Universal Rackets Weekly Update!

Let’s Talk About Your Pickleball Game…

🔑Takeaways

• 🏃 Stay on your toes + move diagonally → feel 2x faster.

• 🎯 Speed-ups = rhythm changers, not winners. Keep them at 60–70% power.

• 🔥 Warm up before you “warm up” → prevent injuries & play sharp from point one.

How To Be 2x Faster On The Pickleball Court (Regardless of Age or Level)

It’s Saturday morning at your local park. Before your friends arrive, “Joe and Suzy” ask if you want to play a quick game. You agree.

Walking to the courts, you think: “Should I go easy on them? Should I hit the ball right to them?”

But then the match starts… they jump out to a 4–0 lead. You’re stunned. You start pulling out your best shots — short angles, wide balls, even lobs — yet Joe and Suzy are getting to everything.

“How are they so fast?!” you wonder.

Here’s the secret: Joe and Suzy are doing these exact things…

1. Stay on the Toes

Their heels are never on the ground (except when planting for a shot). Staying on the balls of your feet makes you explosive in every direction.

Try this now:

• Stand in a hip-width stance with your weight in your heels. Push off left or right — feels slow, right?

• Now shift to your toes/balls of your feet. Push again — night and day difference.

2. Understand the Drive’s Purpose

Great players know the drive is not to win the point outright.

The real goal? To force a short reply you can attack.

Too many players blast a third-shot drive from the baseline, expecting a winner. The opponent blocks it back short, and they just watch it, thinking they’re too slow. In reality, it’s not about speed — it’s about using the drive to create the next ball.

3. Anticipation is Everything

The best players anticipate their opponent’s shots by studying:

• Tendencies: Do they always go crosscourt? Always serve out wide? Always lob a high ball?

• Technique:

  • At the baseline: paddle back + body turn = drive. Paddle in front = drop.

  • At the kitchen: big backswing = speed-up. Leaning forward = aggressive volley. Backing up = weak pop-up.

• By watching habits and swings, Joe and Suzy know what’s coming before it happens.

4. Time is a Currency

The faster you hit, the faster the ball comes back.

If you speed up, you must be ready for the next shot. Many players rip a ball at the kitchen line, then freeze. The ball comes back just as fast, and they’re caught flat-footed.

Rule: If you speed up, be ready to clean up.

5. Angles Create Angles

If you hit out wide, expect it to come back out wide about 85% of the time.

If you hit down the middle, expect the reply in the middle.

Position yourself accordingly. Don’t open up angles you’re not prepared to cover.

6. Move in Diagonals

The quickest path between two points is diagonal.

Moving in a “V” (up-left or up-right) gets you to balls faster and also moves you closer to the kitchen. Side-to-side movement wastes time.

7. Always Move Forward (Except at the Kitchen)

If you hit and immediately move forward, you’ll gain position. Too many players hit and pause to “see if it’s in.” By then, the rally has already shifted.

Forward momentum after every shot gets you closer to the kitchen, where points are won.

Bottom Line

Speed on the pickleball court isn’t about being younger, quicker, or in better shape. It’s about fundamentals: staying light on your toes, anticipating patterns, controlling your drives, and moving with purpose.

Do what Joe and Suzy do, and you’ll feel twice as fast — no matter your age or level.

Mastering the Speed-Up in Pickleball

If you’ve ever wondered why the pros seem to hit speed-ups so easily — it’s not because they’re swinging harder than everyone else. It’s because they understand the purpose of the speed-up and how to use it strategically.

Here’s how you can take your speed-up game to the next level:

1. Play Off the Line

Most rec players glue themselves to the kitchen line. The problem? You leave yourself no space to react. Pros step back a half-step or so, giving themselves more time and margin. That little bit of space is what makes speed-ups feel easy instead of rushed.

2. Use Your Wrist, Not Your Whole Arm

The speed-up is a compact shot. Minimal backswing, quick wrist flick. If you’re trying to muscle it with your shoulder or full arm, you’ll lose control and telegraph your shot. Small movement = faster reaction, cleaner execution.

3. Aim for a “Cleanup” Shot

The purpose of a speed-up is not to win the point outright. The goal is to force a pop-up or weaker reply — giving you the chance to put the ball away on the next shot. Think of it as setting the table, not eating the meal.

4. Don’t Overdo It

If you try to speed up every ball, opponents will read you like a book. The best speed-ups come at 60–70% power — firm enough to create pressure, but controlled enough to keep the ball low and hard to counter.

5. Think “Change-Up,” Not “Winner”

A speed-up is really a rhythm changer. When you’ve been in a soft dink exchange, tossing in a well-timed speed-up catches your opponent off guard. But remember — it’s not your knockout punch, it’s your setup punch.

Bottom Line

The speed-up isn’t about brute force. It’s about positioning, timing, and purpose. Play slightly off the line, keep it compact, and use it as a tool to create the next ball — not to end the point every time.

Master these details, and suddenly, you’ll feel like the pros — making speed-ups look easy.

Click here for a full lesson on How to Hit Speed Ups For Any Level

👟 Quick Drill of the Week

Speed-Up Practice Drill

• Start at the kitchen line with a partner.

• Play a dink rally, then add a wrist-only speed-up at 60–70% power.

• Partner blocks back → you clean up the next ball.

• Goal: keep it compact, no shoulder swings.

🎉 Big News: Universal Rackets is Now Sponsored by CRBN!

We’re excited to announce that Universal Rackets is officially sponsored by CRBN Pickleball — one of the fastest-growing and most trusted paddle companies in the game today.

Why CRBN? Because their paddles are built for power, spin, and control — everything a player needs to raise their game. We’ve tested them ourselves, and we couldn’t be more impressed.

Why We Love CRBN Paddles

• Top Performance: CRBN paddles are designed with cutting-edge materials and engineering to deliver the perfect blend of pop and touch.

• Player Approved: Whether you’re a beginner or an advanced competitor, there’s a CRBN paddle for your game.

• Risk-Free Return Policy: The best part? Try any CRBN paddle — if you don’t love it, send it back hassle-free.

Special Discount for Our Players

As part of this partnership, all Universal Rackets players get 10% off their CRBN orders.

👉 Use code UNIVERSAL at checkout and save today!

Shop CRBN Paddles Here 

Bottom Line: CRBN makes some of the best paddles on the market, and we’re thrilled to bring this partnership to our players. Don’t miss your chance to try them out — risk-free, with 10% off.

🍂 Fall Programs START NEXT WEEK!

Universal Rackets is kicking off another exciting season — now offering programs at 38+ locations across PA, NJ, TX, FL, and IL!

Whether you’re looking for:

✅ Adult or Youth Clinics

✅ Rating Clinics

✅ Ready Set Rackets (Toddler Pickleball & Tennis Programs)

✅ Social Tournaments

✅ Round Robins

✅ Picklepaloozas

✅ Fundraising Events

✅ …or just a great way to play —

We’ve got something for every pickleballer and tennis player, at every age and skill level.

Why Universal Rackets?

As your all-in-one, inclusive community provider, Universal Rackets makes it easy to get involved. We offer:

• Flexible scheduling — weekdays, weekends, mornings, and evenings.

• Expert instruction for all levels.

• Programs designed to build skills and community.

📍 Register Now by Region

• Philadelphia Programs → www.phillypickleballclinics.com

• Main Line Programs → www.mainlinepickleballclinics.com

• Montgomery County Programs → www.montgomerypapickleball.com

• Bucks County Programs → www.jerseyshorepickleballclinics.com

Don’t wait — spots fill fast every fall!

Grab your paddle, invite your friends, and join us on court this season.

Click here to view all of our PA programs!

The Perfect Pickleball Warmup (Prevent Injuries Before They Happen!)

As pickleball’s popularity skyrockets, so do the number of pickleball-related injuries. One big reason? Players don’t actually warm up.

Think about the typical “pickleball warmup” before a game: a few dinks, volleys, drives, and drops. While it looks like a warmup, it’s really just hitting balls. You’re not preparing your whole body for the quick movements, lunges, and reactions that pickleball demands.

That’s why so many players say things like “I always start slow” or “my first game doesn’t count.” The truth? It’s because it takes them a whole game just to get loose.

You need to warm up before the actual warmup.

A Better Way to Get Ready

Tyler from Universal Rackets teamed up with Dr. Nikola Gagic from ChrioLab to create the perfect pickleball warmup — a step-by-step routine designed specifically for pickleball players.

In this video, Dr. Gagic takes Tyler through a full-body warmup that gets you ready for explosive movements, prevents injury, and helps you play your best from the very first point.

👉 Click here to watch the full video and start adding this to your pre-match routine!

✅ Quick Warmup Checklist

Before your first dink, try this:

• Dynamic Leg Swings – loosen hips and activate balance.

• Torso Twists – engage your core for rotation and stability.

• Arm Circles & Shoulder Rolls – prep for volleys, serves, and overheads.

• Mini Side Shuffles – fire up your legs for lateral quickness.

• Short Forward/Back Steps – simulate the movement patterns you’ll use on court.

Click here to see a quick warm up routine video

Bottom Line

Don’t let your first game be your “warmup.”

Loosen up, activate your muscles, and prepare your body the right way — so you can stay healthy, prevent injuries, and play sharper from the start.

Lesson of the Week: How To Play Aggressive Pickleball

Click here to view this week’s lesson

🎾 Program Spotlight: Ready Set Rackets!

We’re excited to introduce Ready Set Rackets — our brand-new Parent/Child program designed especially for the youngest future athletes!

Ready Set Rackets is a fun, engaging introduction to pickleball and tennis for toddlers (ages 2–5). Using smaller equipment, playful games, and easy-to-follow activities, kids learn the fundamentals of movement, balance, and coordination — all while having a blast.

Why Ready Set Rackets?

• 🌟 Age-Appropriate: Lessons are designed for short attention spans and big imaginations.

• 🤸 Focus on Movement: Kids develop motor skills, balance, and coordination in a safe, supportive environment.

• 🥎 Play-Based Learning: Fun drills and activities help kids learn the basics of tennis and pickleball without pressure.

• 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Family-Friendly: Parents love it because it gives their kids confidence, activity, and a healthy start in sports.

Where to Find It

Ready Set Rackets is launching across select Universal Rackets locations this season — with more communities coming soon!

👉 Visit www.mainlinepickleballclinics.com to find a session near you.

The Bottom Line

Ready Set Rackets isn’t just about learning tennis or pickleball — it’s about building a love of movement, play, and community from the very beginning.

We can’t wait to see the next generation of players on court with us!

Thank you for reading and we can’t wait to see you on court!

-Universal Rackets