Paddle is a Family Affair

Jen Ryan with her niece, Kathryn, daughter, Alza
and son, John playing paddle at Hop Meadow CC,
Simsbury, CT.

All Players Paddle League Set to Begin January 7th, 2008

A new women's league has been established to provide greater playing opportunities to paddle players in Northern Connecticut and Western Massachusetts. The All Players Paddle League (APPL) is unique to this area in that it allows players from different clubs to play together, it offers an evening league as well as daytime and each individual team has the ability to move up in level if they win their regular flight and challenge matches.

The format has been extremely successful downstate in the Greater Boston arean and New Canaan, CT where they have a townwide league with close to 200 teams.

The goal is to give paddle players as many playing choices as possible and if successful, the league will expand and add more flights and hopefully, a Men's League in 2008-2009.

Anyone interested needs to contact Sheri Shea at paddlemaven@sbcglobal.net.

Sign up ends Sunday, December 30 and play begins the week of January 7th.

Jonah Lazowski and Ben Shoham - Having fun
playing paddle after school at Tumble Brook
Country Club, Bloomfield, CT.


Proper positioning for defending the lob from
the deuce side of the court.


Proper positioning for defending a drive from
the deuce side of the court.

Paddle Drill/Game of the Month - Two on One with a Twist

Objective: Baseline player is looking to hit as many balls as possible before making 3 errors. Baseline player may drive or lob against the 2 players at the net. Baseline player learns how to develop a point and move the net team out of position.

The net team is working on accuracy by placing the ball on the baseline player's half of the court. The net team is also working on proper communication on every lob hit to them.

The Game: Team at net starts with an underhand feed to the baseline player and the point begins. Everytime the baseline player successfully hits the ball to the net team, the baseline player gets a point. Example, the baseline player hits 4 shots and then makes an error. On the next rally, the baseline player hits 7 shots before making an error. The baseline player now has 11 points and so on. If the net team makes an error, no one is penalized and play continues with a new rally. After three errors by the baseline player, players rotate and a new person becomes the baseline player. Repeat 5 times and the player with the highest cumulative score is the winner.

Note: Player at baseline can choose which side of the court they prefer to defend. If the net team hits the ball to the rong side of the court, the rally ends and a new rally begins. No error is assesed to the baseline player.

L.G., This one's for you!

Net Positoning: Playing the Thirds of The Court

NET POSITIONING: Your team's position at the net is always determined by where the ball is on your opponent's side of the court.

PLAYING THE THIRDS AT THE NET:

WHEN BACKCOURT OPPONENTS ARE DRIVING THE BALL:

When backcourt team is driving the ball, net team positions themselves in the front red boxes. If ball is on deuce side, net players stand in the left and middle front boxes. If ball is on the opponents ad side, net team is positioned in the middle and right boxes.

WHEN BACKCOURT OPPONENTS ARE LOBBING THE BALL:When lob comes from deuce side, left person moves back to "x" and calls the ball either "mine" or "yours". Person on the left at the net takes everthing in the left alley, over their head and the lob that falls between the two net people because they can use their forehand overhead.

Any lob fading towards the middle of the court or over to the right is taken by the net player in the middle who is positioned in back black box, just in front of the "T". When lob is out of the ad side, player on the right only takes balls off their right shoulder or directly over their head. Anything off the left shoulder of the player on the right should be taken by the player in the middle because they have the more natural angle to hit a "forehand" overhead.

SHIFTING: Players at net try to hit the ball to one side to maintain a calmness and tempo on their side. If ball is hit to the other side (i.e. from the opponents deuce side to ad side) net team must shift positions and move at a similar rate of speed to avoid creating any holes in their defense. Net players should look at the depth of their shots and the opponent's paddle face to determine whether or not the opponent will lob or drive. Generally, if the opponents are behind the baseline, they should be lobbing and if they are inside the baseline, they may be driving.

Tuesday Night Trash Talk

GCA Paddle Players participating in the Tuesday Night League can leave posts for their competitors. Please keep it relatively clean. Your kids may log on.

Paddle Court Availability at Golf Club Of Avon 12-17-07

Paddle Court Availability Monday December 17, 2007 Golf Club of Avon

Eric Elliott has booked out court 3 at 9pm for the B-C Challenge Match.

All courts are currently booked at the 6:00 and 7:30 time slots and court 1 is available at 9pm.

Golf Club of Avon Sub Availability List

If you are a paddle member at Golf Club of Avon and are available to sub on a particular day/evening, please post your name and other pertinent info. Make sure to include the date and time you are available and a way to be contacted.

Paddle Questions and Answers

If anyone out there in paddle land would like to ask a paddle tennis related question, please use this post. I will post an answer within 24 hours.

Seven Basic Paddle Tennis Strokes

Forehand Drive: Eastern Forehand (shake hands) grip, short backswing, low to high swing, feet must be inside the baseline on contact, finish stroke completely, aim 8-10 inches high over the net. Always aim either at the net people(armpit to armpit, hip to hip) or between them, do not go around them. DO NOT HIT INTO THE NET - most people will hit the out ball.

Backhand Volley: Continental (hammer) grip, use non paddle hand as a shelf and place paddle in the shelf in front of your body with paddle squarely in front of your body, toward your backhand side. Look to hit more backhand volleys than forehand volleys. Stand with relaxed legs in semi crouched position to make yourself a smaller target. Wait for the ball to come to your paddle, release non paddle hand on contact and lead with bottom edge slighly beveled forward for better depth. Keep volleys deep and away from opponents forehand drive. After serve, server approaches net with a backhand volley in the ready position.

Deck Lob: Use when the height of ball is at waist or lower level on contact. Open up paddle face and lift ball directly upward ("like an elevator") with a slow hand. Follow ball up with the paddle finishing above your head. Aim for the height of the lights and for depth, aim for the opponents service line. DO NOT LOB LONG - THIS IS A SIN!

Block Lob: Used when ball is too high to contact as a deck lob. Used to block out potential screen shot and to get opponents quickly out of position. Great shot to use as a return of serve play over the net man's head. Place paddle head up, take ball as it rises up toward you and push gently straight up.

Push Overhead: Extremely important shot! Stroke is similar to block lob but you take the ball out of the air and lob it back SLOW and DEEP to the RESET AREA. Wait for ball to drop down to you paddle and push it up slowly. Defensive shot used to regain position at the net. Used when opponents hit lobs to the service line or deeper.

Snap Overhead: Used when opponents lobs fall within service boxes. Similar to tennis overhead but contact point is much lower, elbow remains bent, and you look to hit the ball into the screens. Best place to hit is the attack area (A on attachment) which is the righty's backhand screens. Make sure body is sideways, point non paddle shoulder in the direction where you want the ball to go.

Serve: GET IT IN! Once you are confident with that, then work on moving it around and then work on spins (slice and topspin). Stand sideways, toss must be forward (18 inches out in front), shortened backswing, snap wrist if using preferred continental grip. Following serve move toward the middle third of the court. Serve and first volley must be considered together.

Paddle Rally For The Cure

December 5th, 2007
The Second Annual Paddle Rally For The Cure was held at the Golf Club of Avon in Avon, CT. Twenty-to women participated in a paddle tennis round robin and raised $1200 in the process. Players from the farmington valley region of CT played paddle, nibbled on terrific homemade treats and had a great time gabbing it up in between matches. Next year we hope to expand the event to more clubs and move it up to October (Breast Cancer Awaremenss Month) and make it the kick off to the 2008 paddle season. Anyone interested in participating or hosting an event should contact paddlemaven@sbcglobal.net.

Paddle Tennis News

Happy Holidays to all my paddle tennis friends,

12/9/07 Recently won the first ever Women's 95's paddle tournament with Courtia Worth and had a great time up at the Myopia Hunt Club in South Hamilton, MA. Many thanks to Dan McCormick for running a nice event and to all the participants, it was great being a part of the tournament scene once again.