PickleBlogger.com

What is Body bagging in pickleball?  A pickleball tactic known as body bagging involves hitting an opponent in the body with a ball that has accelerated off the bounce. It's regarded as pickleball's most deceptive tactic. Some argue that body bagging is not suitable for every game and that open-court play should prohibit targeting an opponent above the shoulder. They also say that continued body-bagging can make pickleball less accessible to new players.

There is some controversy as to the word “pickle” in pickleball, it is generally accepted that in the summer of 1965, pickleball was founded by Joel Pritchard, Bill Bell, and Barney McCallum on Bainbridge Island, Washington. Shortly thereafter, Joan Pritchard, the wife of Joel had come up with the name “pickleball”, associating it with the thrown-together leftover non-starters in the “pickle boat” of crew races. However, years later, as the sport of pickleball grew in popularity, there was some controversy when neighbors of the Pritchard family said they were present when Joan Pritchard named the game after their dog, Pickles. Nevertheless, the Pritchard family including Joan has remained steadfast for decades that the dog “Pickles” joined the family a few years after and in fact named after the pickleball game.  So, it seems the name "pickleball" is associated with the thrown-together leftover non-starters in the “pickle boat” of crew races.

 Life of a pickleball.  The durability and longevity of pickleball balls varies from brand to brand and how often you play. Some say outdoor pickleballs should be replaced in 3 to 10 games depending on how often you place, others say about 100 hours. Rule of thumb, if the ball starts to show cracks and loses its bounce, it's time to replace the ball.

It is a strategic position, not a rule, the receiver’s partner should stand behind the kitchen line (or non-volley line) to keep an eye on the serve and help call the ball if it's out of play.  You can also defend the line.  In doubles, there’s no rule on the position of any player with the exception of the server, which must serve from behind the line.  Players can position themselves anywhere as long as they are on their respective side of the court.

WHAT IS A VETERAN? You can't tell a veteran just by looking. He is the cop on the beat who spent six months in Saudi Arabia sweating 2 gallons a day making sure the armored personnel carriers didn't run out of fuel. He is the barroom loud-mouth whose frat-boy behavior is outweighed in the cosmic scales by four hours of unparalleled bravery near the 38th Parallel in Korea. She is the nurse who fought against futility in Da Nang and went to sleep sobbing every night for two solid years. He is the POW who went away one person and came back another. He is the white-haired old guy bagging groceries at the supermarket, aggravatingly slow, who helped liberate a Nazi death camp. A Veteran is an ordinary and extraordinary human being who offered his life's most vital years in the service of his country. He is a soldier and a savior and a sword against the darkness, and nothing more than the finest, greatest testimony on behalf of the finest, greatest nation ever known. We will never...

An idea has been floating among real estate developers to build pickleball courts inside struggling shopping malls. Question. Would you go out to the mall just to play pickleball ?