FriBall - June 15, 2012

Below: Jacob-the-younger and Stevie Wonder

We had a sparkling day and enough warm bodies to fill all five courts and we had a few bench-warmers too. Twenty-four in all. Sorry to say the UPG Staff Bloggist of dubious renown, can only come up with 21 names. Some were new folks - so, forgive the forgetfulness. Present: Mike, Steve, Gary A, Gary, Bob T, Johnny, Anne, Walt, Jacob, Lynne, Sandy, Jack, June, Claude, Don, Ray, Mick, Bob D, Julie, Sharon and Ron.

Above L: Johnny and Claude; Top: ? and Walt; Bottom: Don and Spidy.

Below: From Top L clockwise - Bob T, Don, Jacob, Spidy (Mike).

Our new players keep on improving their games and some of the most recent arrivals are on their games as well. Experienced players are doing a good job working with the new crowd and getting them into more competitive matches. It is best for beginning players to not move too quickly into matches that are well above their skill level. There are plenty of playing opportunities during our regular sessions Everyone should be able to get into competetive games. There is no harm in setting up matches with players around your individual level of play. Don't hang around waiting to asked to play.Take the bull by the horns and set up your own matches. But, don't forget to rotate other players in.

Spike

Tuesday Pickleball Report - 6/12/2012

Due in part to an 'equipment malfunction' often referred to a 'brain cramp' no photos were taken during this session. Yon Editor-in-Chief was not able to locate the UPG camera even though it was in a paddle-bag that was searched 3 times. As luck would have it, somewhat related photos became available and are shown below with wordy explanations. But first today's 13 players: Johnny, Carol, Sharon, Lynne, Karen, Sandy, Steve, Gary A, Gary, Mike, Hank, Bob T and Ron.

The day was warm, sunny and very humid. But, that didn't stop folks from playing long and hard. Activity included doubles, at least one Canadian Doubles match, singles practice - including dinks, individuals battling against the backboard and occasionally winning. So, we had it all - but, none of it recorded for posterity.

NEWS: We heard from Richard W of the Keowee Keys crowd. Construction had begun on their 4 dedicated Pickleball courts (photo below). They will be lighted and at least partially fenced. The courts will be ready for play in September. Once the courts are operational and broken in by the KK Crew we just might get an invitation to give them a try. Richard will keep us apprised of the progress.

Gary A has beens sending email info about the upcoming tournament at Lake Lure. A very exciting and well run event. So, be sure to read related emails and plan on attending either as a participant or perhaps you can do some volunteer work as a ball shagger; or, just attend as a spectator. If you plan to compete, you might want to rustle up a partner, or partners if you plan to enter more than one event.

We have also received an invitation from the Mountain Picklers Pickleball Club. The group is hosting the: 2^nd Annual Student Scholarship Fund Invitational Pickleball Tournament

July 13 and 14, 2012 :  Detailed info will be emailed to all UPGers.

 

Last but not least:  One of our pickleball players left this darling hat at the Gower courts - probably on 6/11. Mike, Steve and the two Garys vehemently deny ownership of the hat, but that flies in the face of some of the rumors that are circulating. If you know its owner, please advise and your identity will be protected.

Next up: FridayBall. June 15, 2012.
Spike

Friday P'ball - June 10, 2012

We had 17 warm bodies on the courts. That crowd played some hot matches including more than a few'guts' matches. Players: Gary A, Gary, Steve, Mike, Claude, Johnny, Peter, Lynne, Jack and June, Bob S, Sharon, Ray, Sandy, Don, Joanie and yon editor. Not too much to report because everyone was on their best behavior. We are happy to report that Peter and Margot have returned from a trip down the Danube - and, Peter at least, seems none the worse for the wear. He sidestroked most of the way. Johnny and Carol conducted their first OLLIE Pickleball session on June 7th at Furman University. They had 9 students. They all demonstrated a knack for the game. We will more than likely end up with some of the players from that group.

Below. Top L-R: June and Gary; Bottom L-R: Jack and Mike (Spidy)

Below: UPGers also know how to relax: That's Don on the left, Johnny/Peter/Lynne (Ace) top R and under the tree Sharon (Cupcake) and Bob S.

We'll be back at it next week. See you then. Bring these things: your paddle, your best game and a sense of humor. Or, come empty-handed and take your chances.
Hot Dipped

June 5, 2012 - P'ball report

We were rained out for our morning session, so Gary A, after consulting with the UPG Board of Directors and Weather Arrangers BoDWA), rescheduled the session for 1:00PM. Twelve players presented themselves. Johnny, Carol, Lynne, Gary A, Gary, Steve, Jacob the younger, Don, Claude, Mike, Ron and Sharon. Weather: Warm and very humid. Steve did some squeegeeing when he first arrived (or, arrived first) and the courts self-dried soon after.

Below: Claude showing off his maximum vertical leap (4 inches with his left foot!).

We played several doubles matches (UPG's standard fare) and a few singles matches as well. The most exciting event to take place (sorry, no video coverage) was when one of the long Garys took an uppercut shot at a ball that was also being played by his somewhat closer-to-the-ground, partner. Gary, sometimes known for his savagery, struck the ball and his partner's grimacing face at the same time. Unfortunately, the ball didn't clear the net so the point was lost. The unintended? victim babbled incoherently for a few minutes, but was able to resume playing. Gary's paddle is OK.

Below: Spidy about to blast a forehand.

Below: Jacob letting one go by for his partner.

Excellent weather is predicted for Friday, June 8. Hope to see you there.

Galvanized

Friday P'ball - June 1, 2012

You can all relax now. The UPG Chief Photographer and his/her able assistant: 'Yon Editor" are both back in town and back in the groove. And, just in the nick of time, too by the looks of the two previous Blogs!.

We had 16 players in action: Gary, Gary A, Mike, Anne, Sandy F, Ray, Don, Bob D, Jack E, Johnny, Jacob, Walt, John, Karen, Sharon and Ron.

Welcome to Bob D and Jack E. Both former paddlesport players. This was their first P'ball session with the UPG. Looks like it won't take them long to get the hang of it. Also: Young Jacob the Grandson of new player Walt played his 2nd session with our crowd. This may be he first time that we have had a Grandfather/Grandson duo playing as a team at a UPG function. Jacob brought the average age of our players down by 1.5 years to 65.3 or something like that.

Below: Gary and Gary A.

 

Below: Jacob and his Grandfather, Walt.

So, here's how it went: We had good weather, plenty of feisty players, loads of good matches and a heck of a good time. Any questions?

R. R. Spike

Tuesday P'ball - May 29, 2012 - Even briefer.

Once again your roaming reporter received no info about this session except that it did occur. Hope you had fun and won at least one match. If not, sorry. Next time.

Bent

May 25, 2012 - Friday - Brief report

There were no active journalists present during this session - consequently there are no photographs - and there is no report of the activities that took place - however exciting they may have been. There was an unofficial report that "about 12 players were there."

Fear not if you are concerned about the tally of "labels" - it is the list where the number of sessions you have played are counted. They will not be tallied from this day forth. If you care about how many sessions you have played in - you'll have to keep track of them on your own. It's too cumbersome to keep track of the players and we can only record 20 "labels" anyway.

Sharpened Point

Tuesday P'ball and Annual Picnic - May 22, 2012

Beautiful Pickleball day. Another good crowd of players were on hand to romp around the courts and socialize at will. There were 20 players - more or less. This the list that the UPG Publications Conglomerate, Inc. came up with: Bob T, Bob H, Lynne, Anne, Sharon, Jan, Mike, Steve, Gary A, Gary, Walt, Bill S, Sandy F, Ray, Ralph, Johnny, Claude, John, Gene and Ron. The matches were fast and furious and we kept at it for almost 3 hours with the crowd dwindling as the time went flying by. Our new players are coming along just fine and most now mingle in matches with more experienced players. They all have their own paddles. Gary A has been hounding them, with considerable success, for a contribution toward our ball fund. - Ray had to quit early today with a bum foot. Unlike some of us, he has the good sense to stop playing when his body tells him to. - Where is Joe M you ask? He kind of disappeared a few weeks ago. The UPG Player Representative liaison consulted w/ Joe. During his last p'ball session he somehow stubbed his toes and managed to fracture two of them in the process. So, he'll be out of commission for a while. - Gene is heading to the Granite State for the next few months so we'll have to find someone else to pick on in his absence. Any ideas?

Below: Jan on the move.

Below: Bob T and Johnny both going for the ball. Who got it?

Below: From Top Left clockwise: Ralph, Bill S/Sandy F, part of the City of Greenville fleet, Lynne and Gene.

Before we broke up at about Noon, the entire parking lot was occupied by virtually every heavy truck owned by the City and mostly men in orange safety vests were milling around - some watching our matches, others had a beefy, pick-up basketball game in full swing and two men started a tennis match on court 5. Apparently the workers and family members (or, office staff) were having some sort of outing.

They seemed to be having a good time and probably well deserved. Good for them. We had a good time too. So, we are even.

Spike

May 18, 2012 - Friday P'ball report

Yon editor was roaming in the NC mountains, so Gary A was kind enough to provide the names of Friday's 16 players: Diana L (a new player; welcome to the UPG), Ray, Hank, Ralph, Johnny, Carol, Claude, Peter, Gene, Sandy F, Walt, Bob T, Mike, Jan, Steve and Gary A.

High-carbon

TuesdayBall - May 15, 2012

This photo is the first attempt at a grope group picture since the last one taken on October 12, 2010. The players very kindly stopped their matches and lined up as requested. It would appear, after a close examination that - tempting as it may have been - no one put up 'rabbit ears' behind anyone's head. The photo will liven up a bit if you click to enlarge it. We had 21 players on four courts and things went smoothly. Don and Hank, our most exuberant new players, both made running/lunging attempts at out-of-reach balls, but thankfully they did not take any divots out of themselves or the courts.

Players: (All included in the group photo above): Gary A, Bob H, Mike, Jan, Karen, Lynne, Sharon,  Bill S, Don, Sandy F, Dan L, Barbara L, Bob T, Johnny, Carol, Gene, Hank, Peter, Ray, Steve and Ron.

Goodies: Bob H brought a nice batch of brownies lovingly prepared by his darling wife Geri. As always, Hoppy brought a little table for the brownies, napkins and baggies so players could bring some of the treats home. The goodies were NOT extorted from Bob for leaving a folding chair on the court last week. The chair was absolutely NOT held for ransom as some people hurtfully implied. In the past, items left behind have been held for a FINDERS FEE, but in no way would that be considered a bribe.

Pickleball: Nothing unusual here. Many fine doubles matches and a good mix of players. Near the end of the session about 6 singles matches were also held. As everyone knows, there is a lot more running around in singles matches than in doubles. Here, you have to work on ball placement and strategy. Everyone should try playing singles - you may take a beating if you are out played, but you'll improve your skills if you don't wear yourself out first.

Also: We were paid a visit by two Greenville Rec staffers. As already mentioned, we had a full house so they got to see our group in full force.

See you on the courts.

Hammered Head (Not hammerhead!)

Friday P'ball - May 11, 2012

A bright day, gusty winds and 21 P'ballers added up to an exceptional day at Gower. We occupied all five courts and kept at least one of them smoking for almost 3 hours. Players: Bob T, Claude, Steve, Mike, Karen, Johnny, Carol, John, Gene, Lynne, Anne, Sandy F, Don, Sharon, Hank, Bill S, Ray, Joanie, Barbara L, Dan L and Ron. The wind caused some wayward serves, but most players figured it out and compensated accordingly.

Below: Reflecting. Self portrait in Lynne's shades.

                                                                Below: Kibitzing.

                               Below: Returns. From Top Left Clockwise: John, Johnny, Don, Bill S.

Below: From Top Left CW: Bob T, Sharon, Karen, Barbara L

Below: Anne. aka - Pit Bull or Duchess - your choice!

Not too much to report. The pictures say it all (each picture is worth a thousand words. Remember?). We had loads of players, lots of matches, good weather. Any questions?

Hand Extruded 

Rain Date. Tuesday, May 8, 2012

The courts were wet when players started to arrive at about 9:15. So, we went to work with a push broom and quickly made two courts serviceable and started playing. Eventually we had 12 players: Gary A, Steve, Sandy F, Ray, Hank, Don, Bob H, Claude, Peter, Lynne, Gene and the Birthday boy Ron. John F was also on hand, but he had a note from his Doctor so he was allowed to sit out. After about an hour it started to sprinkle, then drizzle, then rain in all its glory. It was about that time that Peter arrived. Most people would have made a subtle u-turn in the parking lot and headed home - the rest of us wet dogs - none the wiser. But, Peter joined us when we were enduring a genuine rain. Long lost (but never forever) Claude returned from his annual Beaufort, Sc hiatus and got into the swing of things as seen below R with Steve.

Below L-R, Top - bottom, intermediate. Counterclockwise and in between: Gary A

The hard-nosed group continued playing for about 1/2 hour after the rain started in earnest. We finally called it quits when the balls quit bouncing due to the puddles that covered the courts. No softies here.

Below: Spike. Where'd everyone go?

Gower is where it's happening.

Be there or be square.

The Birthday boy. Harry Truman, too.

Quatro de Mayo - 5/4/12 - Friday P'ball

Another sparkling day at Gower. Favorable weather and wind and a big crowd of players including two new to our ranks: Sue P and Gail pictured somewhere below. We had 19 players unless you can prove otherwise. Count them: Mike, Steve, Gary A, Gene, Lynne, Anne, Sue, Bill S, Bob T, Walter, Don, Hank, Ray, Sue P, Gail, Dan L, John F, Sandy F and Ron.
Welcome to our new players Sue P and Gail. Congratulations to Bill S. for his very exciting court slide. About 10 feet - on his back. A maneuver that should not be attempted, unless you are wearing protective gear - and, never by mature adults. But, if there is a good crowd...?
Newsy stuff. Gary A has taken over the weekly notifications - a chore that Steve has been doing for about a year. Thanks from all to Steve - aka, Stevie Wonder.

Above: L. Ace and Spidy; Top R: Steve: Gary A

Below: Sue at the ready.

Below. Top R: Dan L. Bot L: Gail/Sandy. Bot R: Sue P

This report should have been posted in the May Day Blog.
On May 1, Bob H (Buckeye to his friends and enemies) started a match. What follows are his words as extracted from an email he sent to Sharon explaining why he would have forgotten a chair that was inadvertently left under a tree at Gower when the players cleared out on Tuesday: "The cause of this was due to the last game I played in which my partner and I scored an 11-0 shutout. My partner was some guy named Ron. I served all 11 points. This Ron dude never got a chance to serve. He just had to stand there and watch the show develop. In fact as the game was nearing the end I asked Ron that if he wanted to he could go sit in my chair and rest till the game was over."
Below is an excerpt from the 5/14/2010 Blog report.
...Most importantly: Carol started a match @ "zero, zero only" and never gave up the serve winning the match almost single-handedly 11 - 0. I (Yon Editor, Ron) was lucky enough to be her partner and barely had to move during the shellacking of whoever the opponents were.

See u @ P'ball.
16d

May Day - not mayday. Tuesday, May 1, 2012

It seemed like a 'mayday' might have been called for by the way folks were invading the courts. Twenty five players to be exact. But, for the most part pandemonium was averted and order prevailed. Some folks were on the courts for 3-1/2 hours still slamming away. These new players joined us today: Eddy S (Carol's brother), Walt J,  John and Sandy F and Don D. They have all played p'ball or other paddle sports and did well during their first session with the UPG brawlers at Gower Pickleball Stadium. Welcome to Uptate Pickleball. Notice about all photos posted in this Blog. They can be enlarged somewhat by left double-clicking on them. Also: If anyone wants any of the images yon Editor will glady email copies. And: If you are mis-identified, or are not included in the text please let the Publishing Division know via email c/o Spike.

Above: From Top L Clockwise: Sue, Mike (Spidy), Sandy, Bill S.

Below: From Top L Clockwise: Karen, Sandy/Pop, Walter, Pop/Gary A, Lynne (Ace).

Below: From Top L Clockwise: Bob T, Pop, Sharon (Cupcake), Steve E Wonder, Carol (Lash)

Today was a banner day, not just because we had one of our largest crowds of this century, but we also had 60 spankin' new, yellow balls delivered by Purchasing Agent Gary A. So, our satchels are full of balls and we are good to go for a while.
Note: With four courts in action folks may end up sitting around when they would prefer to be playing. You are encouraged to rustle up some players and start a match. Best to chose folks who are in your general skill range to assure a competitive and enjoyable match. Experienced UPGers are encouraged to work with new players and new players are encouraged to gradually work their way into the stronger matches.

http://usapa.org/officialrules/

See you at Gower.
Spike

Arbor Day P'ball - Friday, April 27, 2012

There were some big plans for this Arbor Day p'balls session POST, but the staff got sluggish, then lazy and finally ran out of time - so this blog entry will be a much shortened version of what was originally intended to to be several pages of mindless drivel.

Friday was bright and warm; perfect weather for p'ball and the large turnout of 18 players. Here goes: Jan, Bob T, Mike, Gary, Gary A, Lynne, Hank, Craig, Sue, Gene, Carol, Johnny, Steve, Ray, 2-session-veteran Julie, newbie Judy and Sharon and Ron. That should be approximately 18?

Several salty UPGers worked with the newer players on one or two courts while the other hard-hitters beat up each other (and, themselves) on two of the the other 3 courts. As usual there were many exceptional matches including the one shown below where Gary A and Steve (foreground L-R) face off against Bob T and Mike (L-R). 



Below CW from Top L: Sharon (Cupcake to her friends), Lynne (Ace) and Gene (Pop).

Hot of the press: Gary A (Collector of Revenue, Ball Buyer and general all-around handy-man) reports that we UPGers are now the proud owners of 60 brand-new, yellow P'balls which will complement our currently-in-use, scuffed and somewhat abused 40 or so balls of many colors. So, we are back in business. See you on the courts.

Spike

Tuesday P,ball - April 24, 2012 - Official Report

Corrections (now repaired) on the April 20th BLOG brought to the attention of the UPG Publishing Division by Cupcake herself. Spelled Craig incorrectly once and correctly once (It's CRAIG). Fixed the misspelled one. Spelled whaling wrong. Feel better now. How about you?

We had a cool, bright day with some moderate wind. Thirteen players dropped by as follows: Regulars - John, Gary A, Steve, Mike, Gene, Joe, Ray, Bob T and yon editor. Newer players - Bill S and Mike M (formerly Mikey2 - now on the injured list) . Two new players joined us for the first time. They are Barbara L and Dan L shown below being briefed by John the SpinDoctor.

For the most part the newer players occupied Court 1. They played among themselves or played with more experienced players to hone their skills, to learn the fine art of serving and other elements of the game. We have gained quite a collection of new players at various skill levels. UPGers are working with the players. It won't take long for some of the players to perk up their game. Players should know that they are not committed only to our regular scheduled sessions. There are three courts in Greenville with P'ball lines. If any folks want to form their own practice groups, or if they want to play on different days and times - you are encouraged to do so. All you need is a bag of balls and a tie down.

In the mean time Courts 2 & 3 were occupied by the more skilled players and a bunch of exceptional matches went into the record books.

We are used to aircraft flying over on their final approach to the Downtown Airport, but today was special. A military aircraft (believed to be an A-6 by the Editorial Squad) flew over. We could hear it long before we saw it. We even took time out from the match to watch as it flew directly overhead. It lined up on the runway, settled down, then lifted and sped away with another blast of noise. A touch-and-go without the touch. Exciting, yes?

See you on Friday.
Cold rolled, heat tempered, coated.

FriBall - April 20, 2012

We had a good turnout today including five folks who were present at the P'Ball Expo (see BLOG dated April 16, 2012). They were Amy J, Carol F, Pat C, Andrea H and Julie. They came to watch - but two, Andrea and Julie got into some instructional action on Court 1. Some of these guests will be taking a Furman University OLLI course this June - presented by Johnny and Carol. That's Carol below: she looks a little spastic - but, fear not students - she is actually trying to get a ball out of her pocket and hammed it up a little for the UPG chief photographer who happened by.

Thirteen UPGers were present: Gary A, Gary, Mike, Hank, Steve, Johnny, Carol, Craig, Sue, John, Joe, Sharon and Ron. The troops kept at it for about 2-1/2 hours and many excellent matches were racked up. The newer players (no longer newbies [lucky devils]) have all improved, some in leaps and bounds. All are pretty much armed with new paddles and UPG verve.

Below. From L-R: Top - Johnny, Sharon; Bottom - Joe, Mike/Carol,

Below. From L-R: Top - Hank/John, Steve; Bottom - Craig/Gary, Gary A

So, another UPG session is in the books. Everyone left the courts under their own power and in fairly good spirits. That's what we strive for, although it is not essential that players do both. Yuk, yuk. Having fun in the sun, whaling away at the ball, letting go with some well aimed barbs and engaging in a few games of 'guts p'ball' is what it's all about. Any questions?

Tempered

  

P'ball. Brief report - Tuesday April 17, 2012

Sorry, no spicy report for this session. Just the facts this time.

Players: Mike, Gene, Gary A, Kaye A, Joe, Ray, Peter, Bob H, Ralph, Hank, Mike M
and Steve.


Briefly reported by Mr. Stevie Wonder.

Rusty Headed

P'ball Expo - The Pavilion - Mon. Apri; 16, 2012

The Greenville Senior Games Pickleball Expo was held Monday, April 16, 2012, from 6:00 to 7:30PM. A brief introduction to pickleball was given by Gary A, followed by a demonstration of the rules by our players on one court. UPG members including Mike, Steve, Joanie, Lynne then played a vigorous demo game for the crowd of about 30 seniors who were mainly participants in the Senior Games and who oohed and aahed loudly at various points during the game. A less vigorous but still challenging game was held simultaneously on court 2 with Gary A, Johnny, Pete, and Gene (AKA Pop).
For the next hour, a mini-clinic was held with about 20 of the audience trying to hit balls, and in a few instances actually playing games. Joni Dilworth, the Greenville County Recreation District Director of the Senior Games, did a splendid job providing the courts, the portable nets, paddles, and balls for the event which was played on the in-line skating rink at the Pavilion in Greer. And the members of the UPG that participated showed themselves to be excellent teachers of and ambassadors for the game of pickleball. All in all, a great time was had by all.

Gary A

Upstate P'ball Editorial Division

Friday the 13th. April 13, 2012 - P'ball Session

As reported by Steve:

We had 15 players and 3 courts going at one time, and some players practicing on a 4th court. We had plenty of A games and a mixture of both going. It was a beautiful afternoon for playing, sunny and 70. Here's the list of names: Mike, Gary A, Gary H, Bob T, Lynne, Joanie, Ray, Gene, Joe, Johnny, Carol, Ralph, Peter, Hank and me. And believe it or not, I didn't forget any names. We kept at it for about 3 hours and there are no injuries to report. That's it for now. See you when you get back.

 

Steve

 

Welcome back Bob T.

 

Roving reporter

Manchester, CT

Spike