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 Happening - April 14, 2010

There are no photos today so this Blog effort will go quickly Here goes: There was at least one recent scheduling gaff, so we will end up playing 3 days this week, the next day being tomorrow (4/16/10). We had 6 players on the court under blue skies, moderate temperatures and occasional stiff breezes. Present: Johnny, John, Bob H, Ray, Gary and me (Ron). Players took turns working on Ray's game on the empty court. Then we worked Ray into the rotation and he started to make some real progress. Otherwise, we mixed it up and played for two hours and enjoyed the day - even with a minimal turnout. Looking forward to the match tomorrow and hope some of our long lost players can make it.

Spike

P'Ball - It's a blast! 4/13/2010

It was a sparkling day, and we had a fine turnout with 13 warm bodies and that does not include the smiley in the center of the top photo. Players: Ralph, Bob H., Jan, Anne, Peter F., Mike, John, Johnny, Carol, Joanie, Gary, Sharon and yon editor of dubious writing prowess. Joanie earns the Cover Person honors in this issue. You can be placed in that position next time for a small advanced gratuity. Cash only, please! The games were fast and furious and we went at it for 2-1/2 hours. Almost everyone was still standing, or at least leaning, at the end of the session.

Anne (Pit Bull) returned from Florida after having visited with Upstate Pickleball Group founders Ken & Lynn. She had a great visit and a warm reception. It took a while to get in the groove, but after her first match Pit Bull came around and gave her competition a notable workout. As you can see from the photos above, folks were laying into the ball with full force. No sissy games for the UPG! Bob H brought a bunch of home-made Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins that were a big hit. In keeping with our classy ways - he even brought a little table so we could enjoy the yummies in a dignified manner. Above top L-R: Joanie/Spidy, Jan, Gary; center L-R: Ralph (away)/Peter, Anne/Peter F, Carol/John; bottom L-R Spidy (forward)/Buckeye, John, Peter. If anyone can make sense of the picture descriptions above, please advise by email, snail mail, pony express or courier as a soon as possible and enclose a non-refundable stipend in the amount of $5 (USD). Looks like we'll be playing on Thursday, April 15th. Stay tuned (AND: Friday, April 16th).

Spike

Upstate Pickleball Group - April 9, 2010

When we arrived at the courts this AM, we had a little water to remove - deposited by last night's T-storms. But, we made short work of it, even though John wasn't there to supervise the project. We also had some serious wind to contend with (with which to contend?). And, pollen. More about that, later.
Present: Carol, Johnny, Peter, Bob H., Gary, Sharon and Ron. We elected to play on one court and shuffle players in, because there was no interest in playing Canadian Doubles. Which is just as well because we got a lot of gabbing time in. It was quieter today than usual; still trying to figure out why?

The wind offered up some challenges, but we laughed them off. In fact, some players used the wind to their advantage by lofting balls into the gusts thereby letting them land at some disagreeable spot for their opponent - sometimes even on the court.

Has anyone noticed the pollen in the last few weeks? Everything is coated with it, including the courts - in spite of the recent rain. Sharon discovered that, if you try to stop quickly while lunging forward, the body stops adequately, but the feet don't. She landed - not really daintily - on the deck and bummed her wrist. Or, she landed on her bum and decked her wrist. Or, something like that. Anyway, she is OK. We had fun today, but are missing some of our pals. Anne has an excuse, because she's in sunny Florida - probably visiting w/ Ken & Lynn at this very moment. And, that moment will depend on when you read this. Also: how about the collages that the UPG staff has been installing with gay abandon? You'll be collaged to death for the next six months or so. Finally, the Editor in Chief and his cronies will be fired, the production staff will be 're-assigned' and the old boring, captioned, single photos will re-appear just like in the good old days. So, keep the faith and we'll see you next week when we will once again change the starting time - this time to 9:30AM. Stay tuned.

Adios.

Spike

UPG - April 6, 2010

We had a very nice day and a great turnout of our 1st morning session of the season. We were glad to see Bob Tidball who stopped by for a visit. He didn't play because he is nursing a tender shoulder. Hoping Bob makes a quick recovery and then shows up to shake up the troops with some of his blistering shots. Present and in full action mode: Gary, Jan, John, Johnny, Joanie, Carol, Mike, Anne, Bob H, Sharon, newbie: Ray (who learned some finer points of the game on the empty court while a foursome was battling it out on the other court) and this writer, who you may have noticed did not commit hari-kari as promised in the previous BLOG. But, don't give up - there is still hope! Above: Bob H and Johnny take on Carol and Gary. Below: Johnny prepares to hit the ball, but only its shadow shows.

Below: Spidy takes one deep and sends it back with vigor.

Below: Joanie fires a missile as John (Spinmaster) looks on. As always, we had lots of good games and most folks were glad that we are in the morning (not mourning) mode. It's a good way to beat the heat.

OK, so the formatting didn't come out as expected. But thanks to Lynn's assistance the staff did manage to create the collage below. That's Jan demonstrating her dexterity. She's got to work on the leaping-over-the-net move. This - her first attempt this decade - only garnered her a 4.2 out a possible 10.

Again, glad to see Bob T again, and welcome to Ray for his 1st try at P'ball. Hope to see another good turnout at our next session, that will probably take place on Friday, 4/9/10.

Spike

'Hot' Pickleball Session - April 2, 2010

Above: Buckeye lifts one out of the corner and lets it fly with a smooth backhand.

It was the hottest day of the season with the temperature hovering right around 88 degrees. Luckily, we had some squirrely breezes that cooled things down a bit and helped account for more than a few balls that were somewhat off their mark. That's what a few players claimed, anyway.
Present and accounted for: Mike, Bob H, Johnny, Peter, Carol, Jan, John, Gary, Sharon & the person who one-finger-typed this BLOG. That would be 10 players for any bean counters who read this Blog.
The heat wore on us and some games seemed like they would never end. How many times can one say: "3, 4, 1" before people start dozing off? It turns out that saying it five times does the trick.
There were several blowouts and at least 3 matches where teams made big comebacks to utterly destroy the morale of their opponents. But, we had a swell day anyway, including some good-natured joshing. Above: Jan prepares to blast the little yellow pill toward Carol as Johnny looks on.
Below: Peter demonstrates some of his fanciest footwork!Below: Cupcake takes a crack at the ball, presumably with much needed and welcomed guidance from Spidy!

So, that's it folks. We will probably start playing in the morning starting next week. At some respectable hour like 9:00. Stay tuned.
Also: One picture that I planned to post disappeared (a picture of Gary-no-nick-name poaching a ball from Carol) when I made the mistake of trying to delete a line of text. The picture of Buckeye Bob was supposed to be the third picture, not the 'cover' picture. Apparently it is not possible to cut and paste text, so if one wants to change the location of text, it must be deleted then re-typed somewhere else. This 15-minute blurb has taken almost 2 hours and has worn this amateur, part-time Blogger, out. I'm going off to commit hari kari, or whatever it is that those Japanese folks do with those big knives - so I won't be there next week. It's been nice knowing you.
Spike (RIP)
Spidy: You had better show up and say something nice about me. I'd do the same for you, but I won't be available.

Pickleball - "Where it's at!" - 3/30/2010

Or, where is it at?

At Timmons Park on a sparkling day with eight players present - not necessarily at the same time.

Even though we had eight players, some left early and others arrived later and except for one monumental full-court singles match, we only occupied one court.

Present: Steve (after a several days hiatus), Anne, John, Mike, Bob H, Gary, Sharon & Ron.

Highlights:

Anne (Pit Bull) took a digger while moving back for a shot and ended up making a graceful, ballet-like fall and recovery. Brushed herself off, never lost her smile and continued the battle.

Buckeye Bob H was on fire. He drilled many a kill shot, frustrating the folks on the other side of the net. He made several notable hustle-plays as well. But, Buckeye never outwardly gloated. Or, did he? What about that wry smile? Hmmm.

John the Spinmaster, wore his opponents with his cunning (some would say: cruddy) drop shots.

Spidy & Gary were onto their games with their wicked serves and overhand smashes. More than one player wore a few of the shots on their person, when in fact, the real idea is to strike the ball with the paddle - not with the forehead.

Stevie Wonder, who finally came out of hiding, mumbled about being out of shape - for lack of playing. But, that didn't hold true in any of his matches. He played hard, his shots were mostly on target and, as is his custom - he maimed two players who were recipients of his signature overhand kill shot.

Cupcake, made some nice dashes for cross-court shots. Unfortunately, some of the return shots didn't actually land in the same court she was playing on - on the other hand, none went over the fence.

Yon author failed miserably at this session's photojournalistic duties as is probably already fairly evident, by the total lack of photographs. However, I did almost beat Spidy in a full-court singles match - loosing (or, being edged) by a score of 11-7.

We'll be playing on Friday 4/02/10. Hoping some some of our long-lost players can make it.

Spike

Pickleball - The Event - March 26, 2010

Above: Ralph and; Spidy
Below: Spidy in the 'slam' mode.

Below: Johnny digs one out as John looks on.

Below: Camo-hatted Cupcake making a running return.

We had a beautiful day for P'ball, but a low turnout - probably the result of weather predictions made 3 or 4 days ago. We of the Upstate Pickleball Group operate on ACTUAL weather conditions - not PREDICTIONS!!!

Seven turned out: John, Johnny, Mike, Ralph, Peter, Sharon and yours (not necessarily) truly.

We started the days activities, by clearing the deck of water from recent rains. This mission was deftly handled by Chief Swabber, John and his crew of two.

We played doubles on one court and Canadian Doubles or singles on the other - depending, in part - on who we could extract from their lounge chairs. Peter F, competing in his second session, is making a lot of headway, and made several nice hustle plays. The wind was a slight factor, but had no actual influence on the outcome of any matches except perhaps in someone's subconscious.

Lots of good matches and more to come - depending on the real - not imagined - conditions.

Our thoughts are with our good friends and their loved ones.

Spike

Pickleball - The Sport - March 23, 2010

Present: Jan, John, Johnny, Ralph, Gary, Mike, Sharon, this Blogger and visitor Carolyn (shown above being tutored by Johnny). We had a very nice day, with some wind at the start, but it settled down as the session wore on. Sunny with the temp hanging right around 70 degrees. No complaints there. Below: Spidy is about to take one deep and send it flying.

Above: Ralph lifts one, while John looks on.

Below: Sharon charges the net and pounds the ball as Spidy stands ready for a return.

There was a lot of net-play today including several exceptional volleys. There were more than a few 'torso-shots', but no one suffered any lasting damage.

Carolyn (first photo), showed up to watch us in action. She has never played P'ball before, but is a tennis player so we expect that she will get the hang of the game in short order. We had an empty court, because our group thinned out, so Johnny spent some time showing Carolyn how to serve and other playing techniques. Spidy and this writer also spent some time going over the rules and scoring, so Carolyn should be ready to roll when she shows up to play.

Next session. To be determined depending on the weather, which is being worked on at the moment you read this!

Spike

Pickleball as we know it. 3/19/2010

If you are on the ball, you will immediately notice that there are no photographs attached to this report. So, don't spend a lot of your precious time looking for them.

Nine players were present on this balmy day: Newbie Peter (who made a good showing), Johnny, Ralph, Mike, John, Bob H, Gary, Sharon and this Blogist.

We had many exciting games, the first few of which, Gary was on fire. Consequently, he and his lucky partner blew away their opponents. But the rest of us picked up our games in short order and the scores reflected the balance.

Pete F joined us for his 1st time a P'ball. He played several games and came around nicely. Welcome Pete.

Chief cook and bottle washer, Bob H arrived early, but he didn't come empty handed. He brought along a box of fresh-made granola bars. And, he brought a small serving table so the yummies could be properly displayed and consumed in a dignified fashion.

Spike and Johnny were pretty lethal at the net, wounding several players on the receiving end of their kill shots. Two of our players - formerly altos, are now sopranos.

We plan on playing on Tuesday, March 23, 2010.

Spike

Pickleball Reunion - 3/16/2010

Above: Our group minus Johnny, Carol and Gary who escaped before the photo session got under way.

We had a great day for Pickleball, and a good turnout of folks to welcome Ken & Lynn who arrived here from Florida on the 15th and will head back that way too soon. Joannie came out of hiding and got right into the game. Anne came, but didn't play because she was feeling a little punky with allergies. PRESENT: Lynn, Ken, Johnny, Carol, Ralph, Anne, Joannie, Mike, Gary, John, Jan, Sharon and Ron. That should add up to 13. We played for 3 hours. It was great to have Ken & Lynn back in town. They showed off some of their Sunshine State moves and we locals promised not to use them, especially the Orange Blossum, side-arm shank shot that was Ken's specialty. Lynn's Backhand double-shunt with a twist was very effective as well.

Below: Spike and Cupcake (standing nearby) accept the coveted PICKLE during the renown "Passing Of The Pickle" ceremony that originated here in the Upstate, but is copied all over the world. The Pickle was first entrusted to Ken & Lynn during a lavish ceremony
last December. Thanks to Anne for the picture.

Kelow: Ken leans into one. John at the ready.
Below: Ralph lets one rip. Faster than a speeding bullet.
Below: John huffs as he hurls the pill toward his (and Ken's) opponents. John had a beauty of a fat lip, but he didn't get from playing Pickleball. Just a little bad luck.
Below: Jan and Lynn mix it up.
Above: Johnny fires away as Cupcake looks on.
Below: Gary was on his game, as usual. Blasting away.

After many hard-fought matches we adjourned to the Brick City Grille to do a little more socializing before Ken & Lynn returne to Florida. Some folks couldn't make it and a few gave plausible reasons why not - even though excuses were not solicited, or even necessary. The STORY about one of our members delivering a baby at Timmons Park was a Pinocchio doozie.

Revelers @ the restaurant: Lynn, Ken, Joannie, Jan, Anne, Ralph, Lynne, Sharon & Ron. We killed a few hours there, had some adult beverages, good food and excellent service. And, thanks to the generosity of Ralph, the rest of us got out of there scot free.

So, we sent Ken & Lynn off in good style and are looking forward to their next visit. Thanks to K & L for bringing Pickleball to Greenville. Look at all of the fun we are having!

Spike

Pickleball Experience - 3/09/2010

Beautiful day. Temperature to 73 degrees, mostly sunny and enough wind to keep the games interesting. Eleven were in attendance and also present: Anne (aka Pit Bull shown above about to pulverize the little yellow ball), Jan, Sharon (Cupcake), Bob H. (Buckeye), Johnny, John (Spin Master), Mike (Spidy - shown below - eyeing the ball which is about to go for a ride), Gary (no nick name yet), Ralph, Steve (Stevie Wonder) and this writer of dubious writing prowess, Ron (aka Spike).

As always, we had many hard-fought battles, accompanied by the ever-present hooting and hollering by our most vociferous players. One shut-out was recorded, and there were a few games that weren't completed until they got into the low teens. Below: Stevie Wonder takes a little rest, in the middle of a game. He finally took a 'medical time-out' which is allowed under the International World Pickleball Federation Rules of South Carolina and the Eastern United States (IWPFROSCATEUS).

Buckeye brought these supremely, sumptuous granola bars (below). Their presence caused quite a commotion and some notable game delays, because a few players tended to mill around the box of goodies, pretending to fetch balls while - in fact - they were supposed to be playing. The Rules Committee is looking into this problem and will report at the beginning of our next session.

Below: Buckeye covers some ground and deftly hefts one back over the net.

Below: Johnny and Stevie Wonder man their side of the net.
Below: Jan tags one while Cupcake looks on.

Above: John smokes a forehander.

So, that's it for today folks. We had a blast, lots of great games, some laughs and munchies, too. Doesn't get much better than that. Hoping the weather cooperates so we can get another natch in this week.

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