Category: News

Please click on the link below to view posts on Pat’s progress.

https://www.pickleball-huntsville.com/discuss/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=25&p=59#p59

 

Eugenie is a member of the Huntsville Pickleball Club.  Not only can Eugenie play Pickleball – she qualified for National Senior Olympics in 2019 by taking Gold in the 1500, 400, and 200 meter track events. She also qualified for National 10k and 5k road races thru the Cotton Row race on Monday!

A few members have inquired about the new Onix Fuse ball.  Here are a few comments from the PickleballCentral website.

PickleballCentral Expert’s Corner:

• Information On the Performance & Durability of the ONIX Fuse Ball – Notice Posted March 21, 2018

• Hi Pickleball Players – Onix’s new Fuse ball is now out in the marketplace and gaining some reviews. There’s been a lot of excitement from our customers about this ball, and now that they are in stock, we’ve tested this ball in both the lab, and on the courts. We want to share some specific information with you and set expectations about the performance and durability you should expect with this ball.
• The ball is USAPA approved, and as such bounces lower out of the package than a Pure 2. It plays similar to a Pure 2 – as an injection molded two piece ball, it has a softer playing characteristic a lot of recreational players prefer. It slows down the game a bit, and many of our test players liked the way it performed on the court because of that. The teaching pros like to use a softer playing ball for clinics, so we got good feedback there as well. Testers felt like it had a similar feel on the paddle as a Pure 2, just not as bouncy out of the package. Most enjoyed the ball, and most of the comments were positive about the ball. We received good feedback on the color intensity of the yellow as well.
• We ran it through our test lab, and like a Pure 2, it’s bounce height decays over time (typical of all injection molded balls including the Jugs, Pure 2, P7, etc), meaning that the bounce height gets lower and lower over time. This is a common trait of all injection molded type balls we’ve tested so far, so you should expect these balls to get softer and softer over time, with lower bounce heights over time.
• What we also found in the lab is that the Fuse is not as durable as the original Pure 2 ball, so please plan your purchases accordingly.  In our discussions with Onix, they have shared with us that they want customers to understand that the durability is more in line with a rotationally molded ball (like the Dura, Onix 503, or TOP). Our lab testing confirms this. Please understand that these balls will not last for weeks and months (like the Pure 2 balls), rather you should expect these to last for a limited number of matches.

Because of increased participation at the Optimist Park facility, a court reserved for women only play will no longer be available.

A Pickleball Fact Sheet has been added to our website under the Information tab.

I want to thank Selkirk and PickleballCentral for allowing me to experience and keep this paddle at no cost. I have played using this paddle for about four hours and also shared the use of this paddle with two female and one male club members in a combined additional three hours of use. The following is an overall evaluation of this paddle:

This paddle is great for players who wish to have the extra length and prefer a lighter paddle. If you’re looking for a paddle to help with your control rather than power, this is the one. You can put your serves across court with the control to land the ball deep or short. You are able to control your third shot drop into the kitchen to get a volley going. While involved in the volley, you have the extra length of the paddle to reach those close ones that might otherwise slip through the middle. If you are a player who likes to put spin on your serves or drop shots, this paddle will work for you. What I liked the most about this paddle is the comfortable grip and a balanced feeling when swiping the ball.

Both women who tried the paddle liked the grip and the fact that they could reach lobs that seemed out of reach with their current paddles. Both felt challenged at first by the paddles slimmer shape but admitted it helped them to concentrate more on watching the ball make contact with the paddle allowing for better control of their hits and placements of the ball.

The other male player stated he could play fine with the elongated style paddle and liked the feel of this one. He and the two women thanked me for letting them try this type of paddle and would consider the switch once they are ready to purchase another paddle.

What: Pickleball Drills

Where:  Optimist Recreation Center

When: Every Tuesday

Time:  10:00-12:00

No games played during this time.

There will be no instructor.

If possible, Please bring a drilling partner.

Chip Manning, a member of the Huntsville Pickleball Club, has been playing in Highlands, North Carolina for a couple of weeks. He had the opportunity to play pickleball with Mima Jaušovec, the 1977 (tennis) French Open winner. In doubles, he and his PB partner were victorious twice and then her team won four times. Mima and Chip played as partners and they won. To quote Chip “So far my biggest claim to fame in PB!”.

A new area will soon be added to our front page.  It’s called Coaches Corner.  Periodically, tips and advice for our club members will be posted.  Anyone can contribute.  Just send your suggestions to Sheila Davidson.