KeepPickling is a pickleball magazine for players who intend to keep playing — practical tips, honest gear notes, health for the long haul, and the people and places that make the game worth showing up for.https://keeppickling.com/en-us© 2026 KeepPicklingKeepPickling static deskhttps://keeppickling.com/article/a-rising-ball-in-the-transition-zone-is-not-your-invitation/https://keeppickling.com/article/a-rising-ball-in-the-transition-zone-is-not-your-invitation/At the Green Valley rec center, the space between the baseline and the kitchen is where I decide how soon to arrive. Here is the line I will not cross early.Tue, 10 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMTRay WhitfieldCulturetransition zonedoubles strategykitchen linerecreational pickleballpatiencehello@keeppickling.comhttps://keeppickling.com/article/get-a-game-in-a-new-town/https://keeppickling.com/article/get-a-game-in-a-new-town/Call the parks department, show up at eight, bring three balls, and read the room for five minutes. A traveler's method for finding pickleball anywhere.Tue, 10 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMTLinda Mae ParkTravel & Courtstravelopen playetiquettecourtshello@keeppickling.comhttps://keeppickling.com/article/the-new-couple-at-7-25/https://keeppickling.com/article/the-new-couple-at-7-25/A new player's first session is a club decision, not a personality test. Here is how to pair them, what to say, and what to fix before they leave.Mon, 09 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMTDottie FrasierCommunityopen playetiquettenew playersclubshello@keeppickling.comhttps://keeppickling.com/article/the-hotel-court-that-is-not-worth-unpacking-for/https://keeppickling.com/article/the-hotel-court-that-is-not-worth-unpacking-for/A brochure promised pickleball. What I found was one taped line, a wheeled net, and a court schedule with a wristband. How to check before you pack the paddle.Sun, 08 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMTLinda Mae ParkTravel & Courtstravelhotel courtsresortplanningcourtshello@keeppickling.comhttps://keeppickling.com/article/warm-up-at-fifty-eight/https://keeppickling.com/article/warm-up-at-fifty-eight/An eight-minute pre-game routine for a body with two knee scopes, plus the popular stretch I gave up because it made the next morning worse.Sun, 08 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMTTomás HerreraBody & Healthwarm-upkneesrecoverylongevityhello@keeppickling.comhttps://keeppickling.com/article/measure-your-grip-before-you-buy/https://keeppickling.com/article/measure-your-grip-before-you-buy/Grip size is the cheapest fix in pickleball and the one most players skip. Here is the one-minute test and what to do with the result.Sat, 07 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMTGrace OkaforGearpaddlesgripgearhand painhello@keeppickling.comhttps://keeppickling.com/article/my-fathers-backhand/https://keeppickling.com/article/my-fathers-backhand/My dad has a backhand that would make a tennis coach weep, and he has beaten me three of the last five games with it. Why the family game is the best version.Sat, 07 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMTMaya ChenCulturefamilygenerationsculturemixed agetennishello@keeppickling.comhttps://keeppickling.com/article/the-hour-between-work-and-the-court/https://keeppickling.com/article/the-hour-between-work-and-the-court/The hour after a hospital shift decides how I play at 6:30. A snack, a stretch of silence, and a ten-minute reset that has nothing to do with technique.Fri, 06 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMTGrace OkaforBody & Healthrecoverywarm-upwork lifeevening playhabitshello@keeppickling.comhttps://keeppickling.com/article/third-shot-drop-target-problem/https://keeppickling.com/article/third-shot-drop-target-problem/Most recreational players miss the third shot long because they are aiming at the net. Aim four feet deeper and the shot starts landing.Fri, 06 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMTMarcus BellPlay Betterthird shotdrillstechniquekitchen linehello@keeppickling.comhttps://keeppickling.com/article/the-court-by-the-ferry-terminal/https://keeppickling.com/article/the-court-by-the-ferry-terminal/A painted slab next to a ferry dock, a wind that changes the game, and the 8 a.m. regulars who let a stranger in. Notes from a court you cannot plan for.Thu, 05 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMTLinda Mae ParkTravel & Courtstravelcourtsopen playpacific northwestroad triphello@keeppickling.comhttps://keeppickling.com/article/the-sign-up-sheet/https://keeppickling.com/article/the-sign-up-sheet/A clipboard tells you who arrives early, who avoids the wind, and who quietly deletes their name. The most important document in pickleball is not laminated.Thu, 05 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMTRay WhitfieldCultureclubsopen playetiquetteculturehello@keeppickling.comhttps://keeppickling.com/article/how-to-be-the-youngest-player-in-the-group/https://keeppickling.com/article/how-to-be-the-youngest-player-in-the-group/I was 32 and the newest player in a room where everyone else was over 55. What I got wrong about the slow game, and why being the fourth is a skill.Wed, 04 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMTMaya ChenCommunitymixed agedrop-incommunityetiquettelearninghello@keeppickling.comhttps://keeppickling.com/article/the-upgrade-i-would-not-buy-again/https://keeppickling.com/article/the-upgrade-i-would-not-buy-again/A demo day, a heavier paddle, and six weeks of shoulder pain. What I learned about buying a fix before naming the problem, and the three checks I use now.Tue, 03 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMTMarcus BellGearpaddle upgradeswing weightshoulder paingear skepticismbuying decisionshello@keeppickling.comhttps://keeppickling.com/article/footwork-for-players-who-hate-footwork/https://keeppickling.com/article/footwork-for-players-who-hate-footwork/Most missed volleys are not a hand problem. They are a timing problem, and the fix is two small steps that take less energy than the swing you are already making.Mon, 02 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMTKevin TranPlay Betterfootworksplit stepvolleyspositioningrecreational pickleballhello@keeppickling.comhttps://keeppickling.com/article/the-morning-after-three-hours-of-pickleball/https://keeppickling.com/article/the-morning-after-three-hours-of-pickleball/Three hours of play is a load, and the next morning is where most recreational players get it wrong. A recovery routine built on water, walking, and a log.Sun, 01 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMTTomás HerreraBody & Healthrecoverysorenesskneessleeplongevityhello@keeppickling.comhttps://keeppickling.com/article/how-to-run-open-play-without-a-clique/https://keeppickling.com/article/how-to-run-open-play-without-a-clique/Cliques are usually a scheduling problem before they are a personality problem. The paddle stack, the bench rule, and the quiet word that keep a club open.Sat, 31 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTDottie FrasierCommunityopen playclubsetiquetterotationcommunityhello@keeppickling.comhttps://keeppickling.com/article/when-court-shoes-are-done/https://keeppickling.com/article/when-court-shoes-are-done/Court shoes wear out from the inside, not the bottom, and the calendar is a terrible guide. Three checks I run before I spend money, plus the one pair I keep for indoors.Fri, 30 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTGrace OkaforGearcourt shoesfoot supportgearinjury preventionbuying decisionshello@keeppickling.comhttps://keeppickling.com/article/why-the-7-30-game-starts-at-7-10/https://keeppickling.com/article/why-the-7-30-game-starts-at-7-10/The best twenty minutes of the morning happen before anyone serves. On coffee, a court dog, the people who arrive at 7:29, and one sentence I will not say.Thu, 29 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTRay WhitfieldCultureclub cultureroutinecommunitymorning gameregularshello@keeppickling.comhttps://keeppickling.com/article/why-your-serve-keeps-landing-long/https://keeppickling.com/article/why-your-serve-keeps-landing-long/A long serve is rarely an arm problem. It is a toss, a contact point, and a swing that is trying too hard. The fix is a slower serve with a better target.Wed, 28 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTMarcus BellPlay Betterservetechniquetossconsistencyrecreational pickleballhello@keeppickling.com