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| SUN LAKES LIFESTYLES | MAY 2024 | 53 POP Tennis POP Tennis, formerly known as Paddle Tennis, is a fun, fast sport that can be enjoyed by people at all fitness levels. Though played on a smaller court with a different paddle and 20 percent deflated tennis balls, POP Tennis is otherwise scored and regulated like traditional tennis. POP Tennis is played on the courts to the left of the Main Clubhouse on Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday mornings from 8 to 10 am (spring/summer hours). Additionally, there is a group that plays Tuesday and Thursday afternoons at 3 pm and Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday evenings from 6 to 8 pm. People are free to come and go as their schedules permit. All are welcome and there are always friendly folks to teach beginners the game! Paddles and balls are provided too. For more information or to be on a decision-making committee, please feel free to contact Carl Miller at (951) 512-3131. **All regular POP players are asked to get their $10 membership fee to Jeanne McGuire. The dues are used to plan parties, tournaments and buy balls and paddles. Hope you'll POP by! A pickleball court is 40 four feet long by 20 feet wide. Those aren't dimensions we generally worry about. There is, however, one distance that stands out: the most important 15 feet in pickle. That, friends, is the distance from the baseline to the kitchen line. Why? Because that is the ground a player must travel to get into the most important spot on the court. Every beginner recognizes that she or he must be able to get the serve in. After that, the key shot is the return of serve. The quickest way to improve your game is to be able to solve those 15 feet. Here's what we mean. The serving side is actually at a bit of a disadvantage in pickleball. Both partners must stay at the baseline until the return of serve has landed. On the other side of the court, in contrast, one member is already at the kitchen, by far the strongest position in the game. If the receiver is able to return the serve fairly deep and not too hard, she has the chance to join her partner up front before either of the serving side arrives. That gives a powerful edge to the receivers. For example, listen to Wayne Dollard who publishes Pickleball Magazine: "And the team who reaches the net first wins the vast majority of points at the beginner level." Here are some suggestions for accomplishing the feat. Pay attention to where you stand. If you shift too far left or right, you may have to move a few steps to get to the serve. Ideally, your feet will be planted as you strike the ball. Avoid trying to hit the ball hard. A smooth stroke parallel to your waist is best. Hitting hard is often a detriment to giving yourself time to beat the opponent to the kitchen. The deeper you can return the better, keeping those pesky opponents back as long as possible. An important tip: practice leaning-in to the return. Don't lean back or to your side. By leaning your weight forward as you strike the ball, your momentum naturally carries you toward the goal: the kitchen line. For beginners, another goal should be to hit down the middle, as near the baseline as possible. By putting the ball between the opposing team you can cause them a little uncertainty and keep both of them back. You don't have to win the 15-foot race by a lot. Just getting there first gives you an edge. New to Sun Lakes? Give our club VP, Judy Luna, a call to learn the best times to come out at (949) 929-2390. See you on the courts! Pickleball Club

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