Meh people crying "pickleball is dying" are suffering from a skill issue. There's plenty of dinking in the modern game at the higher levels since better players typically can punish raw aggression with low and fast counters so you need to be strategic when speeding up. The 3rd shot drive is just a tool to set up the drop since 4th shots have gotten a ton more aggressive, but it doesn't mean the drop is dead. Way I see it, the main patterns of the game are shifting (as is the case with every evolving sport) and you have two options: bemoan them and complain about how great the game was before, or you adapt and build your skillset.
Great take. I feel like every Pickelball channel is looking for clicks. Yes the game has gotten faster but if you can’t master the fundamentals which include dinking and drips you’ll never be a complete player.
Every game I’ve played for the past 3 months at 3.5-4.5, has been full on SMASHING, BANGING and RIPPING IT from the start. No dinking AT ALL. 3rd shot drops just turn into who’s gonna get hit in the face first with a 50+ MPH plastic ball. Body bags stacking high!
learn the top spin drop and hybrid drive drop. these are really useful in the power game to create popups from your opponents, as well gives them less opportunity to bang back/hard counter at you than a traditional drive does.
@@psycl0ptic hi very interesting stuff you said there, top spin drop and hybrid drive drop. thank for sharing. damn it is hard nowadays ! lot to learn and build !
@@PickleballBatman not exactly, the reason dinks are rare at 3.5 because people cannot handle fast balls from drives at that level. They don't have a chance to get to the dink.
2024 was the year I picked up pickleball having a tennis background. I guess I was lucky the game was changing, lest more people would have hated my 3rd shot drives!
I was a borderline elite racquetball player ... was a power player ... Covid and three surgeries since and I can't really play anymore (my core near my left hip fatigues too easily for my style of play); I picked up a pickle-ball paddle once and found I could pretty much hit the ball where I want with power. I suspect a lot of the power surge into pickle ball is a cross-over affect from power players from other racquet sports transitioning into Pickle. Although I haven't played a game yet, I got a set for Christmas and plan to play casually with my family.
Can we all agree that dinking is terrible for the sport and there needs to be a rule against it how in the hell are we going to ever be able to compete with tennis for viewership when people dink the entire game??? Well developed video thank you for the depth Mr. Bestia it is appreciated from a pickle baller here in the sunbelt region
"Can we all agree that dinking is terrible for the sport..." - No. "...how in the hell are we going to ever be able to compete with tennis for viewership..." - Who cares.
I just started playing and the one thing that I've noticed is that it can be difficult to find people who just want to play and screw around. I don't play any league sports. Hockey, soccer, softball, I just go to have fun and screw around. I like to play well and like when others play well, but I absolutely hate playing with people who treat things like it matters. With Pickleball, it feels like there is way too much emphasis on what your rank is and nonstop local tournaments. I'm not saying that any of that is strictly bad, but it gets people in this mindset that any of it matters, that everyone has to be on point at all times. That's what is the cloud over pickleball to me, that people aren't just enjoying the game to have some fun. Yeah, I like to win and I will give you all my effort to do the thing, but I am also going to screw up because it just game, why you hef be mad? Obviously at the pro levels, crap is serious, sponsors and money and all that, but way too many people are both the bad sports parent that is putting way too much pressure on an 8 year old and the beer league hockey player that is cross checking people in the back because they went in front of the net. People, go out and have some fun. Don't worry about slamming the ball at people's feet. Don't worrying about punishing anyone. Just have some fun, make some friends. And for the love of all that is good and decent in the world, if you can tell the person you are playing against is not so good, play down and help them get better. You don't get better at this if you don't have opportunities to return the ball. We're all in this together, I'm pulling for ya.
I am very happy to see that pickleball is moving towards speed and power. I am a banger type player. I can't stand the slow drops and dinks. I use fast top spins to attack opponents so that they dare not dink the ball to me. 😀
@@paulogden7417 I am only 170cm, so I am short. My specialty is powerful backcourt and midfield topspin attack. 90% of my drives are within 15cm above the net. I won the championship in this city with this specialty. 😁
the dinking game is still the same .. speed ups are frequent only because balls often pop up with former tennis players often banging the ball after the serve .. but they still need to drop the ball, dink and wait for the proper opportunity to attack in most crucial points .. after they drive the third, they still drop the fifth .. .. i still see top pros in the quarters, semis and final in the latest masters series engage in dinking battles of 20, 30 or even 40 strokes before a speed up opportunity presents itself .. 😊
No need to change rules. Game is evolving and is more fun with the increased speed and power. Also more fun to watch than watching people dink each other to death. If the game is too fast, then leagues should be separated by age group. The increase in amateurs who are playing this faster more powerful version are the younger players who are more athletic who are coming from a tennis background. The older players still play the older style version, so having different age groups would help the older players who prefers the slower version.
Rules will always need to evolve. Not because of a change to the playstyle, but that you will always have some dingus who tries to skirt a rule or play with technicalities. As for the play style, most older people can and do play at a decent clip, but they are also realistic about what is going on. It's why you don't see 70 year olds laying out for something they technically can. They ain't getting paid, no one is there to watch and even if they don't burst into dust, what is the dive for? I prefer a more fun play style, watching is something different, but playing, it doesn't need to be high aggression, we must get this point. On a side note, I don't like the idea of a faster more powerful version of the game because it changes what pickleball is as a concept. It's a hippie version of tennis. I like that there is something that older people and even handicapped people can get into to have fun.
The only thing that should be regulated is the ball, after that, the paddle should be whatever anyone want to use to compete, if you want to play with a rubber paddle, than so be it. .... The USPA be damned !!
@@tyroneburris8981 Yeah however that was one of the points trying to be made in the video. While paddle technology is skewing towards a power game, I think a more compelling argument is that more younger athletes with racquet sports backgrounds are coming into the game and finding success with a more natural ability for faster pace of play.
@ Yep 100% agree. If you can't drive the ball with a gen 2 paddle you most certainly cannot drive the ball with a gen 3 paddle. Learn correct body mechanics from tennis and you will also find the joy in driving and smashing the ball.
It has evolved into a sport for elites that take the fun out of it for some, I am not ever going to be a 40 mph player and wish to only play with those at about my level as a 65 yr old. It is a fun game for all of us mediocre folks who want exercise and fun with our friends
With all due respect, basketball is a game for elites, literal billionaires and millionaires play basketball, but I can still play basketball at the park with my friends. When these pickleball players are smashing the ball, that’s like an nba player dunking - you don’t need to dunk to play against people of your skill level.
@ Ok but if you were nba level talent and you were in your hometown hanging with your friends wouldn't you want to show off a little bit. And for all those people playing rec basketball u still watch the nba right?
@@okayest_amateur honestly no, some professionals might get a kick out of dominating regular folks but most professionals wouldn’t find that fun whatsoever and would rather spend their time doing something fun and if they’re doing something pickleball related they come at it from a work-like perspective and would rather drill and get better than troll you or me
Dang lets make the court bigger and play... Tennis! I really full switched to pickleball from tennis and have been playing for a year now. Played tennis for the first time in a while the other day and remembered just how much better that sport is. Pickleball just is not a sport made for competitive play and you can see it just from watching any match for 5 minutes.
@@douglasmurdoch7247 in tennis we advance to the net to volley. In badminton there's no such rule like you if you're in the forecourt area you can't hit the shuttlecock if it's one foot above the net or something. In squash too there's no limitations on the forecourt area so it's just strange in comparison to other racquet sports
While I can’t argue your opinion on which sport is more fun I can say you win dumb comment of the year for saying pickleball is not meant for competitive play. Well done 👍🏻
@@PrestonJudd-b2y Ironically, that is by far the more objective assertion in my paragraph. It's been very well explained on why pickleball is built to be a casual sport, unlike tennis which is very not casual friendly in comparison. But don't take my word for it😂
we need to stop make pickleball faster. Looking by the comments everyone wants to play pop tennis (people play in venice beach cal) But they are not aware of it. In pop tennis: There is no kitchen rule, there is no dinking. it has more strategy and faster just like tennis. dont say just play tennis! tennis is like a cage fighting for our joints. I am 35 and i dont trust my knees and lower back. nevertless im not playing +60 guys, too. let older people play pickleball with wood paddles like it used to be. they need this sport to involve in social life. Lets play Pop Tennis 🎾
😂😂😂😂😂😂 omg. I cant stop laughing. Juiced paddles? Elite athletes??? Oh god i couldnt get through the first min... ugh. Thanks for the laugh.. way to try tho
The massive change in the power of the paddles makes the sport look comical now. The court is too small for the paddles. Why they didn't leave well enough alone is beyond me.
I don’t think that the power game is how pickleball should be. I met this someone who said he was a 5.0 but can’t even dink; he only drives and couldn’t keep up with my consistency
There are pickleball players and their are tennis players and never the twain shall meet, pickleball players need to have their own tournaments, rec play and leagues . Let's face it the tennis players entering pickleball have no skill so they just bang away in their obnoxious way.
That's not true. I'm an accomplished tennis player. I picked up pickleball a year ago. I regularly mix in 3rd shot drops and my kitchen drinking game is solid.
@@comire01 Being able to drive with power and accuracy is a skill. Why would you discount that as a skill? Tennis has drop shots too and that shot does translate well to pickleball.
Meh people crying "pickleball is dying" are suffering from a skill issue. There's plenty of dinking in the modern game at the higher levels since better players typically can punish raw aggression with low and fast counters so you need to be strategic when speeding up. The 3rd shot drive is just a tool to set up the drop since 4th shots have gotten a ton more aggressive, but it doesn't mean the drop is dead. Way I see it, the main patterns of the game are shifting (as is the case with every evolving sport) and you have two options: bemoan them and complain about how great the game was before, or you adapt and build your skillset.
Great take. I feel like every Pickelball channel is looking for clicks. Yes the game has gotten faster but if you can’t master the fundamentals which include dinking and drips you’ll never be a complete player.
Every game I’ve played for the past 3 months at 3.5-4.5, has been full on SMASHING, BANGING and RIPPING IT from the start. No dinking AT ALL.
3rd shot drops just turn into who’s gonna get hit in the face first with a 50+ MPH plastic ball.
Body bags stacking high!
learn the top spin drop and hybrid drive drop. these are really useful in the power game to create popups from your opponents, as well gives them less opportunity to bang back/hard counter at you than a traditional drive does.
@@psycl0ptic hi very interesting stuff you said there, top spin drop and hybrid drive drop. thank for sharing. damn it is hard nowadays ! lot to learn and build !
I found drops are still effective.
Let’s be honest Most 3.5 players don’t know how to dink
@@PickleballBatman not exactly, the reason dinks are rare at 3.5 because people cannot handle fast balls from drives at that level. They don't have a chance to get to the dink.
2024 was the year I picked up pickleball having a tennis background. I guess I was lucky the game was changing, lest more people would have hated my 3rd shot drives!
I was a borderline elite racquetball player ... was a power player ... Covid and three surgeries since and I can't really play anymore (my core near my left hip fatigues too easily for my style of play); I picked up a pickle-ball paddle once and found I could pretty much hit the ball where I want with power. I suspect a lot of the power surge into pickle ball is a cross-over affect from power players from other racquet sports transitioning into Pickle. Although I haven't played a game yet, I got a set for Christmas and plan to play casually with my family.
Can we all agree that dinking is terrible for the sport and there needs to be a rule against it how in the hell are we going to ever be able to compete with tennis for viewership when people dink the entire game??? Well developed video thank you for the depth Mr. Bestia it is appreciated from a pickle baller here in the sunbelt region
Haha!
"Can we all agree that dinking is terrible for the sport..." - No.
"...how in the hell are we going to ever be able to compete with tennis for viewership..." - Who cares.
Haha is this trolling or are you serious.
I don't care about viewership. I like to PLAY. And so does everybody I know! THAT's what makes this game special.
I just started playing and the one thing that I've noticed is that it can be difficult to find people who just want to play and screw around. I don't play any league sports. Hockey, soccer, softball, I just go to have fun and screw around. I like to play well and like when others play well, but I absolutely hate playing with people who treat things like it matters. With Pickleball, it feels like there is way too much emphasis on what your rank is and nonstop local tournaments. I'm not saying that any of that is strictly bad, but it gets people in this mindset that any of it matters, that everyone has to be on point at all times. That's what is the cloud over pickleball to me, that people aren't just enjoying the game to have some fun. Yeah, I like to win and I will give you all my effort to do the thing, but I am also going to screw up because it just game, why you hef be mad?
Obviously at the pro levels, crap is serious, sponsors and money and all that, but way too many people are both the bad sports parent that is putting way too much pressure on an 8 year old and the beer league hockey player that is cross checking people in the back because they went in front of the net.
People, go out and have some fun. Don't worry about slamming the ball at people's feet. Don't worrying about punishing anyone. Just have some fun, make some friends. And for the love of all that is good and decent in the world, if you can tell the person you are playing against is not so good, play down and help them get better. You don't get better at this if you don't have opportunities to return the ball. We're all in this together, I'm pulling for ya.
The rise of hot paddles... shows a luxx... lol
Spot on👌
I am very happy to see that pickleball is moving towards speed and power. I am a banger type player. I can't stand the slow drops and dinks. I use fast top spins to attack opponents so that they dare not dink the ball to me. 😀
Same! 😑
Are you tall? I do find tall players to be especially difficult to beat in dinking.
@@paulogden7417 I am only 170cm, so I am short. My specialty is powerful backcourt and midfield topspin attack. 90% of my drives are within 15cm above the net. I won the championship in this city with this specialty. 😁
You may want to try tennis, trust me 😆
@ When I was in university, I played badminton and tennis in the school team and participated in some high-level tournaments.
I play tennis and I find this aggression more fun to watch.
Not sure if I understand the sport correctly...
you don't have to be a tennis player to find aggression are generally more fun to watch in any sport.
Wow, great analysis. Hit the nail flat on the head. I've played for about 15 years now and have observed the same kind of stuff.
I feel this faster pace was influenced by ex tennis players. They been playing like this since the beginning at least in rec play.
I dont think the LUXX should be on the hot paddle images 😂
Paddle up, be ready!
the dinking game is still the same .. speed ups are frequent only because balls often pop up with former tennis players often banging the ball after the serve .. but they still need to drop the ball, dink and wait for the proper opportunity to attack in most crucial points .. after they drive the third, they still drop the fifth .. .. i still see top pros in the quarters, semis and final in the latest masters series engage in dinking battles of 20, 30 or even 40 strokes before a speed up opportunity presents itself .. 😊
Spoken by someone who truly understands the game. Thankyou.
Same has happened to Tennis
Make pickleball mini-tennis!!!
No need to change rules. Game is evolving and is more fun with the increased speed and power. Also more fun to watch than watching people dink each other to death. If the game is too fast, then leagues should be separated by age group. The increase in amateurs who are playing this faster more powerful version are the younger players who are more athletic who are coming from a tennis background. The older players still play the older style version, so having different age groups would help the older players who prefers the slower version.
Rules will always need to evolve. Not because of a change to the playstyle, but that you will always have some dingus who tries to skirt a rule or play with technicalities. As for the play style, most older people can and do play at a decent clip, but they are also realistic about what is going on. It's why you don't see 70 year olds laying out for something they technically can. They ain't getting paid, no one is there to watch and even if they don't burst into dust, what is the dive for? I prefer a more fun play style, watching is something different, but playing, it doesn't need to be high aggression, we must get this point.
On a side note, I don't like the idea of a faster more powerful version of the game because it changes what pickleball is as a concept. It's a hippie version of tennis. I like that there is something that older people and even handicapped people can get into to have fun.
0:50 It doesn't really work though. You just get into endless stalemates.
Doesn’t work? You didn’t practice enough?
The only thing that should be regulated is the ball, after that, the paddle should be whatever anyone want to use to compete, if you want to play with a rubber paddle, than so be it. .... The USPA be damned !!
well rubber might be a bit extreme.. but I understand the sentiment.
Colin and Ben still won the Masters😂
Quang Duong never used any of the power paddles that were mentioned.
I don’t think that’s by choice. (Selkirk).
@@tyroneburris8981 Yeah however that was one of the points trying to be made in the video. While paddle technology is skewing towards a power game, I think a more compelling argument is that more younger athletes with racquet sports backgrounds are coming into the game and finding success with a more natural ability for faster pace of play.
@ Yep 100% agree. If you can't drive the ball with a gen 2 paddle you most certainly cannot drive the ball with a gen 3 paddle. Learn correct body mechanics from tennis and you will also find the joy in driving and smashing the ball.
The FRIDAY "Challenger" paddle is one of the best for advanced and professional play! This paddle is seriously way overlooked!
I sort of wish the court was a little bigger to accommodate for the new power of the paddles.
If only there was another sport with a bigger court to address this issue
@Blorbifink no rackets tho
Yay!! Faster is better
Dinking is dead
I play 90% of the time with body smashing forehand
Dinking is dead at the 3.0 level. When you play 4.0 and above a poorly timed speed up or drive is punished.
@PrestonJudd-b2y Incorrect, I just got silver at a 4.5 tournament and hit maybe 10 drops the whole time.
Stay at baseline and rally, then.
@@letrantrung1 3rd drive 5th drop 90 percent of the time. people mess up on returning the drive so often it creates lots of good opportunities
So tired of every person, everywhere saying ______ is dead. It’s the most overused clickbait phrase.
It has evolved into a sport for elites that take the fun out of it for some, I am not ever going to be a 40 mph player and wish to only play with those at about my level as a 65 yr old. It is a fun game for all of us mediocre folks who want exercise and fun with our friends
With all due respect, basketball is a game for elites, literal billionaires and millionaires play basketball, but I can still play basketball at the park with my friends. When these pickleball players are smashing the ball, that’s like an nba player dunking - you don’t need to dunk to play against people of your skill level.
Eh.. so play with your own group then. I don't find endless dinking fun just like you don't enjoy the power game.
@ Ok but if you were nba level talent and you were in your hometown hanging with your friends wouldn't you want to show off a little bit. And for all those people playing rec basketball u still watch the nba right?
I do agree that smashes to the face at not fun.
@@okayest_amateur honestly no, some professionals might get a kick out of dominating regular folks but most professionals wouldn’t find that fun whatsoever and would rather spend their time doing something fun and if they’re doing something pickleball related they come at it from a work-like perspective and would rather drill and get better than troll you or me
Pickleball is too loud.
The game is better that way. The dinking game is totally boring.
Dang lets make the court bigger and play... Tennis! I really full switched to pickleball from tennis and have been playing for a year now. Played tennis for the first time in a while the other day and remembered just how much better that sport is. Pickleball just is not a sport made for competitive play and you can see it just from watching any match for 5 minutes.
I play tennis and haven't played Pickleball and I find the kitchen area rules really strange
@@klloo5689out of curiosity, what’s strange? The rule is that you can’t volley from within that zone. What’s so weird about that?
@@douglasmurdoch7247 in tennis we advance to the net to volley. In badminton there's no such rule like you if you're in the forecourt area you can't hit the shuttlecock if it's one foot above the net or something. In squash too there's no limitations on the forecourt area so it's just strange in comparison to other racquet sports
While I can’t argue your opinion on which sport is more fun I can say you win dumb comment of the year for saying pickleball is not meant for competitive play. Well done 👍🏻
@@PrestonJudd-b2y Ironically, that is by far the more objective assertion in my paragraph. It's been very well explained on why pickleball is built to be a casual sport, unlike tennis which is very not casual friendly in comparison. But don't take my word for it😂
traditional pickleball is boring to watch at. You spend 1 minute watching slow dinking rally, lol
we need to stop make pickleball faster. Looking by the comments everyone wants to play pop tennis (people play in venice beach cal) But they are not aware of it.
In pop tennis: There is no kitchen rule, there is no dinking.
it has more strategy and faster just like tennis.
dont say just play tennis!
tennis is like a cage fighting for our joints. I am 35 and i dont trust my knees and lower back. nevertless im not playing +60 guys, too.
let older people play pickleball with wood paddles like it used to be. they need this sport to involve in social life.
Lets play Pop Tennis 🎾
😂😂😂😂😂😂 omg. I cant stop laughing. Juiced paddles? Elite athletes??? Oh god i couldnt get through the first min... ugh. Thanks for the laugh.. way to try tho
Calling the game before 2024 dinking to death is a way oversimplification of the game that existed prior and it’s a ridiculous disservice.
The massive change in the power of the paddles makes the sport look comical now. The court is too small for the paddles. Why they didn't leave well enough alone is beyond me.
It has always been a comical game
I don’t think that the power game is how pickleball should be. I met this someone who said he was a 5.0 but can’t even dink; he only drives and couldn’t keep up with my consistency
definitely not 5.0 unless you are 5.5. we need a dupr check lol!
@ lol. I’m a 4.5 and that guy said he was a 5.0 🤣
@@braydenlee9136 good job for schooling him :)!!
There are pickleball players and their are tennis players and never the twain shall meet, pickleball players need to have their own tournaments, rec play and leagues . Let's face it the tennis players entering pickleball have no skill so they just bang away in their obnoxious way.
That's not true. I'm an accomplished tennis player. I picked up pickleball a year ago. I regularly mix in 3rd shot drops and my kitchen drinking game is solid.
Tennis players have more skills in pickleballs, than pickleball players trying tennis :)
@@comire01 Being able to drive with power and accuracy is a skill. Why would you discount that as a skill? Tennis has drop shots too and that shot does translate well to pickleball.
I play both...
I will never play pickleball and I will never ever buy a single hot paddle as you proclaim them. Pickleball can go to hell.