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Silly Serves

Silly Serves


You’ll find both of these serves are easy to learn. They are semi-legal in that the ball is hit below the wrist and below the waist. However, some may dispute whether the strokes are truly underhand. The reason these would not work in tournament play is that they’d be called distractions.

The first serve is normal in most ways, except the paddle is swung around in two big, slow circles before hitting the ball. Optionally, you can put a spin on the ball as I am doing in the video. A little practice, and you’ll probably master this serve.

The second serve is more difficult. First, learn to toss the paddle in the air and let it spin one revolution before catching it. Then learn to do it with two spins. To protect your paddle, practice this over something soft like a carpet or lawn.

Work on holding the paddle vertically so that it doesn’t wobble in the air. If it wobbles, it will catch air, and the position of the handle after the spinning will become unpredictable.

Once two spins are so easy you don’t have to look at the catch, learn to throw up the ball simultaneously with the paddle. The throw must be high enough to allow the two spins to be completed before you hit the ball.

There is a tendency to hit this second serve above your waist. The trick is to learn to wait until the ball falls further.

You’ll find this second serve difficult on windy days, since the slightest puff will move the paddle, and you may miss the handle when you try to grip it.

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AI Gets It Wrong!

AI Gets It Wrong

I asked the well-known AI text composer, ChatGPT, to create a pickleball romance story, which you can see at Pickleball Romance and ChatGPT.

Then, I thought it would be nice to use an AI art generator, Dall-E2, to create some accompanying art work. First I asked, “Draw a picture of pickleball romance.” This is what I got:

AI tries to illustrate pickleball romance

As you can see, the art program isn’t great at spelling.

I thought the illustrations were too cartooney, so then I asked, “Draw a photorealistic picture of pickleball romance.” As you can see, I got more weirdness:

AI tries to illustrate pickleball romance

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Pickleball Romance and ChatGPT

Pickleball Romance and ChatGPT

Check Out What Happened When I Tried to Illustrate This Story: AI Gets It Wrong

I asked the AI program, ChatGPT to write a short romance story involving pickleball. For better or worse, this is what I got. I thought you might find it interesting:

As an AI language model, I can certainly help you generate a romance story involving pickleball, but please keep in mind that the story will be generated using natural language processing and may not be perfect. Also, please note that the story will be a work of fiction and any resemblance to real-life people or events is purely coincidental.

Once upon a time, there was a woman named Samantha who loved pickleball more than anything in the world. She played every day and was always looking for new people to play with. One day, she arrived at the local pickleball courts to find a new player, a tall and handsome man named Jack.

Samantha was immediately smitten with Jack, and she couldn’t help but notice how gracefully he moved on the court. She approached him and asked if he wanted to play a game with her. Jack was happy to oblige, and the two began to play.

As they played, Samantha and Jack couldn’t help but feel drawn to each other. They were perfectly matched on the court, and their chemistry was undeniable. They talked and laughed between games, and before they knew it, hours had passed.

As the sun began to set, Samantha and Jack realized that they didn’t want the day to end. They decided to go out for dinner together and continue getting to know each other. They talked about their lives, their families, and their shared love of pickleball.

After dinner, they went for a walk along the beach. The moon was full, and the waves crashed against the shore. They walked hand in hand, lost in their thoughts and feelings. Suddenly, Jack stopped and turned to Samantha.

“Samantha,” he said, “I know we just met, but I feel like I’ve known you forever. I’ve never met anyone who understands my love for pickleball like you do. Will you go out with me again?”

Samantha’s heart fluttered with excitement. She had never felt this way about anyone before, and she knew that Jack was someone special. “Yes,” she said, “I would love to go out with you again.”

Over the next few weeks, Samantha and Jack spent every moment they could together. They played pickleball together, went on long walks, and shared meals at their favorite restaurants. Their love for each other continued to grow, and they knew that they had found something special.

One day, while they were playing pickleball, Jack stopped in the middle of the game and got down on one knee. “Samantha,” he said, “I love you more than anything in the world. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Will you marry me?”

Samantha was overcome with emotion. She had never felt so loved and cherished before. “Yes,” she said, tears streaming down her face. “I will marry you.”

They continued to play pickleball together, but now with a new level of love and passion. They planned their wedding, and on the day of their nuptials, they invited all of their friends from the pickleball community to celebrate with them.

As they exchanged vows, Samantha and Jack couldn’t help but think back to the day they first met on the pickleball court. They knew that their love for each other had been written in the stars, and they were grateful for the game that had brought them together.

After the ceremony, they played a game of pickleball with their wedding guests, and it was the happiest day of their lives. They continued to play pickleball together for many years, and they always remembered the game that had brought them together and the love that had grown between them.

In the end, Samantha and Jack knew that their love for each other was like a game of pickleball. It was challenging, exciting, and [ChatGPT stopped right here, evidently just a few words short of the finish.]

Want another ChatGPT pickleball story? Here you go:

As an AI language model, I can certainly help you generate a romance story involving pickleball. Please note that the story will be a work of fiction and any resemblance to real-life people or events is purely coincidental.

Carla had always been a fan of sports, but she had never found one that she truly loved until she discovered pickleball. It was a sport that combined the excitement of tennis with the strategy of ping pong, and Carla was instantly hooked.

She began to play pickleball regularly at the local courts, and she quickly became one of the best players in the community. She loved the feeling of the paddle in her hand, the sound of the ball hitting the court, and the rush of adrenaline as she made a great shot.

One day, while playing a game with her regular partner, Carla was introduced to a new player, a tall and handsome man named Mark. He was a skilled player, and Carla couldn’t help but feel drawn to him.

They played a few games together, and Carla couldn’t help but notice how well they worked as a team. They communicated seamlessly on the court, anticipating each other’s moves and supporting each other through every point.

After the game, Mark invited Carla to grab a drink with him at a nearby bar. Carla hesitated for a moment, but then she agreed. She couldn’t deny the chemistry that she felt with Mark, and she wanted to get to know him better.

As they sat at the bar, sipping their drinks and chatting, Carla and Mark couldn’t help but feel a connection growing between them. They talked about their lives, their interests, and their shared love of pickleball.

“I’ve never met anyone who loves pickleball as much as I do,” Mark said, smiling at Carla.

Carla laughed. “I know what you mean. I can’t get enough of it. It’s like every game is a new challenge.”

Mark leaned in closer to Carla. “Maybe we can challenge each other sometime.”

Carla felt a shiver run down her spine. She had never been so attracted to anyone before, and she knew that Mark felt the same way.

Over the next few weeks, Carla and Mark played pickleball together regularly. They continued to work well as a team, but they also found themselves increasingly drawn to each other off the court.

One evening, after a particularly intense game, Mark leaned in and kissed Carla. The kiss was electric, and Carla couldn’t help but feel her body responding to Mark’s touch.

From that moment on, their relationship deepened. They continued to play pickleball together, but they also went on dates, watched movies, and talked late into the night. They were falling in love, and they knew it.

One day, while playing a game of pickleball together, Mark got down on one knee and pulled out a small box.

“Carla,” he said, “I know we haven’t known each other for very long, but I feel like we’ve been playing pickleball together forever. I love you more than anything in the world, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Will you marry me?”

Carla felt tears streaming down her face as she said yes. She had never been so happy in her life, and she knew that she wanted to spend the rest of her life with Mark.

They continued to play pickleball together, but now they were more in love than ever before. They got married on a beautiful day, surrounded by their friends and family, and they continued to play pickleball together as a married couple.

As they grew old together, they knew that their love for each other was like a game of pickleball. It was challenging, exciting, and full of surprises. They would always cherish the game that brought them together.

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21 Reasons To Like Pickleball

21 Reasons To Like Pickleball

Reasons to like pickleball

This list assumes outdoor doubles pickleball, but many of these findings apply to indoor and singles play as well.

It’s a full-body exercise, involving upper body stretching, a bit of running, and quick-twitch movements. The best part is you may not realize you’re exercising.

Unlike many other sports or forms of exercise, the likelihood of injury is less.

Most pickleballers don’t take themselves too seriously. You’ll have many opportunities for amusement and laughter.

You can take pride in being in the vanguard of a relatively new sport.

Much like speed-dating, you may find yourself in the company of someone new, with whom you must cooperate right away.

You have a new skill that you can proudly introduce to family, friends and co-workers.

Once you get to the level where you participate in kitchen rallies, it teaches patience.

This shows people of a great age that one is never too old to learn something now.

You get enough sunshine to manufacture some vitamin D.

For players of advanced years, you get to enjoy the company of others in your age range.

Pickleball develops fast reaction times. In doubles, you also expand your peripheral vision ability in keeping track of the position of your partner. The speed of pickleball kitchen rallies and the necessity of solid focus makes safer motorists of us all.

This sport imparts a ‘can-do’ attitude that overflows into other activities. For instance if you have to learn another language, or want to master a particularly difficult piece of music, you may subconsciously say, “Hey, if I can learn pickleball, this is going to be easy.”

Don’t underestimate the time between games on busy courts. Instead of being upset because you don’t get as much playing time, know that real magic can happen in between-game communication.

Pickleball teaches humility as one slowly learns how the three-part scoring works, and to stay out of the kitchen when hitting balls that haven’t bounced.

For instance, it is a great place for networking. Let’s say you are a gigging musician. Pretty soon, a large new group of people will meet you, like you, and hire you for their events.

For those who might otherwise be lonely, pickleball is the perfect solution. After playing with the same people for a while, deep friendships develop naturally.

What better way to meet people of the opposite sex if that is your desire?

Pickleball develops social skills. You might think that the older players would have learned everything they need to know by now. Being an older player myself, I can guarantee there’s still more to be learned.

You develop the skill of playing with people who you might normally not get a long. For instance Republicans and Democrats can enjoy the game together.

Pickleball is a great sport for children. The lightweight ball is harmless, the court is small, the kids learn cooperation and coping skills.

Unlike some sports, it doesn’t matter if the player is tall, short, light or heavy. All body types can be equally competitive.

And, it’s so much fun!

Please leave a comment below if you can think of other reasons to like pickleball.