Some of you may recognize my blog entry title as a play on a famous show tune from . . . I think it was “Oklahoma!” . . . regardless, there’s a point to the title. While airflow  is a rare concern when playing pickleball indoors, outdoors is another story!

(Ok, I broke down and looked it up. The song is from “Paint Your Wagon”, not “Oklahoma!” The film version of “Paint Your Wagon” is perhaps best known for its early appearance of actor Clint Eastwood—one of the few things I recall about it.)

A breeze can be enough to turn a solid serve a foot inside the centerline into a service fault 3″ outside the centerline. It happened to me my last time out! I served, the ball looked just fine initially then drifted to my right landing just outside the service box. My initial thought was, “What the heck?” Then I noticed the breeze. Duh. The slower the ball and the longer it is in the air, the more effect the wind has. Lobs can be particularly susceptible—you have little power and high long arc.

My friend John is an avid sailor. (A good one too.) He sails small boats where being aware of the wind is perhaps even more important than larger ones. During my first visit to the pickleball court, between points John said, “Feel that? The wind is coming from the left.” Not unusual for a sailor. It’s like saying, “It’s warm today.” BUT, realizing weeks later, this was not idle talk. It was a warning.

The lesson? If you are outside, pay attention to the breeze. If you aren’t good determining the direction of the wind, keep a thin light foot-long ribbon in your pocket to whip out when needed. Maybe hit a thrift store and buy and old cassette tape and you’ll have a lifetime supply! In sailing, these ribbons are called “telltails” and they do tell the tale of wind direction.

Oh, and don’t fall into the trap of assuming the wind direction is constant. It can shift from north to east to north again several times within a game. Just be aware—like a sailor!