Pickleball Magazine 3-2 | Page 68

IN A FIX BREATHE NEW LIFE INTO YOUR EQUIPMENT WITH THESE CLEVER TIPS. By Jim Shults What can a 74-year-old 3.0+ with one year in the game suggest that you don't already know? As a former rifle competitor, my team and I worked hard to win state, regional and national championships. Each year, we did hundreds of hours of dry firing—think pickleball wall drilling, and a lot of live fire practice— think dinking drills and volley practice. As top master level shooters (like our top-tier 5.0+ players), we had to keep our equipment competitive, in premium condition and compliant with very strict (every match inspected) rules. Pickleball rules say you cannot alter the paddle, meaning cut, slice or dice the paddle face or handle or augment the hitting surface. But, you are permitted do other things with grip material and tuning weights, so here are some tips to keep your equipment (and you) in top shape, so it will last. TIP 66 YOUR PADDLE Name it! Most folks don't, but I put my name and phone number on my paddle in case I leave it at the court. I’ve even written “Watch Ball” on the paddle, which I ignore most of the time. Clean it! Over time, the pores of many paddle surfaces fill with dust, dirt, abraded shoe sole and ball plastic that is transferred from the court. Every once in a while, I take a damp cloth, using care not to allow water to get into the edge banding, and scrub the paddle surface, removing amazing amounts of dirt and contaminates. I then dry it with a cotton towel using light pressure to restore the surface— this makes a difference in paddle traction for me. Weight it! Paddle balance and weight can be adjusted to individual preferences by applying lead golf club tape to the outside edge of the paddle. This could be a placebo effect, but I know some top 5.0s who do this to heavy-up the overall weight of their paddles for more power. Others use it to fine-tune balance on the top and/ or sides. Once the lead is applied, it's typically covered by regular electrical tape to prevent it from coming off during play. The tape also helps protect the paddle edge from strikes and scrapes from low hits on the court. Back in the day, we protected the tops and strings of our wooden tennis racquets with tape. Grip it! As for the grip, keep it factory original if that works for you. However, adjusting the handle to fit to your hand might prove advantageous by increasing the contact surface between hand and paddle handle, which translates to better control for me. There are excellent products such as I.Q. Grip and, of course, various top brands of professional overwraps. Personally, because it works for me, I wrap self-sticking gauze designed for horses. I found it online and in some western supply stores for about $3 a roll. It comes in a variety of colors, including pink and purple with silver sparkles—my wife uses this! Use self-sticking gauze, the kind designed for horses, to adjust your grip. Slice the 4-inch wide rolls into ¾-inch wide rolls with a sharp knife, and wrap around the paddle handle to suit your needs. This allows for fine-tuning and thickening of the grip and works for me to fill the palm of my hand for more paddle contact. When the tape gets dirty or worn, simply remove it and wrap it with fresh gauze. It’s low-cost and very effective for both hand fit and a high-traction feel. TO SUBSCRIBE CALL 888.308.3720 OR GO TO THEPICKLEBALLMAG.COM