Tag: Chicago
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No Slackers At Slate
While construction is underway, the Slate team has been very busy getting ready for YOU. What have we been up to: On Court: Off Court: So much goes into opening a facility like Slate and we are lucky enough to have the time to work together as a cohesive team before our doors open. This…
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Junior Player Development and Pickleball
Coming from the world of tennis player development in my previous career, I was exposed to the best leaders and sports scientists in the world. I was lucky that I had access to them. I learned and grew as a coach, studying their ways of modern teaching and coaching methodologies. As I transitioned over to…
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Use the Rhythmic Swing to Increase Your Power in Pickleball
Is your pickleball swing choppy? Do you not hit the ball as hard as you want to? Having a rhythmic swing is your answer. Maintaining a fluid swing from start to finish is essential to increase your power, spin, and timing, maximizing your accuracy and depth control. I have always been a player (tennis, badminton,…
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The Rise of Pickleball Over Tennis
If you’re expecting the typical “growth of pickleball” talk about how pickleball is accessible and super-fun and social and the whole family can play and that’s why it’s blown up, you’ve come to the wrong blog article! Sort of. In my previous career as a tennis manager and coach working for a corporation that was…
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The “Not So Secret” Society of Pickleball
Pickleball is universal! It unites people of all ages, genders, races, beliefs, socioeconomics, physical abilities, and more. It’s a welcoming culture. No matter where you come from, you have a place on the court. There are few things in this world that bring people together on such a grand scale, but pickleball does just that.…
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Upgrade Your Dynamic Warmup for Pickleball
In my previous blog post, I discussed the importance of a proper hitting warmup before a match. I also mentioned that in my next piece, I’d speak on warming-up before you even walk on the court to rally. Would I say that a pre-hitting warmup is as necessary as a proper hitting warmup? No. But…
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The Art of Pickleball Open Play
Believe it or not, there is an art to pickleball open play. The idea of open play is to bring together players of all levels, ages, and gender in the spirit of community, teamwork, and sportsmanship, but sometimes, it goes off script. There are so many different types of players you’ll encounter at open play:…
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Setting the Standard for a Proper Match Warmup for Pickleball
What is the point of a warmup for pickleball? Many have good answers to this question. To get the feel for the ball, to get the muscles loose, to get the blood flowing, to prevent injury. All solid responses. What do most players actually do when they warm-up? Dead dinking for two minutes and that’s…
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Standards at Slate
Hello future Slate members, A club with a program as comprehensive as ours is going to require a complex standard of procedure architecture. Every aspect of our robust programming is going to be of the highest caliber, and for that to occur, the standards must be set well before opening, and the coaches fully trained. …