Poached: My Pickleball Dilemma

My sports-minded Uncle Herb (Todd Edwards’ brother), had been telling me about and recommending pickleball for a couple of years before learning that my town’s recreation department was offering a month-long, four-session introduction to the sport. So, I joined a dozen others and signed up for the late-July/early-August late afternoon sessions led by USAPA Ambassador Kim Smith, and Subhash and Remya Warrior.

During the very first lesson I was hooked and wanted/needed to play more than once a week. I visited the Monmouth Area Pickleball website to search for places to play and decided early mornings at the YMCA in Red Bank fit my schedule. There, I met some very skilled and patient pickleballers who welcomed me, a beginner, into their mix of advanced play, teaching me how the game was meant to be played. As I said, they were very patient with me and my banging vs. dinking style of play. I ate a lot of humble pie. And a few regulation Onyx.

One morning, I was paired against a nice fellow, Greg, who let me know that my backhand serve was, in his view, borderline-illegal. Another serving of humble pie, I thought, as he demonstrated the proper technique. I smiled, said ‘thanks’ and promptly switched to a more conventional service style. Upon reflection, I realized he was right and tried to adjust my backhand serve per his advice. I watched dozens of instructional Youtube videos, brushed up on the official rules, and even took a class for refereeing pickleball tournaments.

By the crisp mornings of late fall, I was ready to move indoors and began playing regularly with a nice group of people at the Colts Neck Racquet Club. I was having a great time when, and I’m not exactly sure how it came about, I agreed to pursue an International Pickleball Teaching Professional Association (IPTPA) 3-step certification to become a pickleball instructor.

The first hurdle was to pass a timed, written examination on the official rules of play. In preparation, I studied the 2016 USAPA rules book (I should have studied the updated 2018 version), watched videos, and took several practice tests. Upon passing the written exam, the second step required me to pass a skills test which was to be video recorded and reviewed by an IPTPA teaching professional.

In order to pass the skills test, I was required to score a minimum 8 out of 10 attempts in a dozen or so specific skills. A review of my video submission disclosed that on one particular skill test (backhand drop shot) my ball, initially called ‘in’ was, upon scrutiny, determined to be “out. I was promptly informed that I had scored 7 out of 10 and, as a result, failed the skills test. More f’n humble pie. I was pissed at myself and tempted to give up, but arranged a retest and then passed the second of three steps toward IPTPA certification.

The third step in the certification process was to schedule an IPTPA official to observe my technique and proficiency while teaching a class. I had a blast. Hopefully, my students did, too. A few hours later an email advised that I had earned my IPTPA Level 2 Certification joining my daughter, Katrina, and a handful of other recently-certified instructors.

Let’s go back to when Greg advised that my serve was borderline-illegal. At the time, I didn’t know Greg was an expert on the rules of play and well within his domain as a USAPA Ambassador to share his knowledge. At that moment in time, I just thought he was being a dick. Ah, um, the more polite term is probably wiseacre. However, I came to learn that Greg is a really nice guy and that we share in common an outlook on the game and its future.

This past week while playing I have observed unintentional (but repeated) foot faults, poor line calls, illegal serves, and other rule violations.

For example: while serving, both feet must be behind, and not on, the baseline. The serve must be made with an underhand stroke in an upward arc. The paddlehead must be below the server’s wrist when it strikes the ball, and legal contact with the ball is made below the server’s navel.

Line calls. If one player calls the ball “in” and the partner calls it “out,” doubt exists and the proper call is “IN.” Even though some players may agree to replay the point, the proper call is “IN.”  In fact, in order to call the ball out, you must be able to definitively see that the ball is out. You can’t be 99% certain. You must be 100% certain that a ball is out to call it “out.”

Anyone who has played with me knows my play is far from perfect. However, I am now cursed with knowing the rules that govern pickleball play. So, please don’t think me a dick if I take you aside after we finish playing and share with you, in private, my observations and hopefully constructive criticisms. I only hope to share my insight and knowledge. If we all understand and play by the same rules, we’ll have fun.

Peace.

(NJ) Dave Petrovich

Certified IPTPA Pickleball Instructor

This essay is the first in (hopefully) many user-submitted pieces published in Monmouth Area Pickleball’s new column: Poached! Do you have something you’d like to say about the game or your experience? Do you have an interesting story or tale to tell? Have you run into a rules-related question for which you just can’t seem to find an answer? We’d love to hear from you and share your story* with the Monmouth Area Pickleball community. Visit our Poached! submission page.

*All submissions subject to review, approval, and editing of Monmouth Area Pickleball.