T1B

The GF took this up a few months ago and has roped me into taking a handful of lessons. And I must say, it is pretty cool.

My initial take on PB was that it was pretty much just retarded tennis.

Nope, not really. The rule differences make it interesting and also quite frustrating for someone used to tennis. The no volley until the ball has been across the net twice is a bit hard to remember. After a few weeks I am still volleying deep service returns. And the no stepping into "the kitchen" is anothe one that takes getting used to and also changes the strategy. It's kind of fun to watch skilled players in very close just dinking it back and forth because if you do that you're stuck with not being able to put much on the return and if you try to lob it, you better do it high enough or your opponent will volley it down your throat. This game is as much strategy as it is athleticism. Not that a little athleticism doesn't hurt.

I watched a yt video of a high level PBer playing a tennis pro who was new to PB. Tennis dude was doing what tennis dude does, just smashing from the baseline. PB dude ate him up with PB strategy.

This game is becoming YYYYYYYYUGE. I suspect you will see it in the Olympics before long. Not sure if it is too late to add it to the LA games.

Not sure how it could be more retarded than tennis.

But that's just me.

Two of my takes on pickleball.
One nice, and one not so nice.


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poptart wrote: ↑Sat Feb 24, 2024 8:23 pm

Roux wrote:Do any of y'all play pickleball? There's a tennis/pickleball court in the park next to our house and people play on it often. Evidently it is an old person thing to do. We're probably going to give it a try soon.

I played some pickleball when I was in college.
It is a lesser version of tennis.

Easier to play than tennis.
Much less running than tennis.
Much more bending over at the waist than there is in tennis.
How is your back doing?

Pickleball is much less rewarding than tennis.
But probably some good exercise for you, which is good for you.

Enjoy!

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poptart wrote:I can understand the attraction to pickelball.

Tennis is much more difficult to play, both physically and from a skill standpoint.

But pickelball is not nearly as interesting and physically rewarding.
It is boring, simple, and very limited.

Pickelball's current popularity is another symptom of the dumbing down of America.


I was disappointed, but not surprised, to see Agassi, Roddick, McEnroe, and Chang play that dumb pickelball exhibition a few months ago.

Pitiful whores.

why not just play table tennis---aka ping pong ?

Mikey wrote: ↑Tue Mar 04, 2025 11:10 pm Not sure how it could be more retarded than tennis.

But that's just me.

The most fit and athletic humans on the face of the earth are tennis players. Know what the facts is.

Any slob can throw on some Under Armour gear and play tickleballs.

It is actually the perfect activity for trans athletes to intermix with cisgender. Any testosterone or shoulder broodness advantage is equalized by the incalculable amount of standing around.

L45B wrote: ↑Wed Mar 05, 2025 12:16 amThe most fit and athletic humans on the face of the earth are tennis players. Know what the facts is.

Swimmers and especially water polo players
may want to have a word with you.

Orthopedic surgeons absolutely LOVE p'ballers.

Mikey wrote: ↑Tue Mar 04, 2025 11:10 pm Not sure how it could be more retarded than tennis.

But that's just me.

L45B wrote: ↑Wed Mar 05, 2025 12:16 am Any slob can throw on some Under Armour gear and play tickleballs.

True. But not well.

I transitioned from tennis to pickleball a few years ago because my wife's knees could no longer handle all the running required on tennis hardcourts. At first, I thought it was gimmicky. A lot of older people playing some sort of ping ping tennis hybrid. But we continued.

We've taken lessons and have improved our skill level and are now playing better players routinely. The game is at least as competitive as tennis. In fact, high level tennis players (particularly those who prefer singles) tend to get torched for a long time when they begin playing pickleball. The game is different. More emphasis on setting up shots and shot making, which utilizes different patterns and strategies than are effective in tennis.

I agree that the game will eventually be an Olympic sport. We will be traveling to Cape Coral to watch the PPA tournament tomorrow (some of our friends are competing in the amateur mixed doubles).

Give it a try. And let me know if you need an ass whipping. I provide them as a free service in SWFL.

Next time I make it to SWFL, I'll take one of those asswhuppins'.

And yes, it is a game of strategy. Someone with so-so athletic ability but a strong understanding of PB strategery can wipe the kitchen floor with a fit tennis player.

I watched a match on YT between a tennis pro PB newbie and a high level, but amateur PBer. It was exactly what you'd expect. Tennis dude stayed behind the baseline smoking ground strokes. He was quickly dinked into submission.

Our populace is too old and fat for tennis. PB is the game of the future until we diabetes our way to extinction.

88 wrote:The game is at least as competitive as tennis. In fact, high level tennis players (particularly those who prefer singles) tend to get torched for a long time when they begin playing pickleball.

smackaholic wrote:I watched a match on YT between a tennis pro PB newbie and a high level, but amateur PBer. It was exactly what you'd expect. Tennis dude stayed behind the baseline smoking ground strokes. He was quickly dinked into submission.

A high level tennis player will also get torched when he steps into the horseshoes arena and squares off against a skilled horseshoer.

Congratulations, fellas!

Softball Bat wrote:

88 wrote:The game is at least as competitive as tennis. In fact, high level tennis players (particularly those who prefer singles) tend to get torched for a long time when they begin playing pickleball.

smackaholic wrote:I watched a match on YT between a tennis pro PB newbie and a high level, but amateur PBer. It was exactly what you'd expect. Tennis dude stayed behind the baseline smoking ground strokes. He was quickly dinked into submission.

A high level tennis player will also get torched when he steps into the horseshoes arena and squares off against a skilled horseshoer.

Congratulations, fellas!

Or bowler, or in the case of MS, being a bottom boy.

The point I’m attempting to make is that while both are sports where you smack a ball with a racket/paddle, they are quite different.

This weekend I played with a guy similar age to me. He was even newer than I at PB, but I realized after his first ground stroke came screaming past, he was a tennis player.

He was easily better than me at PB, but he’d get worked pretty hard by a half decent player.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I play pickleball like I play ping pong. Lots of paddle angle and spin, not much power or accuracy. If I score a point, call it luck.

kcdave wrote: ↑Wed Mar 05, 2025 12:44 am Orthopedic surgeons absolutely LOVE p'ballers.

P-ball has been the rage for active adult communities for years...and spreading. Many of my golf buds have had to miss time on the course due to achilles tears, joint issues, etc. Lots of stops and starts. Played a few times and didn't have the passion. Sticking with golf and elbow bends.

The Seer wrote: ↑Wed Mar 05, 2025 4:13 pm

kcdave wrote: ↑Wed Mar 05, 2025 12:44 am Orthopedic surgeons absolutely LOVE p'ballers.

P-ball has been the rage for active adult communities

Seer in his “active adult” exercise class.



Getting in shape on the golf course.





RACK you for staying “active,” well into your 50s.

Why did I think seer was in his eighties like wolfman?

Must be the grumpy old man thing like Sam.

FiatLux wrote: ↑Wed Mar 05, 2025 10:13 pm Why did I think seer was in his eighties like wolfman?

Must be the grumpy old man thing like Sam.

I see him as probably in his 60s but acting like he’s in his 80s living in a supervised senior (“active adult”) center with meals provided in the dining area and co-ed exercise classes. Maybe talent night every couple of weeks.

I'm going to take the middle ground and say 70s.

But I can see it. He's probably great at shuffleboard

Mikey wrote: ↑Wed Mar 05, 2025 10:18 pm in his 60s but acting like he’s in his 80s living in a supervised senior (“active adult”) center with meals provided in the dining area and co-ed exercise classes. Maybe talent night every couple of weeks.

I used to tell people that I was looking forward to moving into an assisted living facility, and I meant it. But then I got married again, and my wife isn't a fan. So hopefully she and I will grow older together.

Roux wrote: ↑Thu Mar 06, 2025 12:16 am I got married again, and my wife isn't a fan.

Smart woman.

Softball Bat wrote: ↑Wed Mar 05, 2025 3:05 pm A high level tennis player will also get torched when he steps into the horseshoes arena and squares off against a skilled horseshoer.

Congratulations, fellas!

Bat hammers it! Let us not leave out chess either. An elite serve and volley tennis player will get their nuts squashed trying to charge ahead with an Rg2-7 maneuver.

Congrats if you break a sweat, fellas!

Roux wrote: ↑Thu Mar 06, 2025 12:16 am

Mikey wrote: ↑Wed Mar 05, 2025 10:18 pm in his 60s but acting like he’s in his 80s living in a supervised senior (“active adult”) center with meals provided in the dining area and co-ed exercise classes. Maybe talent night every couple of weeks.

I used to tell people that I was looking forward to moving into an assisted living facility, and I meant it. But then I got married again, and my wife isn't a fan. So hopefully she and I will grow older together.

I'm assuming you've been to assisted living-I've spent an inordinate time around one with my parents and isn't pretty, bunch of poor old fuckers shuffling around waiting to die and spending a fortune to do it. People are nice enough, my dad expected restaurant quality good which it's not so he has something to bitch about. My mom loved it, though, since she didn't have to make meals any longer. If I'm alive at 80, and mobile, I'm strapping on a backpack, heading into the mountains with a fishing pole and...

Sounds like you married your assisted living caretaker. Well done.

HighHard1 wrote: ↑Thu Mar 06, 2025 2:32 pm If I'm alive at 80, and mobile, I'm strapping on a backpack, heading into the mountains with a fishing pole and...

I have toyed with the idea of waiting for a giant kick ass thunderstorm at Dead Horse Point and then taking my first and last paragliding lesson.



https://windows10spotlight.com/wp-conte ... 9088d6.jpg

Roux wrote: ↑Thu Mar 06, 2025 12:16 am

Mikey wrote: ↑Wed Mar 05, 2025 10:18 pm in his 60s but acting like he’s in his 80s living in a supervised senior (“active adult”) center with meals provided in the dining area and co-ed exercise classes. Maybe talent night every couple of weeks.

I used to tell people that I was looking forward to moving into an assisted living facility, and I meant it. But then I got married again, and my wife isn't a fan. So hopefully she and I will grow older together.

I can (sort of) see the attraction of spending one's days driving around in a golf cart with your buddies, bitching about "kids these days," embarrassing yourself by showing up with your fat ass on a pickleball court with the other "active adults," and spending an inordinate amount of time finding stupid shit to C&P on a message board. I guess.

I retired three years ago in April and the one thing I was looking forward to the most was having more time to spend breaking my back in the yard. I've been doing most of the cooking here for that past 30 years and I would miss my kitchen, my grill..my cheese, my wine, my bread. I know you would too.

https://youtube.com/clip/UgkxdUmX6qJlD9 ... -ic4998hnG

I'll be 70 in May and never hired anybody to work in the yard, besides adding hardscaping stuff, and there's still a lot to do. Hopefully I can hang on at least another 10 years but if I do need help I'll hire it out. The only way I'll move is if Mrs. Mikey can't handle it any more. Then we sell the house and go wait to die.

In the next week or so I need to install a couple of dozen plants that are still in nursery containers (I have 12 more coming today)...





And move two pallets of river rocks from here...




to here...

Mikey wrote: ↑Thu Mar 06, 2025 5:30 pm And move two pallets of river rocks from here...

First thing I thought when I saw this picture was you got your rocks and acorns mixed up.

Maybe because of all the Oaks we have here.







Do you guys have Oaks down there?

That's "Mexican Sunburst" river rock. Mostly between about 1" and 4". They've been sitting under that tree for a couple of months now.

And, yeah, we have plenty of oaks. We're sort in the intersection of what they call "oak woodland" and "coastal sage scrub." Ours are coast live oaks, probably different than yours. The acorns are longer and kind of pointed. We have at least two dozen of them in your yard. Yours look like maybe black oak.

Mikey wrote: ↑Thu Mar 06, 2025 5:56 pm Ours are coast live oaks, probably different than yours.

Yeah, we have those as well as others.

Mikey wrote: ↑Thu Mar 06, 2025 5:56 pm We have at least two dozen of them in your our yard.

My apartment won't hold two dozen of those.

LOL. Fat thumb.
Or addled brain.

FiatLux wrote: ↑Thu Mar 06, 2025 5:48 pm
Maybe because of all the Oaks we have here.

But apparently no cameras.

Mikey wrote: ↑Wed Mar 05, 2025 9:58 pm

Starting from the back row excluding the men and instructor:

3-4-2-1-5

FiatLux wrote: ↑Thu Mar 06, 2025 6:09 pm My apartment

You mean your greasy, cum-stained sleeping bag next to the freshest pile of human feces on the sidewalk?

Roach wrote: ↑Thu Mar 06, 2025 2:58 pm I have toyed with the idea of waiting for a giant kick ass thunderstorm at Dead Horse Point and then taking my first and last paragliding lesson.

I had a similar thought when I was there. Seems like as good a place as any to cash in one's chips.

Roach wrote: ↑Thu Mar 06, 2025 2:58 pm

HighHard1 wrote: ↑Thu Mar 06, 2025 2:32 pm If I'm alive at 80, and mobile, I'm strapping on a backpack, heading into the mountains with a fishing pole and...

I have toyed with the idea of waiting for a giant kick ass thunderstorm at Dead Horse Point and then taking my first and last paragliding lesson.

RACK! Moab effin' rules.

Rack bungle

Python wrote: ↑Fri Mar 07, 2025 2:02 amRack bungle

Don’t fucking jimmy me Jules.