Why No Fun?

What is the story behind "No Fun Pickleball"?

So, "No Fun David" started off as an inside joke between me and friends I played with a few years ago. Some of them liked to say silly things when they called the score like "3-2-1 blast off" or "9-1-1 call the 'whaaambulance'". I wasn't a fan and would shake my head when they did it. That was part of the origin. The other part was when they would make shot choices that were fun to hit but had small margins for error and/or low percentages.

I would give them a look and ask, "was that the best shot choice?" and they would reply "it was a fun shot!" and before long "David hates fun" was the joke.

For me, the idea "No Fun Pickleball" represents a few things.

1. Making more conservative shot choices to build a point when you are playing until your opponent makes an unforced error, pops the ball up, or they become compromised in their court positioning in a way that can be exploited.
2. Putting in the time and effort to improve your game by studying strategy, techniques, and skills.
3. Putting time and effort into focused practice to hone those skills.

There is something truly gratifying and a little sexy feeling when my opponents are blasting balls at me, and I'm able to take pace off, slow the pace, gain the net, move them around and win a rally where they had the upper hand. To do that, it takes practice, discipline, and patience. 

I love pickleball and I think it's one of the most fun pass times I have ever had. I make shots choices that I shouldn't and I'm still honing my own game, learning, and working to be a better player. Winning is fun, and to progress in the sport and win more games, you need to be willing to go through the not-so-fun work to get there.

See you on the court!

No Fun David