read more...]

College Football Coaches Playing Pickleball

While college football fans are devouring Top 25 rankings in any-and-every publication they can get their hands on, the month of July marks the final month of a relatively quiet time for college coaches and staff. With the exception of spring … [Read more...]

Pickleball Focus, Purpose & Intention: Mental Toughness — Bridging the Gap between the Practice Court and the “Real” Court

We've all experienced it in varying degrees on the pickleball courts -- some more than others. As we exit the stress-free laboratory of the practice courts and enter the pressure-cooker of a "real" game or tournament match, we don't play in any way … [Read more...]

What is Pickleball and How do you Play?

"What is pickleball, and, how do you play pickleball," you ask? Invented in 1965 on Bainbridge Island, just outside of Seattle, Washington -- pickleball is a combination of tennis, ping-pong and badminton that is played on a court about one-third … [Read more...]