Hello, everyone! This is Picklewho, the #1 pickleball news blog on the internet. It’s Monday, which means all the beer is gone and your Tinder profile may need some work. On the other hand, I’ve been sleeping 72 straight hours. But first, today’s news:

• Are these the oldest trainers in the sport?

• Siblings take over professional pickleball.

• Here’s how you beat backspin shots.

90-year-old is young enough to train pickleball players

Beverly and Earl Schalin are 90 and 95 years old, respectively. At this age, you’d expect them to be happy grandpas, living in retirement and making cookies 24/7. A dream, if you ask me and I hope to achieve it by 34. I’m 43, so I’m hoping for reincarnation.

The Shalin’s think differently, though. They are both one of the most active pickleball players and probably the oldest trainers in the sport as well. Allegedly, they have taught over 400 people how to play and newbies keep coming.

As I read the news, one question remained: Would they beat me in a 1v1 game as well?

Duh.

The siblings of pro pickleball

If you follow pickleball tournaments, you may have noticed a trend besides everyone else losing to Ben Johns or Anna Leigh-Waters: that is pro players who play along with their siblings.

Jackie and Jade Kawamoto, Lindsey and Riley Newman, Maggie and Mary Brascia, Jorja and JW Johnson, and Ben and Collin Johns. There’s a long list of siblings in the sport who play doubles regularly, win tournaments, and yes, share the prize money of events.

Is this good or bad? Well, as my grandpa replied when I asked him if he loved me: “It depends”.

On one hand, communication flows easier with someone you’ve grown up and trained with your whole life. On the other, it’s waaaaaay harder to let them down because you know you are also letting their mom, who is your mom, down as well. And nobody wants to let mommy down. I mean, just imagine that Christmas dinner…

Two steps to return a backspin shot 

It’s fast, has lots of spins, and will make you want to rage quit more than one game you thought you could win. Luckily, here’s a short list of steps to deal with one of pickleball’s most difficult serves:

1) Adjust your grip and loosen your hands to handle the fast pace.

2) Hit the volley diagonally to minimize the risk and increase the chance of clearing the net.

3) If none of that works, fake an injury, leave the match, leave the country and start a new life with a new name. I’d suggest “Raúl”.

That’s it! You’ve successfully dealt with a backspin shot.

You might also like:

- Pressure cooker (pickleball podcast) Ep. 2.

- How to crush the pickleball.

- High roll volley tips.