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54 | SUN LAKES LIFESTYLES | FEBRUARY 2020 | Pickleball is a fairly new sport, still being discovered and improved. One event coming up in June illustrates this quite well. The First Annual USA Pickleball National Indoor Championships will be held in Hoover Alabama from June 9 through 13. While that's a long way for us to travel, it is encouraging to see this style of play being recognized on the national level. We Sun Lakes picklers have regular opportunities to try the indoor version at Beaumont's Chatigny Center on Tuesday and Thursday mornings. The regular crew there are very friendly and always welcoming. Play starts at 8 am if you want to give it a try. The gym is on the corner of Cherry Avenue and Oak Valley Parkway. The main difference from outdoor play is the ball. It is tailor-made for the typical wood floor with larger holes than the fresh-air variety. Pickleball is usually played doubles-style, men/women/mixed. Singles is popular particularly among younger players as it is much more demanding physically. Some of our club will play a version we call "Aussie Style" which is great for three players, usually while we await the fourth to arrive. But as the sport has grown, the national organization has christened a more formal version of singles play called Skinny Pickle. Aussie style is two- on-one with the server covering only his or her half of the court and the pair of opponents using the whole of their side. The game hones sharper shots as the two-side must keep their shots only on half the court. Skinny Pickle borrows on that aim of providing a game that improves accuracy. Two players face off on the same side, or on the diagonal and reduce the demanding singles match to a more manageable half-court setting. There are tournaments offering this style of singles play to cater to us seniors. Just another way of broadening the appeal of our already booming sport. Another way of combining accuracy-drills with the fun of game play is to use just the no-volley zone (The Kitchen) as the field of play. This is suited to singles, threesomes or doubles matches and helps us practice that all-important dink. Any shot outside The Kitchen is out of bounds, forcing a finesse game that is valuable in all sorts of pickle play. This is great for youngsters who are just learning and adapting to the weight of the paddle. Keeping the shots to just over the net makes the game fun for the kids, too. So, it's the new year and we have many chances to play. See you on the courts! Pickleball Club

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