Websites- Pickleball.com , USAPA , Pickleball Stuff

History- The game of pickleball was created in the summer of 1965 in the state of Washington by a congressman named Joel Pritchards and a successful business man named Bill Bell. While playing a make shift game of badminton using a sawed off badminton racket and perforated plastic ball, Pritchard's cocker spaniel named "pickles" would take the ball and run away thus the name pickleball was born.

Vocabulary/Rules

The volley is used to play the ball before the bounce and from a positon just behind the non volley zone on the court

Flexibility will help players be able to reach and stretch to their body's limits without being injured

You may have one foot over the baseline when serving

A cross court shot is hit diaganally from one side of the court across the net to the opposite side of the court

A good defensive lob will go about 25 feet in the air

A paddle brought down through the ball will produce backspin

Topspin is spin applied by bringing the paddle up, under the ball, causing the ball to spin in the direction of it's flight

The doubles player in the right hand court will always serve first for his/her team

The eastern grip can be characterized as shaking hands with the paddle

Muscular strength along with good technique will allow you to hit the ball harder

Muscular endurance will give you the ability to move quickly around the court for a longer period of time

The non volley zone is the area 7 feet on either side of the net where you are not allowed to volley the ball unless it bounces first

Backhand- a stroke used to play the ball on the non paddle side of the body

Forehand- a stroke used to play the ball on the paddle side of the body

Ace- a serve that the receiver can not get to and that scores a point for the server

Drop Shot- a ball hit softly with backspin so that is just clears the net and lands very close to the non volley zone

Fault- a served ball that does not land within the proper service court

Foot Fault- an illegal serve, usually the server fails to keep one foot behind the end line

Groundstroke- hitting the ball after it has bounced

Let- a point that must be replayed

Passing Shot- sending the ball quickly over the net past an opponents reach

Rally- continuation of play after the serve in which the players keep the ball in play for several strokes

Serve- underhand stroke used to put the ball in play at the beginning of each point

Volley- hitting a ball before it bounces

Skills- serve, forehand, backhand, forehand volley, backhand volley