Rule Changes, Top 5 Tips, CRBN 3x GIVEAWAY!

NEWS
PRO PRESS
2024 Rule Changes!

Here are the new rules for 2024! There are many more changes, but most of them are just tweaks and adjustments to current rules. Read more about them here on the official PPA Website. 2024 RULE CHANGES YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT

• Rule 7.L has been updated and 11.A has been updated with the word “deliberately” taken out. Rule 7.L is the “Carry Rule” and 11.A is the “Double Hit” rule.

“Any “Carry” is now a fault, whether it’s done on purpose or by accident, as the word “deliberate” was taken out of the rule. Now, the referee doesn’t have to decide the intent of the player’s shot. If it happens, it’s a fault. “Double hits” are still permitted as long as it happens in one, continuous motion. Rules 3.A.1 and 3.A.8 explain the differences between a “Carry” and “Double hit.”

• Players may now use any remaining timeouts to add on to a medical timeout.

If an injured player is granted a medical timeout, a “regular” timeout can be used to extend the time to return to play. The 2023 rule was ambiguous, suggesting a player must retire if he or she couldn’t return after an injury timeout.

• In tournament play, in a non-officiated match, players are now able to go to the head referee or tournament director if they feel their opponent’s paddle is illegal in any way. 

• Rule 11.E has been amended. In tournament play, a replay of a completed rally is permitted if a ball is cracked or broken.

All players must agree the cracked or broken ball affected the outcome of the rally. Again, it has to be a completed rally. If the ball is damaged or just “soft,” no replay of the rally is awarded.”

PADDLES
WHAT’S NEW

We have a new gun to automatically count the RPM’s for our tests so we don’t have to! The new radar gun is high tech, but appears to be clocking at higher speeds. At lower speeds it is the same MPH as our old gun, but we are finding a difference as the speed increases.

We are working on reliability tests and will go back to our old gun for MPH if we determine the new gun to be inaccurate. Sorry for any confusion and we will get things sorted out to upcoming paddles.

*The good news is that the RPM testing is great and should be much more reliable than any manual measuring that was previously being done.

SIX ZERO INFINITY 16MM

Anything SixZero related has a highly anticipated release! This company is becoming one of the most popular brands on the market! Their new edgeless Double Black Diamond Infinity design is coming in at:

1936 RPM!

We’ve got the Ruby results coming to you soon. Despite the hype it’s received, it’s results were a bit underwhelming.

MACH 2 FORZA 14MM

The Mach 1 Forza paddles were the highest spinning paddles on the market when they first came out! Now this is their standard shape, the Mach 2 Forza for people who like ultra-fast hands, and a massive, sweet spot! This review is for the Mach 2 Forza 14mm, extra pop, insane hand speed.

2150 RPM!

Watch the review here - and get the paddle at JustPaddles here with our discount automatically applied!

TIP OF THE WEEK
 My 5 BEST Tips I’ve LEARNED from 2023 (Paddle Giveaway)
I reflected back on the year. It’s been a good one with many takeaways. I wanted to share my top 5 tips from pickleball that I’m coming away with this year. Hope you enjoy!

Tip #5 - 3RD SHOT HYBRID - This is in between a 3rd shot drive, and 3rd shot drop! The speed is best at 50-60% speed. This is because while your opponent is running towards the net, your 3rd shot is going to catch them off guard when the ball kicks up at their feet. Ideally making them pop it up!

Tip #4 - 2-HAND VOLLEY - We’re seeing this more and more at the high levels. Ben Johns has been practicing this the past few years.

A 2-hand volley helps with stability, and a one hand volley requires a very strong, stable wrist which most people don’t naturally have. This is best when we get high floating balls to our backhand, that with a one hand put away would be more squirrelly and less powerful. Just adding an extra hand could increase accuracy, and power!

Tip #3 - The LOB - Using the lob is effective defensively, but offensively is what really catches your opponent off guard and can be the momentum shifter you need. The key thing we want to think about is NOT to use it too often. We want to keep the surprise factor to it, where your opponent isn’t predicting you to lob them, therefore being ready and prepared.

Tip #2 - AGGRESSIVE SERVE - Having an aggressive serve will start off YOUR point well, giving you control over how it goes from the start. People and pros used to say “just get your serve in.” When really, you can have an aggressive serve and still be consistent, as we’re starting to see more often. Tyson McGuffin, James Ignatowich, and even Ben Johns is stepping up his serve game.

To add some aggression to your serve, snapping your wrist at the end of your serve will add some velocity and depth. This will make it harder for your opponents to make a good return, leaving them with less control over the point.

Tip #1 - MINIMIZE MISTAKES - We can get so many more points if we have the mindset of “just one more dink back, one more dink back.” When you’re hitting those 3rd shot drops, drives, or hybrids, give yourself margin for error. It doesn’t have to be a millimeter above the net to be perfect. You can’t hit a perfect shot if you don’t make it over in the first place! So make sure you get the ball over the net, and in. Even if you pop it up, you still have more of a chance than if you hit the net!

In this video, we’re doing a giveaway for a CRBN 3× 16mm Paddle!!!! All you have to do is:

Hit that LIKE button!

Subscribe to Pickleball Journey!

Tell us why you love pickleball in the comments!

Good luck! If you don’t win, that’s OKAY, we still have a discount code for CRBN Pickleball down in the discount section below!

For a visual reference, and the rest of the tips, with more descriptions watch here on YouTube now!!!

DISCOUNTS
WAYS TO SAVE

CRBN 10% Off: PBJourney10

JustPaddles + Pickleball Journey Discount

Do you want a drilling partner who doesn’t talk smack? Here’s the SpinShot!!! Get your $200 end of year discount now!

RECOVERY
STRETCHES/EXERCISES

You want Dynamic Stretching before you play, which is used to warm up your muscles and joints, lubricating them with blood and lactic acid. An example is jogging in place, or arm swings. If you STRETCH before you play you may feel weak, and hurt yourself.

You want to STATIC stretch, like touching your toes AFTER you play. Your muscles and joints are tight, so you want to stretch them so they can recover better!

PRE GAME EXERCISE ROUTINE

Joggin Place for 3 minutes

Arm Circles for 1 minute

Leg Swings for 1 minute

Torso Rotations for 1 minute

Hamstring Stretches for 1 minute

Hip Flexor Stretches for 1 minute

POST GAME EXERCISE ROUTINE

• Hamstring stretch: Sitting on the ground with your legs extended, reach for your toes to elongate your hamstrings.

• Quad stretch: Standing on one leg, bend the other and grab your foot behind you, feeling the stretch in your thigh.

• Calf stretch: Place your hands on a wall, with one leg extended behind you and the other slightly bent. Lean into the wall to stretch your calf muscles.

Thanks to Pickleball Wiki for all this information and these routines! Read more here!