Pickleball Journey

Adventures of Andrew Lenz and a Yellow Ball

Private Games at Derby, Pickleball Super Bowl, Foam Core Paddles, ALW

Thursday, January 30, 2025 (Court Day #768)

A beer commercial appeared online this week featuring pickleball and, of course, I had to look it up to share with you! It’s to appear in the Super Bowl. And it doesn’t make pickleball look lame. Well, how do you like that?

The ad features Willem Dafoe (who appeared in the 2002 Spiderman movie as well as Platoon and many other films) and Catherine O’Hara (the mom in Home Alone, and she also appeared Beetlejuice). Both have been very prolific in the film and TV industry.

There’s a longer version too with a little commentary:

Now, those of us who actually play will notice that on the initial serve to Willem, he’s in the wrong place (at the kitchen) and hits the ball out of the air (a fault). Still, pickleball is ‘full steam ahead’ into the mainstream! (Of course, one could argue it’s a montage, and therefore not representative of a true game start.)

Tournament

Dave Cox invited me to play with him in a round robin at Chamisal. I had to break the news to him that it’s a mixed doubles tournament.

Private Games

Charles Overbeck had arranged a private game for this morning. Staffing was going to be OK and there were no major deadlines at work. when Charles contacted me, he already had Tony Sloss lined up and I would be the third. Charles later arranged Rick Arnold to be our fourth.

For the first time a long time, my right knee has been bothering me a little bit. I think I tweaked it playing on Tuesday. It was mildly aching again last night.

It was overcast and 48°F as I left my house. I almost was out of my neighborhood when I realized I left my phone behind and had to turn around and go back. Once I had my phone in hand, I texted the rest of the group and let them know that I’d be a few minutes late.

My wife texted me telling me the rain is supposed to come in tomorrow morning and stick around through Wednesday next week. She said today would be my “last hurrah” for pickleball. Ah, well. We’ll take what we can get!

Derby Park

As I walked into Derby Park, I realized that this was my first time there in probably 6 months… since I stepped down as the Sunday club site coordinator at the end of August last year.

I walked through the gate a few minutes after 9 a.m. and found the others warming up. There was a slow game happening on one court and Larry Yein appeared to be giving a lesson to two older men using his ball machine on another.

Rick, Tony, and Charles. Yes, Charles is tall!

After charging its batteries last night, I had brought my neglected Akaso sports camera. (A GoPro competitor.) I hung it up on the fence, but with the guys waiting, I was having trouble getting a it started and opted to forego any recording. I think it’s been over a year since the last time I recorded any of my games with this camera. Locally, with games typically shifting court to court, only private outings at slow times are conducive to video recording.

Rick and Me

Rick and I paired up in the first game and therefore took on Charles and Tony. We started off the session with an extremely close game. I was playing well off the bat and earned a series of compliments. Rick and I pulled off a win 13-11.

We opted to play two games with each pairing, so we had a the rematch. After being up 10-8, Rick I lost 10-12.

My sweatshirt only lasted a game or two before it came off.

Charles and Me

Charles and I teamed up and coasted to 11-3 win. In that game, I hit an awkward shot that went almost straight up. I bounced on their side then came over to our side and Tony reached over and tapped the ball into our side of the net for a winner. I’d read about this, then saw Ben Johns do it in a recording of a pro match, but this was the first time I’d seen it in person. Charles said as much too.

In our next game, after the lopsided win, Charles and I got a bit complacent and lost 7-11. Oops. 

Tony and Me

Next up was the last possible combination, Tony and me against Charles and Rick. We lost that one in a miserable fashion, 4-11.

But, as was the pattern this morning, we split those two games, winning the second game 11-7.

Last Rotations

By this time, it was around 11 a.m. We decided to repeat the pairings but with one game each this time.

Rick and I lost 3-11. (Ouch.)

Charles and I won 11-5.

Tony and I won 11-6.

At 11:54 a.m., we were done. 

When I left Derby Park, it was still only 52°F. It was a chilly, overcast day.

Analysis

Later on, I did some quick analysis and shared it with the guys.

The nice thing is that we completed our full partner rotations. It reduced the necessary math and made drawing conclusions much easier.

Rick bemoaned, “Just what I needed … proof I was the weak link. 😱

But he hadn’t played badly at all and I relied, “Rick, how  many times have you had to switch what arm you have to use over the last few years?? You were only two average points off of Charles.”

This was a really good outing, where balls came back that typically don’t, with speed ups, dink rallies, resets… good times.


Friday, January 31, 2025 (No Play)

Here’s a very nice rally in a recent semi-finals match:
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DFLG-rNtgX1/


Monday, February 3, 2025 (No Play)

Weather report is not looking good for play on Tuesday and Thursday nights at Skypark! Gag.


Tuesday, February 4, 2025 (No Play)

CRBN announced a new foam core paddle this week and then Selkirk announced their new foam core paddle within days. These new paddles feature a… wait for it… foam core. The story goes that polypropylene cores deform and compress over time and this new high-density foam composition lasts far longer.

The CRBN paddle has sections cut out of the foam and Selkirk’s is solid foam. Similar materials, different design/use.

Tournament

Dave Cox reached out and said that the round robin at Chamisal is pretty low-key and they are allowing any pairings in the event, man/woman, woman/woman, man/man… not just mixed. Dave said that the TD Mike said that they had one spot left and so I told Dave that I’d play with him. He added, “And I know, no coaching.”

Athletic Club Membership

The La Madrona Athletic Club reached out to my wife and after a couple of years on their waiting list, we’ve been told we can become members. I explained to my wife that the odds of me using that membership enough for it to make sense are very low. I told her to get her a membership for herself and I can always be added on later at any time.

Some Pro Analysis

There are a few things I want to talk about in this clip:
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DDLfvozgX1U/

Watch Anna Leigh Waters (on the right) and see how she reacts differently to different scenarios.

When her dropshot is too high, she retreats with both her and her partner Catherine Parenteau. However, later, when there’s a lob over CP’s head, CP runs back to the baseline to get the ball, but ALW stays planted at the kitchen line. Apparently, ALW trusted her partner to a) get to the lob, b) hit a successful drop shot off that lob. Either those or ALW trusted her own ability to handle whatever her opponent threw at her after CP’s shot. It’s a risky move, but ALW is the #1 female player in the world after all, if anyone can handle what’s coming, it’s her.

Another thing to notice, is that their opponent does something at the pro level against conventional wisdom: “Never lob from the baseline.” Probably more true than not, but it worked this time. CP was forced back to the baseline and had to work her way back up to the net. Granted, ALW did something less common, as I mentioned, staying at the kitchen line on a lob, so only one partner had to work her way back up to the net. Now, if CP had hit her drop shot straight ahead, there would have been a crosscourt opportunity for her opponent to hit the ball into the gap between CP and ALW. Instead, CP hit crosscourt and there was no gap from that position. Geometry and smarts in action! Obviously, these two partners know and trust each other’s play.

Number of days on a court: 768
Number of total hours: 3,083
Number of paid coaching hours: 111.5

To start at the beginning of this blog click on “1st Post” in the menu above.

Solid Monday at Brommer, Testimonial

Monday, January 27, 2025 (Court Day #766)

Apparently, I need more sleep this morning since after I turned off my alarm I fell back asleep until about 9:30 a.m. I had already told my staff that I’ll be taking the majority of the day off for a meeting. I responded to a couple of work related emails before I got to pickleball. The Santa Cruz Pickleball Club board meeting got rescheduled for today after we only had four people show up this past Monday.

I left my house a few minutes before 10 a.m. There wasn’t a cloud in the sky, but it was also a chilly 48°. The sun was deceiving and I grabbed a sweatshirt.

Brommer Park

I arrived at 10:10 a.m. and parking was easy.

My first game was a decently good one, I teamed up with Tony Sloss and we took on young Ben and Ken. They had played and Tony and I had not. As the game went on, we got better and better, going from a more sloppy play to on to win 12-10.

We had a rematch and this one was more decisive, with us winning 11-5. Yes, we got warmed up. 

Tony and I signed up in a blue box, 4.0+. Tall left Greg signed up in our box. Greg is not a 4.0. George added his name to round out the box. George played with Tony, so I was paired with Greg. Tony and I were the strongest players, followed by George. We lost 7-11. Afterward, Tony said I had some great saves. I made only 3-4 mistakes in that game, I played well. (Greg played in red for his next game, good for him.)

In the next game, it was George and me against Tony and Mark Dettle. As one might expect, we won 11-4.

George and I signed up again in blue. A couple of guys named Adam and Zach signed up. Zach is 19. I asked, but Adam said he is not Zach’s dad, they are just friends. George and I won 11-1. That was a quick game. Our opponents were not playing at a 4.0 level.

And?

George had nice things to say about my play, saying that I’m doing a good job being in the right place and he noticed an improvement on my mechanics.

I felt that I played well today, I love the competition was as strong as I faced in the past on occasion.

There is one shot that I was particularly proud of. I was on the left side and Tony was across from me straight ahead. He hit a forehand shot down the sideline and I had to reach to make a backhand shot. Even being stretched out with the backhand, I successfully made a really nice drop into the kitchen that he had to hit up on. I wouldn’t have changed anything on that shot, other than maybe hitting the ball a bit more toward the center of the court, but that would have made the shot even more difficult.

Meeting Time

When George and I came off to the court and returned to the waiting area, George said that he was done playing. I asked him what time it was and he said it was five minutes to noon and he wanted time to eat his lunch. I grabbed my backpack and wandered over to the bench area in anticipation of the 12:15 p.m. board meeting. The board meeting was officially called the order at 12:22 p.m. and ran until it was adjourned at 2:15 p.m. It was a good, productive meeting.

Testimonial

This morning, while I was getting ready to leave for Brommer, an email came in from one of my students for the class that ended yesterday:
“As a part time visitor to Santa Cruz, and recovering from a late summer fractured shoulder, I was happy to see there was space available in Coach Andrew’s Advanced Beginner class. I found him to be informative, personable and passionate about the sport he loves. Andrew is a great coach with individual attention to detail and is very helpful with comments and suggestions to make one’s playing experience addicting! I have found the Santa Cruz Pickleball Club to be a group of friendly welcoming players and have enjoyed my experiences playing with the group immensely. Thank you Coach Andrew!”

And that is why I coach.

Paddle Manufacturing

A video popped up, showing how a pickleball paddle is made in China:
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DEJSXf6AmRz

Uh, Yeah, No

My uncle Ed sent me this video… and yes, things are not what is claimed!
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DEs_akyvX9g

Number of days on a court: 766
Number of total hours: 3,078.5
Number of paid coaching hours: 111.5

To start at the beginning of this blog click on “1st Post” in the menu above.

Good Games at Brommer, Oscar, Danny

Sunday, January 26, 2025 (Court Day #765)

I was about to head out the door to go play when I got a text from Brian Hackett who is the site coordinator at Derby Park requesting a club email blast delaying club play there due to wet courts. It was only 10 minutes prior to the 9 a.m. opening time so I dropped everything and sent that email immediately.

Outside, it was pretty obvious that it rained overnight so it would be damp as well as chilly—in the mid 40s. It was solid clouds to the north and thin strips of blue sky towards the coast. Santa Cruz is kind of weird in that it sits on the north end of the Monterey Bay so the coastline is actually south—not west! Consequently, it’s pretty easy to get disoriented in terms of points on a compass. It looked like there was still a chance of sprinkles, but we dodged that bullet. No more precipitation happened today!

Brommer Park

I arrived 9:11 a.m. and it was easy parking.

The first game was Marco and me against Kyle and a somewhat regular tall guy whose name I forget. I would have thought they’d want to split up, but they decided to take us on. Before the game, there was some conversation between the two of them, discussing Marco and me. “Infamous” was the word used to describe their opponents while laughing. The outcome was a solid 11-0 win for my side.

Next up, Marco and I rolled into a game against Dean Kingston and Jason Brown. We won 11-5. Dean told me that my backswing is so small that it’s hard to tell what shot I’m making. Nice to hear.

Marco and I stuck together and took on Jordan and John 3.0—well, maybe he’s a low 3.5. We won 11-8. Jordan was still warming up but John played among the best games that I’ve seen him play.

Marco and I continued as a team and took on Jordan and René. We won that one too, 11-4.

Funny!

Danny stopped on his way into his next game. I was telling me how much he liked my shirt and how well I was dressed and going over the top complimenting my shirt. This all stems from the fact that he shared last week that he had discovered my blog and aid that he had searched for his name. He had shared that he remembers all the games where he got a mention. It was quite amusing. Here you go, Danny, you are immortalized again!

Oscar

We mixed things up and Oscar and I played together. This time against Marco and Jordan. We gave it a valiant effort, but come up short 7-11. That was a good game.

We decided to roll it back and this time, Oscar and I pulled off the win, 11-8.

Last Game

My last game of the day was paired with Sean and Danny’s brother Brennan. We played against Pauly and a fellow named Austin. I vaguely remember Austin, I may have played with him before. In the last game, I was repeatedly hitting outballs. After one particular rally, Brennan said that he thought that I was kidding around by hitting those. Apparently, they were pretty blatant! Those continue to be an issue with me. It’s my number one Achilles’ Heel. We lost that game 8-11. We should have won that one.

I finished playing at 12:04 p.m. Time to leave and get ready to teach.

And?

Today was a much better day in terms of the quality level of players that I got into games with. Not all games, but most.

Overall, I felt that I played well. Sure, I wasn’t perfect. I had some returns into the net, some drives too wide or too long, some drop shots never made it to my opponents’ side of the court, some outballs that should have let fly. But the goal is to continue to improve and be closer to perfect than your opponents.

Classes

When I woke up this morning, my back was a little tight. I was going to take some ibuprofen, but forgot. When I got home to eat lunch before teaching, my plan was to take two ibuprofen, but I ran out of time—well, or so I thought. As it turned out, I ended up about 20 minutes early for class, but I always prefer to be early than even one minute late.

While I wasn’t able to get a full set of eight students for my Beginners class, I was able to arrange that for my Advanced Beginners class, thankfully. I much prefer being able to roam and give instructions versus having to partner with someone or be a fourth in a game.

Today was the last day for both my 4-week classes. At the conclusion of my Advanced Beginners class, I got a standing ovation. Well, the standing part is a given because there are no seats! However, the ovation part was spontaneous and appreciated. I love teaching and feel that I do a good job, so it is nice to get that recognized.

Number of days on a court: 765
Number of total hours: 3,075.5
Number of paid coaching hours: 111.5

To start at the beginning of this blog click on “1st Post” in the menu above.

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