Tuesday, April 29, 2025 (Court Day #796)
I was going to try playing with the new cheapo Owl quiet paddle tonight but unfortunately I left it on my dining room table. What I’m really hoping is to get Spencer to play with it for a game so he can compare its performance against his more expensive Owl paddle… but, obviously, that will not be tonight!
It was really nice sunny day today and it was still in the low 60s when I made my way Scotts Valley.
For whatever reason, Tuesday nights at Skypark tends to be busier than Thursday nights.
I walked in and was ready to play by 6:37 p.m.
Games
Aaron B. and I played against Matt Babb and Kirby. Oh my goodness, I was not warmed up. We lost 2-11. There was a highlight though. We had a very long rally. I think it was the longest rally of my life. Unfortunately, on a ball that was just a bit too low, I drove it into the net. My bad.
We had a rematch, but this time, it was a rull reversal and we won 11-2.
We went on to play two more games with the same partners, but for these, Aaron and I lost 9-11 and then 5-11.
At this point, Aaron had to leave so it was the end of our series of games.
New Games
For the next game, Matt and I paired up against Brendan Zimmer and Pauly. Matt and I won that game 11–2.
With 15 minutes of light left, we had time to play just one more game. We switched sides and played again. This time is much closer to the game and when the lights clicked off after 8:30 p.m., the score was tied at 10-10.
I was starting to drag a little bit by that last game.
Owl Paddle and Spencer
On the way to our cars, I told Spencer that I bought an Owl silent paddle for 39 bucks. I told him that I was pretty sure that it’s the mass market version that you would typically find it in Walmart or something. I shared him my plan of having him try it and he said he was actually quite Interested in comparing the two paddles. When I told him the paddle seem a little heavier at 8.8 ounces, he was a bit surprised and Mo also chimed in saying, “Oh, that is heavy.”
Pros Warm-up
This was a unique and valuable video. It the entire warm-up routine of Anna Leigh Waters and mixed doubles partner Ben Johns warming up. Considering they are the #1 pairing in the world, it’s hard to argue with their routine.
Wednesday, April 30, 2025 (No Play)
Andre Agassi had his first appearance in pro pickleball today at the U.S. Open. He turned 55 yesterday and for his birthday present, he got a win partnering with #1 women’s player Anna Leigh Waters.
https://www.reuters.com/sports/andre-agassi-wins-debut-us-open-pickleball-championships-2025-04-30
They beat a couple of young teens, Stevie Petropouleas (13) and Tristan Dussault (16). Afterward, Agassi was funny, saying, “Coming out here with Anna Leigh, I was more nervous than a gypsy with a mortgage.”
Number of days on a court: 796
Number of total hours: 3,136
Number of paid coaching hours: 132.5
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