LAC LA BICHE - How do you play pickleball? Glad you asked.
On Sept. 23, a group of 16 people people with the same question from Lac La Biche County and neighbouring communities came to a pickleball clinic at Lac La Biche's Bold Center, aimed at teaching beginners some pickleball-pointers.
Throughout Saturday morning, the attendees received detailed instruction from pickleball veteran Rob Barrett, a coach and player from Bonnyville who has been involved in the sport for the past 14 years.
Barrett taught the basic skills of making contact with the ball and paddle by having players volley the ball between teams on the court. The players then learned how to dink. Barrett explained that dinking is a common shot in the game, a soft shot that is aimed near the opponent's side of the net that slows down the pace of play. The session also showed participants the proper serves, and the best way to return serves. Drop shots were also explained — a shot where a player hits the ball from anywhere in the court over the net into the non-volley zone.
Of course, that non-volley zone — commonly referred to in pickleball parlance as The Kitchen — was also explained. Barret said the 14-foot area in the middle of the court that extends seven feet on either side of the is a place of many rules. Players must be out of this off-limits area when hitting the pickleball into the air — but stepping in and hitting the pickleball after it bounces into the non-volley zone is permitted.
The newcomers also participated in various drills designed to build familiarity with footwork and stances while on the court, including an exercise known as ‘ghost swings’ where players in teams of two positioned themselves on opposite sides of net and practiced paddle swinging techniques, albeit without a pickleball, hence the name ghost swings.
Barrett encouraged the attendees to hit the courts as often as they can to get more experience with the sport that continues to grow in popularity.
The Lac La Biche POST outdoor tennis and pickleball courts at the Bold Center will remain open until cooler weather shuts them down for the season. Indoor play will take place over the colder months on the courts inside the Bold Center.
