Welcome to the Pickle Madness Weekly!

The shake and bake, playing with different skill levels, and more!

What is the “Shake and Bake”?

If you play pickleball there’s a good chance you have heard someone yell out “shake and bake” after a play. This might have you wondering – what does a tasty way to cook pork chops have to do with pickleball? Just what in the world is a pickleball shake and bake?

Shake and bake refers to an aggressive play in doubles pickleball. This play unfolds when one of the serving team hits a hard drive for the third shot, and then the other member of the serving team rushes up to the net trying, to put away the fifth shot if the receiving team pops up that third-shot drive.

To successfully execute this, the serving team’s player must hit a low, strong third-shot drive that will more likely cause the receiving player to pop the ball up on the fourth shot. Forehand topspin obviously helps with this. This pop-up allows the other player on the serving side to rush to the non-volley zone and smash a successful put-away.

Want to be featured as a guest author?

Send your submission to [email protected] for a chance to have your name and article published on www.picklemadness.com and the weekly newsletter!

Claim your new Gearbox Pro Series paddle before they’re all gone!

We have a limited number of Gearbox’s highly sought-after Pro Series paddles. Submit your order to be first in line and ensure you don’t miss this epic paddle before it sells out!

Having Fun With Players of Different Skill Levels

By Kevin Gress

No matter where I travel to play pickleball, both in and out of Florida, I’ve noticed many pickleballers step on their local courts and to play against people they may not know. They immediately size up the court and start to form opinions on the skill level and abilities of the players. After a couple points you realize you are either a higher or lower skill level than the others and start playing differently. If you’re of the lower skill level, you probably say to yourself, “Oh no, I’m going to get killed.’’ On the flip side, there are skilled players who get annoyed “playing down” against lesser-skilled players, and will go out of their way to avoid them. Sound familiar? I’ve been on both sides of this equation and I’m sure you have also, but the question is what do you do and how do you play in these scenarios?

I would say the vast majority of pickleball players nationwide are good, friendly people so no matter where you measure up skill-wise at your local courts on a given day, you should always stay and continue to play. Yes, there will always be that person or two who refuse to play with you because in their mind you are not of their skill level, but I believe they are missing out. They are missing out on simply playing fun games, meeting new people who may later become a good tournament partner or a friend, and lose out on teaching others how to play the game. If you are of a higher skill level and confident in your skills, then play games with anyone, choose something to work on, and teach your partner some strategy. Use these games as a somewhat structured practice or drilling session and take the stress out of the usual “high level” games you may normally play.

If you’re on the other end of the skill spectrum, try and play a few games with the higher skilled people and learn as much as you can. As I stated above, choose something to work on and refrain from going out there and hitting wild shots like ill-advised speedups or attempting Ernes etc. Watch and learn shot selection and strategy so you can better your game. Ask questions about where to hit the ball in certain scenarios and how you can work together as a team. Personally, when I’m on a court with beginners or intermediates, I talk with them about placement of the ball, including how we want to play to try and set up the opponents. Not only is this fun to teach others and have them walk away with a smile after playing, but it also allows me to work on shots to set them up for success.

If I’m on a court with 5.0 and plus players, I normally defer to them asking what I can do to help them have a fun and fulfilling game. Do they want me to drop 3^rd shots crosscourt so they can work on attacks? Do they want me to crosscourt dink so they can work on Erne’s? They want to stack so they can stay on the left? This helps them work on staying consistent and allows me to better my game, which will give me more opportunities to play in the “higher level” games. Everyone wants to play against the advanced players but there is a right way to do it. No one will want to play with you if you’re not friendly, yelling at your opponents, trying crazy shots, or running all over the court out of control. Work with your partner and set each other up for great shots and you will find yourself invited into higher level games.

I mentioned before no matter if you’re playing against higher level or lower level pickleballers, choose something from your game to work on. For instance, during the game, hit crosscourt backhand dinks, 3^rd shot drops to the opposite side of the court, or try resetting every ball sped up your way. Don’t smash every ball for a winner just because you can; instead, do nothing but dink and reset for an entire game, working on your placement. In the long run, this will do more for your game and allow you to advance quicker.

If you find yourself as one of the lower-level players on the court, it’s even more important to choose something to work on. It’s impossible to improve on several things all in one game. If you’re thinking about three different shots to try, then your focus will be lacking leading to more errors. Try not to miss any 3^rd shot drops, serves, returns of serves, or leaving dinks high to be attacked. Simply attempt to work on any one of these parts of the game on a given day. If you can do that, you will be competitive in almost any type of game against any level of skill.

I enjoy attempting to play a game within the game. Sometimes I try and see how many dink winners I can collect in a game, how many good 3^rd shot drops in a row I can hit, or if I can crosscourt dink five times in a row. I also like to work on keeping my returns of serve very deep, almost hitting them out, taking every dink out of the air instead of letting them bounce to put pressure on the opponent, and attempting to serve every ball either wide or down the middle to most people’s backhand. I find anyone can play this “game within a game” regardless of skill level or the skill level of the opponents. I’ve found it makes me a better player and games become more fun and engaging. No matter if you’re the top player on the court or the lowest skill level on the court, above all else have fun, bring a good attitude, and remember we all started somewhere.

Wow! You made it to the end of the newsletter! We’re glad you’re part of the Pickle Madness family. If you know other pickleball fanatics who would enjoy Pickle Madness content please share this newsletter with them. If you have any suggestions or would just like to say “Hi!” you can reach out HERE or send an email to [email protected]

See you next week!