Mark Milner

It is reasonable to expect a pickleball paddle to last for four to six months, however, with the improvements in technology and materials used in paddles, it is likely that they will last even longer.
 
Transcript: "Hi, Mark Milner here. I think it's fair enough to ask and expect a paddle, especially in today's crisis of what the pickleball paddles are going for, to have that expectation of lasting four to six months or longer. Problem is, is that the material of honeycombs will soon be breaking down and most of the paddles seem to be making with that. But as we continue to get better technology and other components into paddles, you will be seeing longer and longer duration times with the paddle. So I would say it was safe to say in the past that you needed to change paddles more frequently, but they are doing a better job of building paddles nowadays. So raise those expectations. Thanks very much."

As your skill level increases, you will be able to take more risks and attack balls that used to be unattackable.
 
Transcript: "I think as you continue to play in advance your skill, you're seeing that the game has changing and the fact that the concept of when you first started don't make mistakes, Dink, keep the ball short, keep the ball low and playing very conservatively. And now we're seeing the approach, especially from the top level down, of taking some more risks and taking balls that you would think are una taxable and they're finding ways through flicks and spins and things of attacking these balls that once were thought to be un attachable. So as you gain more and more confidence and more and more skill, you're able to attack balls that otherwise, in your previous skill set would not be attacking those."

Warm up for singles matches should include getting your heart rate up, being fueled and hydrated, hitting groundstrokes with depth and accuracy, and getting some practice in with your serve.
 
Transcript: "Generally, in the tournament, you're going to have about three to five minutes with the singles warm-up. So, your singles warm-up or even doubles warm-up needs to start off the court. So, getting your heart rate up, making sure that you're fueled with your energy and your nutrition and that you're hydrated and all that stuff has an important part of stepping onto the court. So, in those three to five minutes that when you have a referee that's marking out the time and giving you your allotted time before you start your match. In singles, it's really important to get those ground strokes in, both forehands and backhands, and really concentrate on hitting with depth and with your ground strokes and making sure you get a little time for your serve. I find out the serve is a huge part for your singles game."

To compete at a high level, it is important to have an aggressive serve and be able to return the service effectively. Develop a strategy for the first four strokes of the rally, such as serving deep and to the backhand, and then opening up the court for a backhand shot. Drill these strategies in order to become more effective at the game.
 
Transcript: "Hi, Mark Milner with MN Pickleball. The question is effective strategies at a high level. For me at senior pro, for single strategy that is, and the single strategy has got to be right out of the get-go. You have to have a very aggressive serve and don't be afraid to miss serves in singles. Serve deep to backhands or wherever you find your opponent's weaknesses. On the flip side, the return serve is perhaps very important. Some of you should be drilling. So, serve, return serve. Now the difference in singles is that when you serve, you often times will have a strategy where your third is going to go to. That's usually a drive, a pass. You might go backhand, backhand, serve out wide and then open the court for a backhand. If you're going to effectively be competing at a high level, I would work on the first four balls over and over and over. Serve well, return well, and get a mindset in your mind of what you're going to do the first couple of shots at the point. Thank you."

Duper is on the fastest track of trying to get our player rating systems to be the most accurate, but there's still work to do. As more data comes in and more time passes, better player rating systems will be developed.
 
Transcript: "In my opinion, I believe that Duper is on the fastest track of trying to get our player rating systems to the most accurate. It still has a ways to go, but let's face it, the pickleball world is exploding, the amount of tournaments, the competition, the level of players coming in. If we just can get the right people in the right divisions to play, I think that would help. I know there's a lot of sandbaggers out there that want to advance on to tournaments, but they can really kind of flaw the system. But as more data comes in and through more time, we're going to get some better player rating systems. Thank you."

When you are able to handle losses in a constructive manner and use them as an opportunity to learn, this is when you know you have what it takes to compete at the professional level.
 
Transcript: "Hi, Mark Milner, pickleball here. When did I realize I had what it takes to compete at the professional level? And I would say it's not all about wins and losses. I've seen players that have played on a tour and have been going 0-2, but a year from now they're winning. So I'd say the biggest thing about knowing when you compete is how you're handling losses and setbacks. Are you able to get better or better? So if you're getting better, you're learning from your losses, and that's the key when you know you can compete at the highest level. If you're losing all the time and you have a bad attitude about it, then you're not ready for that level. But the wins and losses obviously is the number one factor if you're ready, but how you're handling those losses and are you getting better is the better answer. Thank you."