Aiken Pickleball News

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.

 

Another great Groovy Tuesday = We saved the best for last!    What was most impressive is how much the participants have improved over the past couple of weeks.  Thanks to everyone for making this happen, especially those of you that contributed to Golden Harvest.  Over 450 food items were donated.  You guys are the best!

Check out our Facebook Page Aiken Pickleball  for photos.

 

Reference Drop-in play at Odell. This is a comment from one of the regulars. QUOTE - I think the all the lessons and clinics you are doing is raising the level of drop-in play. Three of the games I played this morning were long and fierce-fun! UNQUOTE

 

Over forty people showed for the second groovy Tuesday, to take part in a free clinic, pizza, cookies and drinks.  There were four courts in play for the clinic..  Two teenagers won the free lessons with Mo, Beverly Shaver won the paddle and Harve won the the T-Shirt.  Thanks to all that help make the evening a success.

 

The minutes for the Leadership Team Meeting held on April 1st have been posted. 

Topics discussed were - April being National Pickleball Month and our celebration with Groovy Tuesdays - with free clinics and drawings for door prizes; Court Time Allocation - results being everyone wanted something different and the majority saying leave it as us; Unused Courts - players not showing up and not canceling their court reservation; Invalid Court Reservations - people still having trouble entering the first initial and last name of two players; October 12 - date of proposed outdoor tournament for juniors; and much more.  Click here to read the full report.

 

 

Over fifty players came out for the first Groovy Tuesday to celebrate National Pickleball Month.  Thirty-five players took over three courts for a free clinic by Mo from 5-6pm.  This was followed by free pizza, brownies and drinks - followed by more pickleball!  The donation box for Golden Harvest was also overflowing.  Thanks to everyone for making the evening a success.  

 
 
 
Check out our Facebook page for additional photos.

 

Aiken Pickleball Inc is hosting a  New Player Clinic indoors at the Gregg Park Civic Center on Saturday,  April 20TH. .  Cost is $10. Sign up and register at the Gregg Park front desk.   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. Need minimum of three.  Sign up at the Gregg Park front desk.  Cost is $10 per person payable at the Gregg Park front desk.  Non-members are welcome to attend but must also pay a  $10 daily admittance fee.

 

 

 

A lot of fun today and some great pickleball at Gregg Park.  Special thanks to all that helped make this a success.  Check out our Facebook page and below for photos.  The medal winners were -

Mixed Doubles 4.0

Gold  (Center)

Cheryl Breidenbach & Harve Mobley 

Silver (on right)

Amy Buck & Jeff Simizon

Bronze (on left)

Lisa Barrett-Johnson & Doug Weiss

Mixed Doubles 3.5 under 50

Gold (center)

Sarah Porter & Justin Jones 

Silver (on left)

Julie Felder & Jamie Felder 

Bronze (on right)

Mary Ellen Olson & Abel Dela Cruz

Mixed Doubles 3.5 - 50 And Above 

Gold  (center)

Christy Pritchard & Lee Fox 

Silver  (on left)

Miriam James & Dwight Jones 

Bronze  (on right)

Heidi Abele & Rob Harrington

Women’s Doubles 3.0 - 50 And Above

Gold  (center)

Julie Felder & Rene Kein 

Silver

Shana Sutphin & Nancy Woolwine 

Bronze

Marie Klofenstine & Marcy Badertscher

Women’s Doubles Scramble  2.5  Age: (Any)

Gold

Sara Gates (center)

Silver 

Ally Hough  (on left)

Bronze

Rochelle Bergren  (on right)

 

 

We had a player hit in the eye today.  Ricochet off their partner's paddle and hit them directly in the eye.  Fortunately the player was wearing safety glasses.  You can buy them online for less than $20.   Highly recommended.  You can even get prescription safety glasses online or from your local  Optometrist.

 

 

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