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.