The Palmetto Invitational Doubles Tournament will host a buffet social in partnership with Aiken Senior Life Services, on Friday, August 2, from 6:30 - 8:30 at 1310 E. Pine Log Road in Aiken. To register for the social, go to https://www.eventbrite.com/e/852399910077?aff=oddtdtcreato
Aiken Pickleball News
The next New Players Clinic at Odell Weeks will be on Saturday, August 10th. The clinic is for people new to the game of pickleball. Sign up at the front desk to reserve a spot. Maximum of 8 players - these clinics fill up fast so don’t delay. Schedule as follows:
915am - Check-in
930am - 1030am - Instruction
1040 - 12 noon Practice Play
Clinic will include proper court position, how to keep score, how to make the transition from tennis and other racquet sports to pickleball and much more. Players should wear tennis shoes and bring something to drink. Clinic will be held indoors in Gym 2, at Odell Weeks. Balls and paddles provided.
Cost is $15 per person which includes the daily access fee. Sign up and pay at the Odell Weeks front desk to reserve your slot in advance. Maximum 8 players. Bring your receipt to the clinic.
The next New Players Clinic at the Gregg Park Civic Center is on Saturday, July 27th. Schedule as follows:
830 - 9am - Check-in at front desk
9 - 10am - New Players Clinic Instruction
10 - 11am - Practice Play
In this sixty minute clinic you will learn everything you need to get started playing the sport of pickleball. Please wear tennis shoes and bring something to drink. Balls and paddles provided. Class limited to eight.
Players must register and pay in advance which can be done online at GreggParkonline.com . Cost is $10 per person. Non-members are welcome to attend but must pay a $10 daily admittance fee.
Fee also includes attendance at a two hour New Players Practice session on a following Saturday in August at Gregg Park. Non members will still be required to pay the Gregg Park $10 admittance fee.
Harve’s July 27th, Saturday afternoon clinics at Odell for beginners, intermediate and advanced players as follows:
12- 1:20 PM Pickleball Doubles Strategy and Execution (Beginners - Must have completed a New Players Clinic)
1:30- 2:50 PM Pickleball Doubles Strategy and Execution (intermediate)
3:00 - 4:20 PM 3 or 4 and a pro. All players sign up as a group
Clinics are limited to four players. Cost is $15 per session. Sign up and pay at the front desk - bring your receipt to the clinic.
If you need help with anything, send an email to aikenpickleball@gmail.com and someone will get back with you.
We can help you with making and editing court reservations or adding your name to the "Looking for games" list, among other things. What we cannot tell you is the access code. That is for our use only. After 8 pm Wednesday evening, the Sign-up Genius is locked down, requiring an access code while the new time slots for the following week are being added. The signupgenius is then unlocked after 8 am Thursday morning and an access code is no longer required. But if you need help with anything else send an email to info@aikenpickleball.com and one of us will get back to you.
The minutes for the Leadership Team Meeting held on July 1st have been posted. Topics discussed were - Update on preparations for the Palmetto Tournament, Feedback from Player Reps, use of private ball machines - and much more. Click here to read the full report.
The minutes for the Leadership Team Meeting held on June 3rd have been posted. Topics discussed were - Need for shade on the outside courts - The overwhelming success of Groovy Tuesdays - Fabulous Friday our next free event to be held on June 28th - a Doubles Strategy clinic for those players preparing for our Palmetto Doubles Tournament - and much more. Click here to read the full report.
Over the past eight years, Barbara Dellamora and her daughter Elizabeth have enjoyed traveling the country together competing in Mother - Daughter races and checking off their list. They just finished their 50th race, this one in Hawaii. The two of them have now completed a race in each of our fifty states. Barbara, who is just one month shy of 80, is also an avid pickleball player who is registered in our annual Palmetto Doubles Tournament which she has supported and previously taken home the gold medal. Wow, way to go Barb! What's next?
Now that the April clinics on Groovy Tuesday are over, what's the best way to keep improving? Here are some options you might want to consider.
Lessons with Harve and Mo. Weekday, weekends and evening lessons possible. Contact Mo mog01@aol.com and Harve pbharve333@gmail.com to schedule.
Drills with Little Mo when available. Sign up at front desk
Saturday Clinics with Harve - Sign up at front desk.
Find a practice partner. Go to our website and under signups select BEGINNERS LOOKING FOR GAMES. There are fifty players listed with their contact information looking for someone to play with.
Practice against a wall. There are practice walls outside at Virginia Acres Park, located behind Odell Weeks next to the outdoor pickleball courts. Both Odell Weeks and Gregg Park have racquetball courts that are seldom use. These are great places to practice your serve, ground strokes, volleys, lobs and dinks without a partner.
Click here for a video on pickleball Wall Drills. In fact, check out YouTube for instructional videos on almost every aspect of the game of pickleball. Notice that the video was made in a racquetball court. If you put tape down (masking tape works great) don't forget to remove it when you are finished.
Drop-in Play. If you can hit the ball over the net at least three times in a row with decent pace, you are ready for drop-in play, daily from 845-11am Monday thru Friday at Odell Weeks. Also on weekends No signup required. But you need to know where to position yourself when your side is serving or returning serve and understand the two bounce rule. You also know to how to keep score.
Finally - Find a partner and sign up for the Palmetto Indoor Pickleball Doubles Invitational Tournament - July 31st - August 4th. You are ready!
Remember, keep your eye on the ball; aim down the middle between your two opponents; get to the kitchen and stay there; and most importantly touch paddles at the end of a game and smile. This is supposed to be fun!
A reminder from Gregg Park that they have a LOT of children around and that everyone needs to SLOW DOWN coming through the gate and in the parking lot. Their security guys and maintenance director have stopped several people coming in for pickleball lately that have been speeding through the parking lot. With the playground area and baseball fields there are kids all over the place and it would just take an instant for one to dart out in front of a car. Thank you.