Upstate Pickleball - April 16, 2010 - Timmons Park

Today was another great day and it was made even better because we were able to welcome two new players (Robin & James); Bob T made a showing and is in fine form; Muriel and Rebecca came out of the woodwork and we had a beautiful day to boot. Gary (above) made the cut and became today's poster boy after having paid a handsome fee for the privilege. Bob T, nursing a sore shoulder played his usual hard game. He also donated a half dozen new, white pickleballs. We will only use them when Jan is present, because the white ones are her favorites! Below: Bob T, Sharon, Muriel and Robin in action.

Robin and James have only been playing P'ball for a few months, but it doesn't show in their games. They played well and fit right in with our goofy crowd. Rebecca only played a few games, but she had fun doing it. She's full of laughs and pounded the ball like a real trooper. All and all it was a great day for playing pickleball and as always - we had many fine games. Below: Bob T and Rebecca in action.

Below: Sharon and Ray taking it to their opponents.

Below: Robin and James will have no problem getting into the groove with the Upstate Pickleball Group. Welcome.

Official tally: Nine. Already mostly listed above in various locations. Bob T, Rebecca, Gary, Muriel, James, Robin, Ray, Sharon & Ron. So, that's the blurb for today. We enjoyed ourselves, had a nice day and everyone walked away under their own power. We'll be at again next week. See you then.

Spike

Pickleball Adventure - March 5, 2010

Above: Rebecca, about to mash a forehander. The recipient of her return should be discharged soon and is expected to be back on the courts an a few months.

We had a near-record crowd on this bright, windy day including two newbies pictured somewhere below. In attendance and having fought fiercely throughout the entire 2-1/2 hour event: Johnny, Rich (one of the first-timers, - all the way from Beaufort, SC), Jan, Ralph, Bob H, Bob R. (newbie, but a quick study), Mike, Catherine, Dave H. (aka David), Rebecca, Anne, Gary, Sharon and this blurbist (This word is not in Webster's Collegiate Dictionary - Tenth Edition - but, it should be. Commit it to memory).

Above: The Peanut Gallery.
Below: Johnny, returns a shot as Dave H looks on.

Below: Bob R. Is about to smear the ball with an under-cut, forehander. His first time @ P'ball, but like most tennis players, he caught onto the game quickly.

Below: Jan at, but not over the red line, prepares to put away a mis-placed lob.

Below: Rich and Sharon are ready for a return from their opponents. Rich plays tennis, racquetball and other sports. He got in the groove immediately, and was able to keep track of the score, something that even some of the 'veteran players' have a problem with, especially after a lengthy rally. But, we are working on it. We have the time!

'Catherine the Great' took over the photojournalistic duties and shot several rolls of film which is no simple chore with a digital camera. She took many photos including the one below. This game is best when played with a paddle, though none is evident in my right hand.

As always, we had many exciting matches, made somewhat challenging due to swirling wind-gusts. And, as usual we had an 'incident'. In this case, Spidy and Buckeye were playing against the formidable team of Cupcake and Jan. S & B were building a worthy lead. Spidy seemed to be taking most of the shots on his side of the net, leaving Buckeye standing around twiddling his thumbs to kill time. In an overwhelming act of kindness Spidy fetched a chair for Bucky and placed it on the playing court so he could rest his weary bones while Spidy single-handedly held off the competition. Somewhat later in the match - as Cupcake and Jan battled for the lead, Spidy sat in the chair and allowed Buckeye to have a few shots. S&B eventually won the match but, as expected the outcome of the match is being challenged by the much disgruntled team of C&F. The Upstate Pickleball Rules Committee (TUPRC - pronounced Tup -er-see), will meet within the next few months to decide, if a rule should be enacted to prevent the introduction chairs and/or other appurtenances on the court during play? Will advise accordingly.

We'll be playing next week.

Spike

P'Ball Report - January 27, 2010

We had a nice day for Pickleball and a good turnout of eleven players. The one and only problem we had was a big shortage of courts. It turns out that one court was occupied by tennis players - if you can believe that. As our group grew, we eyed the tennis players figuring that they wouldn'y stick around long. But, they kept at it for two hours. So, by mutual consensus, the Fab Foursome of Spidy, Stevie Wonder, Ralph and John (Spin Doctor) took off for McPherson Park where they played about five games, but not before they got some games in at Timmons.

The players: Steve (Stevie Wonder), Mike (Spidy), Dave, Catherine, Anne (Pit Bull), Bob H (Buckeye), Sharon (Cupcake), Ralph, John, (Spin Doctor), Rebecca (new today, but a quick study), and your's truly Ron (Spike).

We had many fine games at Timmons including a few big comeback wins. Sunny with some breeze. Dave had some masterful spin on his returns, that caused a few players to corkscrew around while flailing wildly at balls that ended up being where they weren't expected to be.

The photo above is of Anne (aka Pit Bull). The photo is not blurry because the photographer didn't steady the camera. Not on your life! Anne was so quick at this moment that even though the shutter speed was set to 1/2000th of a second, it was not quick enough to stop her incredible speed. So, fast even, that the court is blurry as well.

Above: Buckeye (best dressed player of the day) executes his signature backhand.

Below: Rebecca - new to P'ball, but not to racquett sports - starts to get the hang of it. She settled in after a few matches and made some nice shots. Welcome.

Three of the Fab Foursome returned from McPherson and reported on their adventures. Good thing they got some games in, because just before they returned, the two tennis players left and were almost immediately replaced by a tennis instructor and his student.

We will play again on Thursday, January 28th @ 10:00 AM. Timmons Park.

See you then.

Spike