
THE PICKLE POST
PRESCOTT PICKLEBALL ASSOCIATION NEWSLETTER - 2/1/25
UPDATES
STRATEGIC PLANNING
The Strategic Planning Committee continues to work towards completion of the 2025-2028 Strategic Plan by which the Board will accept and adopt. This plan is structured using a pillar approach and assignment and implementation of those pillars. Some of the areas covered include administration, play programming, marketing/communication, events, and maintenance. Once it is Board approved it will be rolled out to the membership.
2025 MEMBERSHIP RENEWAL
If you haven't been able to renew your membership there is still time. Memberships will lapse if not paid by February, so if you have not renewed for 2025, please click here to renew online. There is still time to renew even though it is February.
THE PICKLE POST
The Pickle Post will change frequency and become a monthly publication. It will now be distributed the first of each month. If there are any specific items that the membership needs to be aware of during the month, an email blast will be distributed.
NEW NEWS
A new feature on the website will be weather alerts! A marquee on the Home page will give alerts of severe weather that will warrant a suspension of play at Pioneer Park. These alerts are strictly PPA driven and set out to protect our membership from adverse weather conditions. You can simply click on the scrolling marquee and be taken to our weather page where you can access weather.com for our area. Please note that the city has asked us NOT to use squeegees on the courts as they have a tendency to cause problems to the court surface. If courts have snow and/or rain, the City of Prescott will lock the gates.
AED DEVICE
An AED device is always available in case of emergency. This device can be found in the front of the bathroom and directions on usage are listed inside.

EVENTS
THE ARCTIC BLAST
Get ready for our next Social Saturday round robin to be held at Pioneer Park on February 15th. As always, this is a great event for our members and will include friends, fun, and Pickleball. These Social Saturday's fill up fast so register now by clicking on the button below. Registration opens February 1, 2025.
PICKLE FOR THE PETS
This is a great event that supports animals in need.
THE PICKLE BALL
Thank you to all that attended and to our amazing hosts. It was a wonderful night. Click here for pictures of the event!


THE COACHES CORNER

It's all about the Paddle-right?
At this point in your Pickleball games you have noticed that your shots are
going long, wide or worse yet into the net! Heaven forbid! So, it has to be
your paddle and not what you are doing-right?
I wish it was that simple. If it was, you wouldn't need those darn Coaches!
But if you are like me, you can't help but be curious about all the great paddles
we are constantly being bombarded with in advertising. Fortunately, and for
the most part, Pickleball paddles are a lot cheaper than golf!
I recommend that any beginner player start off with a beginner paddle. Why?
First they are cheap. Second, they typically have a larger "sweet" spot
meaning they are more forgiving when your paddle strikes the ball. Third,
beginners tend to be a little “rough” with their paddles. The scraped border
edges are very common.
The question will eventually come down to what's more important, power, control or spin (as promised in my last article!). For me personally, control is more important. I want to place the ball where I aim my paddle. I would prefer to control the power or velocity myself as opposed to wondering what my paddle is (or isn't) going to do. Although there are actually many other factors
such as weight, handle size, composition etc, here are some very basic Pickleball Paddle 101 things to consider.
Primarily paddles come in 3 different materials. Wood/Composite, Graphite or Composite. Wood is a fine beginner paddle as they are heavier and tend to have a larger “sweet” spot. In other words, the paddle is more forgiving. But the most typical are graphite and composite. Graphite is the most expensive option and popular among the "big dogs" of Pickleball. These
paddles are very durable and also very light in weight. Graphite paddles do it all, as they advertise having the ability to spread the energy of a ball strike consistently over the paddle. The Composite paddles use a mixture of mixture that typically include fiberglass, carbon fiber and a polymer core. I am currently using a Selkirk Halo SLK paddle that has Kevlar mixed in. That’s the
same material that bullet proof vests and tires have in them-go figure! Paddle Core is getting into the weeds of paddle construction. Other than for an all wood paddle, the core of your paddle is made up of either Nomex, aluminum or a polymer (aka plastic). They are typically honeycomb in structure to provide both light weight and strength. Nomex cores tend to be hard and that hardness creates in theory, power! The Nomex core paddle distinguishes itself in another factor, they tend to be the loudest paddles on the court. Uniquely enough, aluminum core paddles are super lightweight and seriously reduces the power of your shot.
BUT, they are also the paddle you may want to take a second look at if you are someone who is continually frustrated at overshooting your shot and hitting out of bounds. (There is actually another reason why you are doing that, but that’s why you do have Coaches!). The polymer core paddles seem to be the latest rage that advertises as giving the player a more consistent ball return, durability and the "C" word of the day.....CONTROL! But wait, there is more..... Pickleball paddle manufacturers
have come to use the word "hybrid" in a whole new fashion. Basically, according to their advertising and testimonials, a hybrid paddle will give you the best of both worlds of power and control! Who knew!
OK, now the "spin" theory of paddles. Generally speaking, the grittier the surface, the more likely a pickleball will spin coming off the paddle. The newer paddles you are seeing on the courts with the triangle hole in them, "may"also present some added spin factor. But the paddle surface is still the key factor. That grit will eventual wear off with continual play. Readers Digest Version; Do your research on what the paddle is composed of and what is its main selling point. If you see someone sporting the paddle you
are looking at it, ask them about it. Who knows, they may even let you "test drive" theirs for a game. Also, I happen to be a Selkirk Advocate Representative. Selkirk provides me with “demo” paddles for folks to try. So if there is a Selkirk paddle you are looking at, I may have one for you to borrow!
Don’t lose any sleep over this. After all “it’s just Pickleball”.
TIP OF THE DAY! Put your name and phone number on the edge of your
paddle and not on the actual surface.
For more information, paddle demos, or instruction:
PJ Janik
Instructor
(928) 237-0452 Call/text