Pickleball Press- Move those feet!

Hey everyone, here's another great article written by Nancy Dowell....

Do you know the feeling of your feet being stuck in cement just when you need them to move, or is it just me?  Your mind feels somehow ahead of your feet, which do not always seem inclined to cooperate when it is “go” time.  Mark Renneson is a Pickleball coach and founder of Third Shot Sports and Pickleball Coaching International.  In a recent article, published by Well + Good,  he shared a tip to improve movement on the court- skipping. The idea seems to be that practice skipping will make the feet more responsive to the mental commands they otherwise ignore.  He recommends skipping in different directions as if toward variable ball locations. The idea is sound- get those feet responsive, lighter and ready to move more readily.

In Mark’s recent article he also comments about the surge in popularity of pickleball.  “I’d boil it down to three key features. First, it doesn’t take up much space. Since it’s only the size of a badminton court, you can play it pretty much anywhere, be it at schools or even old parking lots or driveways,” he says. “Second, there’s a low barrier to entry. Whether you have a history with sports or not, pickleball lends itself to people of all backgrounds. You might not be the next superstar if pickleball is one of your first sports, but there’s a good chance you can find people to play with at your level. Third, it’s really fun. Who doesn’t like smacking a ball back and forth over a net?”

Adding his take about the physical and mental benefits of Pickleball, Mark has seen both.  “But the most significant health benefit I see is related to mental health,” says Renneson. “I see the joy that people have when playing pickleball and the community that builds around it. Whether it’s coping with loss, dealing with health issues, entering a new phase of life, or even battling addiction, I know many people whose lives have been changed by playing pickleball.”

Thank you to Mark Renneson for sharing an excellent tip. Let’s get skipping!

See you on the courts!