Austin Pickleball Update - Volume 6
Hello, and welcome to Austin Pickleball Update - Volume 6!
In this issue of Austin Pickleball Update, we’ll be covering how to play pickleball at Austin Tennis Center, returning to the topic of serve returns, providing a massive tournament update, and highlighting a new pickleball social club opening in Austin.
In this issue of APU you will find:
- Play Pickleball in Austin - Austin Tennis Center
- Pickleball Strategy 101 - Serve Returns
- Upcoming Events
- APU Paddle Demo Events
- Tournaments
- APU DUPR League Sign-up
- Community News - Pickleball Social Club Opening
- Austin Pickleball Update Social Groups
Let’s dive in!
Play Pickleball in Austin - Austin Tennis Center
Austin Tennis Center, or ATC for short, is the largest public tennis and pickleball center in Austin. Located at 7800 Johnny Morris Rd, ATC includes 10 tournament lighted tennis courts and 8 lighted pickleball courts.
These “8 lighted pickleball courts” are technically junior tennis courts with pickleball lines added. As the popularity of pickleball grew, ATC capitalized on the opportunity to provide much needed access to pickleball courts for players in Austin.
ATC’s courts are fantastic, with level surfaces that provide an awesome bounce that you’d expect from any professional court. There are four sections of courts at ATC, with each section having two side-by-side courts enclosed by fencing.
There is a small nuance to ATC courts worth mentioning. The nets, while permanent and of great quality, are technically set up for junior tennis, which means they measure 33 inches tall across the court. This is in contrast to the official pickleball net height of 34 inches in the middle of the net and 36 inches at the side where the court lines cross underneath the net. While this small deviation in standard net height is hard to notice and isn’t likely to affect your game in a noticeable way, it is worth mentioning for the die-hard pickleball player.
ATC’s facility is located at the top of a hill/plateau. On windy days this means ball flight can be affected, and on extremely windy days you won’t be able to play. Additionally, there can be some dust and dirt that gets onto some of the courts when the wind is blowing.
How to play at Austin Tennis Center
The best way to play at ATC is on open play days. Open play is organized through TeamReach, an app that allows clubs or organizations to post events and play availability. To join an organization and find out their play times, download the app, enter in the TeamReach code, and then that group will show up in your app.
To join the open play group at ATC, use the code “ATCPickleball” in TeamReach. Once you have joined the TeamReach group, you’ll be able to see the different days and times open play is available. Each open play session lasts 2 hours and has 24 spots available for RSVP. The cost is $4 cash or $5 charge, and you’ll need to check in at the office prior to heading to the courts. ATC open play has strict attendance rules to ensure enough players show up, so if you RSVP Attending make sure you can actually show up.
All of this information is outlined in the TeamReach app under each event. You can also read more about ATC open play online here.
ATC is also the location of weekly leagues hosted by Austin Pickleball Cooperative. These leagues are broken down by women's doubles on Monday, 3.5+ co-ed doubles on Sunday, and 4.0+ co-ed doubles on Tuesday. You can view a full breakdown of the leagues, rules, and how to join at this link.
The benefit of joining these leagues is that matches are recorded in DUPR, so it’s a great way to play ranked games. The unfortunate caveat here is that the two co-ed leagues have a multi-month waitlist due to limited availability, and you’ll need to show proof of the minimum required DUPR score in order to join the waitlist.
Want to play in DUPR matches and leagues without having to wait months to join? Fill out the APU DUPR League interest form here and we’ll follow-up with more information around DUPR days and leagues happening in 2024.
Overall, Austin Tennis Center is a great facility for pickleball in Austin. There are open play matches happening multiple days a week, and you’ll find a plethora of players across numerous skill levels to play and enjoy games with.
Also, special shout out to Lincoln Ward, who manages the ATC open play and runs all things pickleball at ATC. There would not be pickleball at ATC without Lincoln, and we are grateful for everything he does to grow the pickleball community in Austin. Thank you Lincoln!
Pickleball Strategy 101 - Improve Your Serve Returns
While we covered the basic strategy of returning serves deep in APU - Volume 1, in this issue we wanted to dive much more deeply into how to improve and capitalize on your serve return.
The serve return shot in pickleball is a crucial aspect of the game that often goes unnoticed. It plays a significant role in maintaining an advantageous position, as well as dictating the opponent's ability to advance to the kitchen.
There is even data to back this up. Looking at Real Clear Stats from Major League Pickleball Daytona in 2023, there is a substantial difference between the best and worst returners. The best returners had an opponent's kitchen arrival percentage of 49%, while the worst returners let their opponents get to the kitchen 83% of the time. This data clearly shows the importance of the return shot in controlling the point.
When thinking about how to hit the best returns, know that the quality of your return is more important than simply getting to the kitchen fast. Rushing through the return can be tempting, but it's crucial to focus on making great contact with the ball. This keeps your opponents away from their optimal court positioning and sets you up for success with the current point. As we mentioned previously, avoid hitting a short return since it leaves you vulnerable to counter attacks from your opponents.
Proper stance is also important for executing a great return shot. Position yourself on the court by starting with a wide stance, and taking one to two steps back from the baseline. This gives you more time to react to the incoming shot, and ensures you aren’t moving backwards when the incoming serve is hit deep.
Contrary to popular belief, the power for a return shot does not come from swinging/hitting the ball with your arms, it comes from your legs. Focus on loading and twisting your hips and core to generate power, which allows you to generate more strength and control in your return shots.
As with all pickleball skills and shots, practice is essential for honing your serve return shots and advancing you in your game. Practicing return shots not only improves your performance at your current level but also prepares you for higher-level play.
To summarize, the serve return shot in pickleball is often undervalued but plays a crucial role in maintaining an advantageous position. Focus on the quality of your return, proper stance, generating power from the legs, and continuous practice of your serve returns. With these strategies and techniques, you will improve your return shots and overall pickleball game in no time.
Check out this YouTube video The Serve RETURN: The Most Undervalued Shot in Pickleball from ThatPickleballGuy to see the above information in action.
Good luck improving and capitalizing on your serve returns!
Tired and Sore from Lots of Pickleball?
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Want to reach our engaged community of 750+ pickleball players in Austin? Fill out our sponsor interest form or reply to this email and we’ll be in touch.
Upcoming Events
Austin Pickleball Update DUPR Events
Looking for organized DUPR events to get rated or get your rating up? Fill out our interest form here, and we’ll follow-up with more information around DUPR days and leagues happening in 2024.
APU Paddle Demo Events
If you’re interested in checking out and demoing some of the latest, high-end pickleball paddles, we’ll be running paddle demo events at the below locations and times:
South Austin Rec Center - Saturday 2/3 - 9am-12pmCANCELED DUE TO RAIN- South Austin Rec Center - Sunday 2/11 - 9am-11am - register here
- Urban Pickleball Club - Thursday 2/22 - 5-7pm - private member event
View our website here to see the paddles available at our paddle demo events, and to learn about our Austin paddle rental program.
Austin Area Pickleball Tournaments
10 Upcoming Tournaments in this week's post! To receive ALL tournament information and updates subscribe to Austin Pickleball Update and get the information straight to your inbox!
Community News - Other Racquet Social Club Grand Opening
Congratulations to Other Racquet Social Club on their grand opening this past Sunday, January 28, 2024.
Austin Pickleball Update was onsite to check out the new club, and we’re happy to share that the atmosphere was electric and the amenities were top notch. From clubhouse to food & drinks to courts, everything was done with unique flair and style.
Check out our photos below and our Instagram reel here from the launch event, and stay tuned to APU for our Other Racquet Social Club review coming in a future newsletter.
Other Paddle Social Club Grand Opening
Austin Pickleball Update Social Groups
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Previous volumes of Austin Pickleball Update:
- Volume 5 - January 18, 2024
- Volume 4 - January 4, 2024
- Volume 3 - December 21, 2023
- Volume 2 - December 8, 2023
- Volume 1 - November 24, 2023
If you have any Austin pickleball news, tips, or topics that we should cover or may have missed, please reach out and let us know! We're always grateful to hear from our readers.
Look out for Austin Pickleball Update - Volume 7 on Thursday, February 15, 2024!
See you on the courts!✌️
