Articles written by Jim Lavrakas
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Joining or starting a pickleball club
There's something to be said for strength in numbers. Joining a club where you live, or where you go to vacation, even on short visits, gives you that advantage of numbers: New people to play with,...
Choosing the best pickleball paddle for you
This column is primarily for beginners who want to buy their first paddle, but don't know where to start. I recommend buying a less expensive paddle to get you going just to see if this game is for...
Pickleball etiquette: Know these basics
If you're new to pickleball, or just need a refresher course on how to behave (you know who you are), here are well-accepted rules for behavior before, during and after play. These basic rules were...
Improving your recreational pickleball play
We can all get stuck in a comfort zone. Trying new things and changing old habits can be a challenge at any age, but as we get older our attitude can become inflexible. Like continuing to try to hit...
Pickleball insights: 'It's all about your head'
A friend of mine recently sent me an excerpt from "Open: An Autobiography," by Andre Agassi, the retired tennis professional. In it he talks about the mental battle he learned to fight after finding...
A unique pickleball opportunity in Fairbanks
The Alaska International Senior Games (AISG) is the official Alaska state qualifier for pickleball for the National Senior Games Assoc. (NSGA), which is a national organization of athletes age 50 and...
Move smart to avoid pickleball injuries
I've hurt myself a couple of times playing pickleball, and each time it could have been avoided. Moving too quickly – lunging, twisting and throwing myself on the ground - caused lower back pain,...
Add pickleball to your Hawaii itinerary
Playing Pickleball in Hawaii is just what you'd think: Pleasant weather, tropical breezes, and usually a wonderful, welcoming group of people to play with. It can also be a place where you take the...
See for yourself why pickleball is so popular
When I turned 65-years-old, I stopped playing pickup basketball at the local high school here in Homer. I was just getting too beaten up. Not by the 20 and 30-something youngsters I was playing with,...