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Never Miss Returns Again | 🚨 New CRBN Paddle Is Out | How To Get A Higher Rating | How To Handle Nerves

Never Miss Returns Again | 🚨 New CRBN Paddle Is Out | How To Get A Higher Rating | How To Handle Nerves

Universal Rackets Weekly Pickleball Update: Coaching - News - Tips

September 29, 2025

Universal Rackets Weekly Update!

Let’s Talk About Your Pickleball Game…

🔑 Takeaways

🎾 Never Miss Your Return → Stay compact, give yourself space, step into the ball, and face the server for consistency.

😅 Handle Nerves in Competition → Arrive with a simple plan, play your strengths, smile through adversity, and gain experience by competing more.

👟 Drill of the Week → Simulate pressure: start games down 5–6 points with consequences for losing to train focus under nerves.

🌊 CRBN TruFoam Wave Is Here → 100% foam core for max legal power + spin, with 10% off for Universal players (code: UNIVERSAL).

🍂 October Programs Open → 38+ locations in PA, NJ, TX, FL & IL. Clinics, tournaments, Ready Set Rackets, Picklepaloozas & more.

📈 Level Up Your Rating → Drill more than you play and either face stronger players or “win the right way” vs. lower levels.

🚨 Programs Filling Fast → Multiple Fall 1 sessions sold out — secure your spot early for Fall 2.

How To Never Miss Your Return

The server may start the point, but you have the advantage. Why? Because the serving team has to stay back to hit their third shot. If you hit a solid return and move forward, you can take control of the point by getting to the kitchen first.

That’s why the return of serve is the most critical shot in pickleball. Yet many players give away free points by missing it. Here’s how to make sure you never miss again:

1. Compact, Controlled, Concise

The bigger your backswing, the more things can go wrong. Keep it simple:

Stay low.
Shorten your backswing.
Focus on smooth, consistent contact.

2. Give Yourself Space

A lot of missed returns happen because players get jammed.

Stand about 5 feet behind where you think the ball will bounce.
This gives you room to step in and make contact out in front of your body.

3. Use Your Momentum, Not Just Your Swing

A good return doesn’t come from a big swing — it comes from forward momentum.

Step into the ball.
Let your body weight carry the shot deep into the court.

4. Pro Hack: Face the Server

Instead of standing square to the net, angle your stance to face the server.

This lets you move diagonally toward the ball rather than just sideways.
Diagonal movement is quicker and keeps you balanced.

Bottom Line

If you want to win more points, stop missing returns.

✅ Stay compact.

✅ Give yourself space.

✅ Step into the ball.

✅ Face the server.

Do these four things and your return of serve will become one of your most reliable weapons.

Click Here For The Return Of Serve Masterclass

How To Deal With Nerves During Competition

Playing in a tournament, round robin, or match feels very different from playing recreationally. New opponents, crowds watching, higher stakes — nerves are normal. The key is learning how to manage them so you can perform your best.

Here are four ways to handle the pressure:

1. Have a Plan (But Not Ten)

It’s easy to get lost in the moment. That’s why you need to show up with a few simple plans and stick to them.

Example: Hit three balls before going for a winner.
Example: Take every drive up the middle.
Example: Return every serve cross-court.

Don’t overwhelm yourself with dozens of “if this, then that” scenarios. Keep it simple.

💡 Pro Tip: Bring a notecard with your 3–4 game plans and glance at it before each match.

2. Play What You’ve Trained

Competition isn’t the time to experiment with shots you’ve never practiced. Stick to your strengths.

Trust the drills you’ve worked on.
Play the patterns you know.
Avoid going for low-percentage shots just because the moment feels big.

Winners come from consistency and confidence in what you’ve trained.

3. Smile Through It

Yes, smile! When you enjoy yourself, you play better.

✅ Expect mistakes.

✅ Expect delays.

✅ Expect questionable calls.

What matters is how you respond. Control the controllables, and keep a smile on your face — it will relax you and improve your game.

4. The Only Cure for Nerves is Experience

Just like you “learn on the job” in the workplace, you learn in competition by competing.

Recreational play is like college — you study, drill, and learn theory.
Competition is the real job — applying what you’ve studied under pressure.

The more tournaments you play, the more situations you face, the calmer you’ll become. Every match, win or lose, builds experience.

Bottom Line

Nerves are natural. The way to overcome them is to:

✅ Arrive with a simple plan.

✅ Play your strengths.

✅ Smile through adversity.

✅ Get more reps in real competition.

So go sign up for that tournament — the only way to grow is to start.

👟 Quick Drill of the Week

Simulated Pressure Match Drill

Setup:

Play a regular game to 11, but start with your opponent already ahead 5–6 points.
This forces you to play “from behind” and simulate real competitive nerves.

Rules:

If you lose the game → you owe a consequence (push-ups, jumping jacks, sprints, etc.).
If you win → you’ve trained yourself to stay calm, focus, and fight back under pressure.

Goal:

To practice handling nerves, frustration, and urgency in a controlled environment. By starting behind, you’ll train yourself to:

Stay focused when momentum isn’t on your side.
Avoid panic swings or bad decisions.
Compete harder and smarter when the pressure is on

🌊 Big News: CRBN TruFoam Wave is OUT NOW!

CRBN is changing the game again with the release of the TruFoam™ Wave Series=

🔥 What’s New?

100% Foam Core – delivers maximum legal power.
More Spin & Control – cutting-edge core tech gives you a bigger sweet spot.
Early Access available now at CRBN Pickleball.

Click here to watch Tyler and Michele’s first impressions and full review of this awesome paddle!

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.

🍂 October Programs Are Here!

Universal Rackets is kicking off another exciting season — now offering indoor and outdoor 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!

How To Get a Higher Pickleball Rating: The Fastest Way

Maybe you’re a 3.0 trying to become a 4.0. Maybe you’re a 4.0 chasing that 5.0 milestone. Whatever your goal, the big question is: what’s the fastest way to level up?

Here are the two keys that will get you there faster than anything else:

1. Drill More Than You Play

Games alone won’t make you better — in fact, sometimes they can make you worse depending on who you play.

As Bruce Lee said: “I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks once, but I fear the man who has practiced one kick 10,000 times.”

Drilling gives you the reps that games don’t:

In rec play, you might hit a certain shot only 5–10 times.
In drilling, you can hit that same shot hundreds of times in one session.
Repetition builds rhythm, confidence, and muscle memory.

When it’s game time, those shots will come out naturally — because you’ve done them 10,000 times in practice.

👉 Click here for Tyler & Michele’s Drilling Routine

2. Play Better Players — Or Win the Right Way

The fastest growth comes from being challenged. That means either:

Play People Better Than You

When you play stronger opponents:

The wrong shot = you lose the point.
The right shot = you improve under pressure.

It forces you to make better decisions. The best way to guarantee this? Enter tournaments. That’s where higher-level competition lives.

👉 Click here to see our upcoming tournaments & special events

Or, If You Play Lower Players → Win the Right Way

Most pickleballers end up playing with people at or below their level in rec games. That’s fine — but don’t just blast winners and call it progress.

Example: If you’re a 4.0 and you blast drives at 2.5s, you’ll win the points today. But tomorrow, against 4.5s, those drives will get volleyed back or sail long. Instead of improving, you’ve actually built bad habits.

What to do instead:

Set goals for yourself during those games.
Example: Drop + 3 dinks before attacking.
Example: Focus only on consistency and depth.
Example: Place every serve deep near the baseline.

You may lose more points in the short term. You may even lose some games. But long term, you’ll get better — because you’re practicing the right skills.

Action Steps (Do These Now!)

Don’t just scroll past this — put it into practice:

📱 Text your pickleball friend: “Hey, want to drill tomorrow?”
📱 Text someone better than you: “Want to get a game in this week?”
📝 On a notecard, write down one thing to work on next time you play down. Keep it in your pickleball bag so you never forget.