PICKLEBALL COURT SHOES

SHOES LOVE 'EM, HATE 'EM
When it comes to pickleball shoes the choice is very limited. YES, there are a few Picklball specific court shoes on the market. Do they really work as advertised? I don't know! You tell me.
What I do know is what my good friend and fellow pickleball junkie "Rick" told me. Rick worked as a shoe salesman for Holabird Sports 9220 Pulaski Hwy, Chase MD.
As a big fan of the New Balance 806 Tennis Shoe, I was somewhat taken back when good friend Rick, informed that the New Balance 806 shoe was designed more so for outdoor synthetic Tennis Court surfaces rather than the indoor wood gymnasium floor surfaces. WHY, I asked ? My friend responded, "the sole material for the outdoor court surface is a little harder and a little stiffer, so they last a little longer.
OK! So what type sole on what shoe should I be using to play this "mad-cap" game of pickleball on an indoor hard wood gym floor. "Ah-Ha" SAYS RICK, THAT IS THE QUESTION? Do you want the truth? I'm entitled to the truth! YOU CAN'T HANDLE THE TRUTH!
The truth is, "softer gum soles, like those on dedicated racquetball court shoes provide more flexibility of movement and better gripping traction on wood floors. However these same shoes will wear out quickly when worn outdoors for racquet sports.
My next questions was, "are these racquet ball shoes going to help me prevent more falls than the "806" shoe? Answer: "They will help you "feel" the court with your feet, and provide you with more gripping and holding power, when making unconventional moves or lunges for the ball. Another scenario where the racquetball shoes will out perform your "806" footwear is when turning around to run down an overhead lob, especially when you have to get behind the ball, make a quick stop, and return the ball.
Makes sense! But your telling me that if I switch, I will have to have two pair of court shoes, my "806's" and my "gum sole racquet ball shoes." YOU GOT IT! And I plan to keep it.
Will I win more games with gum shoes? Answer: If you make less unforced errors or faults , you will win more games. But "gium shole" shoes are not going to put you in the win column.
My next question to my beleaguered friend was, do these shoes come in "Extra Wide" sizes? Answer: I don't think so!
GAME OVER!
The New Balance "806" dedicated tennis shoe has served me well on both indoor wood court surfaces and outdoor synthetic court surfaces. They provide excellent traction and a relatively comfortable fit. One problem I had was keeping them laced tight, so my feet would not slosh around.
My other GOOD friend, "Master Chen Hsu" Cruse Line Ping-Pong Champion Gold Medal Winner, and skilled pickleball player, showed me a way to lace my shoes so the laces would not work loose with aggressive foot movement.
If you think I am going to tell you how "Master Chen" laces shoes, THINK AGAIN. It ain't gon'a happen Sports Fans. WHY YOU SAY? I "honestly" can not remember how "Chen" works the laces in and out of the holes in the shoe. Whenever I need my court shoes relaced, or buy a new pair, I take them to my friend "Chen."

Comments

Post a Comment

name:

email:

comment:

Popular posts from this blog

UNFORCED ERRORS A PICKLEBALL PLAYERS WORST NIGHTMARES

     UNFORCED ERRORS A PICKLEBALL PLAYERS WORST NIGHTMARES (By Joe Palmere Jr. December 15, 2013)   ARE YOU ‘IN A PICKLE’ OVER YOUR PICKLEBALL GAME?  You cannot understand why after a couple years of serious court time, you have not advanced to a higher skill level.  Are you traumatized at game time with any of the following symptoms: feel intimidated by better players; embarrassed by mere thought of another poor performance; feelings of fatigue and a lack of energy; no self-confidence, high expectations to lose near every games; feel like walking of the court in mid-game; wake up in the middle of the night drenched in sweat or worst yet, quit the “fun friendly game” that you once loved.  If So, you are suffering from “unforced error syndrome.” With the ever-increasing numbers of new players in our sport, “unforced  error syndrome”  is reaching near epidemic proportions. Mr. Whites’ finding holds true even today! PLAYER AWARENESS  At one time, I was one of those 85% unforced err
Read more

DOUBLES PICKLEBALL LADDER LEAGUE TEMPLATES.

DOUBLES PICKLEBALL TEAM LADDER LEAGUES TEMPLATES The USAPA webpage under Tournaments has software templates for most any kind of tournament imaginable.  USAPA members can obtain the software free, and register their ladder league in the same process. If 4 players can rotate in three game in one two hour period, logically 8 players or 4 teams can do the same.  I have never run a ladder league.  But I can work with templates and add or subtract to accomplish my objective. Recreational/competitive Pickleball is team related. recreational/competitive ladder leagues can and should be team related. By team related you pick your partner before the LL starts and you play with that same partner until the end of the LL.  Scores can be aggregate and represent one team.  Rotation of play will require more scheduling woos but its not rocket science.  The All Ladies Summer LL I was planned back in Summer 2019, was permanent partners, comprising 16 teams  
Read more

SO YOU WANT TO TEACH PICKLEBALL

‎SO YOU WANT TO TEACH PICKLEBALL TO NEW PLAYERS OR YOU HAVE DESIGNS ON BECOMING A PICKLEBALL COACH . . ;. READ THIS FIRST! For those players who are interested in becoming a IPATPA Certified Pickleball Level I Instructor you can do so just by attending one of the IPTPA Teach The Teacher Workshops.  You can find the schedule, dates, time and locations for these Workshops on IPTPA.com. The Level I IPTPA Certification is for teaching Beginners Classes only as a volunteer instructor.  This is a great pathway to becoming a IPTPA Certified Level II Professional Pickleball Coach, with Liability Insurance, to teach beginners and coach experienced players up to and including the 4.0 level.  This Certification also affords you the opportunity to charge a fee for any of your services.  In Maryland there are only 5 IPATP Level II Professional Pickleball Coaches in Maryland.  Level II Professional Pickleball Coaching Certification is structured as a college level learning cour
Read more