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5 Big Mistakes That Pickleball Players Make And Would Like To Avoid

You are not alone if you have ever been in a pickleball match and been frantically monitoring that neon ball as it hurtles toward you only to have it strike the net or fly out of bounds. Everybody enjoys the game—the excitement, the rivalry and the competition — but it is easy to make mistakes […]

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5 Big Mistakes That Pickleball Players Make And Would Like To Avoid

You are not alone if you have ever been in a pickleball match and been frantically monitoring that neon ball as it hurtles toward you only to have it strike the net or fly out of bounds. Everybody enjoys the game—the excitement, the rivalry and the competition — but it is easy to make mistakes that can cost you points or spoil a flawless game.

Let’s talk about 5 mistakes That Pickleball Players Make

1. Partial Serving: Not Performing Your Serve Completely

In pickleball, serving is the first step to scoring, and it is your opportunity to get an impact right away. However, a lot of players make the mistake of cutting their serve too soon, which renders it directionless and helpless. A partial serve is similar to telling half a joke and expecting everyone to laugh. Consider your paddle more than just a hand tool; consider it an extension of your arm. During the serve, your entire arm should be used, from the shoulder to your fingertips.

To make sure your serve has the speed and direction it requires, you must execute a fluid, forceful follow-through. Allow your swing to continue after the ball leaves your paddle, as though you are reaching across the net for a high five. The power and accuracy of your serves will significantly improve if you focus on finishing your swing.

2. Improper Footwork

Your feet are your greatest ally on the court because pickleball moves quickly. However, a lot of players get stuck in their positions, which makes it difficult to respond fast to the ball. One of the most frequent errors that can derail your game is this lack of movement. Developing good footwork is essential to travelling across the court with ease. To be balanced and prepared to respond at any time, avoid taking lengthy strides and instead concentrate on taking little, rapid steps, particularly shuffle and split steps.

Instead of stumbling from one place to another, imagine yourself gliding across the court. You will hit the ball and position yourself for the following play more successfully if you move more quickly and effectively.

3. Ignoring the kitchen or “No-Volley Zone”

One of the most challenging sections of the pickleball court for novices is the kitchen, also known as the No-Volley Zone. There are several restrictions, but it is not forbidden. Attempting to volley the ball while standing in this region is the most frequent error and is strictly prohibited! You can enter the kitchen, but be careful not to volley the ball while you are inside. Wait for the ball to bounce before shooting to take advantage of the kitchen and avoid penalties.

This causes your opponents to adapt and makes your comeback more calculated. In the kitchen, you can transform a seemingly challenging circumstance into an opportunity by exercising patience and accuracy.

4. Excessive Dependency on Drives and Smashes

Relying too much on power can make your game predictable and inaccurate, even while the occasional smash or strong drive can feel like the match’s high point. In pickleball, control and dexterity are just as crucial as strength. The secret is balance. Power shots should not be employed carelessly but rather deliberately. To keep your opponent guessing, think about using soft shots like drop shots and dinks.

Excessive power without accuracy will expose you to simple returns. You will become a more unpredictable and deadly player if you have both power and control.

5. Poor Ball Judging: Timing Problems

Everybody has missed a swing or, worse, let a ball to fall inbounds when they believed it was out. A common error that can swiftly halt rallies is misjudging the ball’s direction or timing. With practice, ball judgment is a skill that may be enhanced.

In order to improve control and make adjustments to your body position for a more accurate stroke, the first step is to always strive to hit the ball at its highest point. Additionally, make an effort to align your body so that you strike the ball forward rather than sideways. This enables you to follow the ball’s trajectory more accurately and respond appropriately.

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Seattle Mariners Legend Goes Viral in Now

Former Seattle Mariners superstar and Baseball Hall of Famer Randy Johnson is going viral for his role in a now-famous Tik-Tok trend. To be honest, we don’t quite get the whole thing either, but the trend involves people asking those in their lives if they wish they were athletic. Johnson was asked the question by […]

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Seattle Mariners Legend Goes Viral in Now

Former Seattle Mariners superstar and Baseball Hall of Famer Randy Johnson is going viral for his role in a now-famous Tik-Tok trend.

To be honest, we don’t quite get the whole thing either, but the trend involves people asking those in their lives if they wish they were athletic. Johnson was asked the question by his daughter, and the bit went on for 90 seconds, and you can watch the whole thing unfold:

Johnson spent parts of 10 seasons with the Mariners, going 130-74 in that time. He had been acquired in 1989 via a trade with the Montreal Expos and stayed until he was traded in 1998. He had a 3.42 lifetime ERA in Seattle, tossing 19 shutouts and 51 complete games. The most intimidating pitcher of his era, he had 2,162 strikeouts with Seattle in 1838.1 innings. He helped lead the M’s to their first playoff appearance in 1995, going 18-2 and winning the American League Cy Young. He also went 20-4 in 1997.

He was inducted into the Mariners Hall of Fame in 2012. He’s in the Baseball Hall of Fame with the Arizona Diamondbacks, but he’ll have his No. 51 retired by the Mariners in a ceremony in 2026.

And yes, we think he was plenty athletic.

As for the current Mariners, they are 55-48 and in second place in the American League West. They are taking on the Los Angeles Angels on Friday night with first pitch coming at 6:38 p.m. PT.

Bryan Woo will pitch against Jose Soriano.

NEW PODCAST IS HERE: Brady is back on a Friday, reacting to a win over the Angels and the M’s acquisition of Josh Naylor. Furthermore, he talks about Julio Rodriguez’s history-making day at the plate and he’s joined by Japanese baseball insider @GaijinBaseball, who talks about Ichiro in advance of the Hall of Fame induction. CLICK HERE:

PRIORITIES STRAIGHT: As the trade deadline nears, the Mariners are reportedly zeroing in on a specific target. CLICK HERE:

LEGENDS UNITE: The Mariners will have a full contingent at the Baseball Hall of Fame next weekend, as Ken Griffey Jr. and Edgar Martinez will be in attendance for Ichiro’s Hall of Fame induction. CLICK HERE:

Continue to follow our Inside the Mariners coverage on social media by liking us on Facebook and by following Teren Kowatsch and Brady Farkas on “X” @Teren_Kowatsch and @RefuseToLosePod. You can subscribe to the “Refuse to Lose” podcast by clicking HERE.

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Wellington High School alum Ava Hanson goes viral for her skills

PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. — A Wellington alum has dominated girls’ flag football in South Florida for the past four years and capped off her high school career with a shout-out from ESPN and several major outlets for her arm and skills. WATCH BELOW: ‘He saw that I had an arm, and he was like, […]

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Wellington High School alum Ava Hanson goes viral for her skills

PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. — A Wellington alum has dominated girls’ flag football in South Florida for the past four years and capped off her high school career with a shout-out from ESPN and several major outlets for her arm and skills.

WATCH BELOW: ‘He saw that I had an arm, and he was like, ‘You’re my girl,'” Ava Hanson says

Wellington High School alum Ava Hanson goes viral for her skills

The name Ava Hanson rings bells in the flag football world. In her senior season at Wellington High School, she threw for 4,000 yards and 62 touchdowns.

Numbers that compare to NFL greats like Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen.

As a kid, Hanson shined bright on the diamond.

“I had been playing softball my whole life,” said Hanson.

While softball was her first sport, she quit, and in typical mom fashion, it was her mother who made a life-changing move — enrolling her daughter in flag football.

High School

Athlete draws attention after flag football highlights go viral

Zitlali Solache

“My mom signed me up randomly for a rec league, and my rec coach was also my high school coach. He saw that I had an arm, and he was like, ‘You’re my girl,'” said Hanson.

Her coach was right; she graduated from Wellington High School last spring, but before leaving, she threw for 4,000 yards, 62 touchdowns, and won a district and regional title.

Oh, and she also had a viral moment when she threw a dime to her wide receiver for a touchdown in a video with millions of views on TikTok.

“When I woke up in the morning, it was posted, and I saw that it had 2 million views. I was shocked,” said Hanson.

WATCH PREVIOUS COVERAGE BELOW

Wellington HS flag football quarterback’s rifle arm goes viral

While she was shocked, she became an overnight celebrity.

“At work, people would recognize me for being on the news, and they saw the video, and it just kept getting bigger and bigger,” said Hanson. “It got to the point where people I hadn’t talked to in years started sending me the video.”

While a person’s memory may fade, videos on the internet are forever.

Hanson, a South Florida flag football legend, now turns towards college, where she will be playing at Hendrix College in Arkansas.

“I decided on Hendricks, because not only the coaching, but when I visited, it was like a family there,” said Hanson. “I wanted to be a part of a team that is also like a family.”

While Hendrix will be your family on the gridiron, we’re also your family in Florida and rooting for you every step of the way, Ava.

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Savannah Bananas Star Goes Viral After Failed CNN Stunt

It’s human nature to laugh when you see another human being eat s***. Something primal unlocks in you. You don’t want them to be hurt, of course. But you can’t help but chuckle a little if someone, say, flips over their handlebars and lands on their butt. It can also be funnier if the thing […]

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Savannah Bananas Star Goes Viral After Failed CNN Stunt

It’s human nature to laugh when you see another human being eat s***. Something primal unlocks in you. You don’t want them to be hurt, of course. But you can’t help but chuckle a little if someone, say, flips over their handlebars and lands on their butt. It can also be funnier if the thing they screw up involves them trying to show off. You’re watching a person attempt something super cool, and they just blow it in the most brutal way possible. But, like, if they nailed it, you would have cheered just as easily as you laughed. I’m talking about the dude from the Savannah Bananas who botched a backflip on CNN.

His name is Robert Anthony Cruz, and he is known as Coach Rac on the Savannah Bananas. The Bananas are a traveling baseball team that is more like the Harlem Globetrotters than the New York Yankees. They play baseball filled with dancing, acrobatics, stilts, and some impressive social media stunts. Retired MLB players and celebrities, such as John Cena, will make surprise appearances. It’s a good time and brings more attention to a game that I love. As does attempting a backflip and landing right on your face.

I was rushing up the main stairs in my Freshman year of high school and fell right at the top, as classes were getting out, and “everyone” saw. There were laughs, but I immediately pumped my fists in the air, as if I had done it on purpose, and was able to control that laughter. People were ready to be on my side because I had owned my mistake. That’s what’s going on with Coach Rac as well. Below, you can watch the video, which he has posted to his own Instagram like a boss.

Ouch! Like, that’s a brutal fail! Still, telling everyone that they “have [his] permission to laugh” is the way to roll with it. Coach Rac even took it a step further by releasing a second video where he discussed the incident, showed off his wounds, and noted that he felt bad for the anchors. “I was pretty confused. My mic pack fell out of my pocket, my shoe flew off of my foot. I don’t even know how that happened. I feel bad for the news anchors because they just sat there like, Ok, we’re not supposed to laugh, but oh my gosh, that was funny,” Cruz told his fans in the video. “They just had to carry on.”

I was familiar with the Savannah Bananas, but Coach Rac has turned me into a fan. He could have easily tried to pretend this whole thing didn’t happen! Instead, he’s leaning in and making the most of his moment. May every backflip he hits going forward get the recognition it deserves.

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Compared To Michael Jackson, Steph Curry Opens Up About Struggles Of Being World Famous

There’s fame in the NBA, and then there’s Stephen Curry. The four-time NBA Champion went from a Warriors point guard who can shoot the 3-ball like no one else to an international icon overnight. The Chef is more than just a basketball superstar. He’s transcended the sport. Advertisement Curry’s success on the court changed the […]

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Compared To Michael Jackson, Steph Curry Opens Up About Struggles Of Being World Famous

There’s fame in the NBA, and then there’s Stephen Curry. The four-time NBA Champion went from a Warriors point guard who can shoot the 3-ball like no one else to an international icon overnight. The Chef is more than just a basketball superstar. He’s transcended the sport.

Curry’s success on the court changed the way the game is played in the NBA. He ascended to near god-tier levels by going viral nonstop for in-game moments or practice time trick shots. Winning a gold medal for Team USA in 2024 only grew his basketball career even further.

But the fact that he’s also a loving husband and a terrific father, who gives back to the community and stays out of trouble, only helps his public image. Steph currently has 58 million followers on Instagram, making him one of the most followed athletes in the world.

And with that amount of fame comes the end to your privacy. Curry was asked during an interview on Complex about the negatives of this, and how he was once compared to the King of Pop, Michael Jackson.

Spooky T tells me you’re like Michael Jackson. I’m sure that feels good, but some points it has to be like a logistical nightmare?” asked host Speedy Morman. “It is,” responded Curry, who broke down the lengths he has to go to just to do something simple, like go to dinner.

“And then you don’t want to overcomplicate something simple. Like, ‘Hey, we just want to go to dinner in an hour, and I got to make like 7 phone calls just to make sure I can get where I need to go.’ I do hate that part,” admitted Steph.

It’s something that people without Steph’s level of fame take for granted. Someone will claim that “it must be so cool” to be that well recognized, but forget that your entire life changes in a flash. Curry later said that he doesn’t take for granted how much he is loved, but acknowledged that his life has been entirely different ever since.

That being said, a comparison to Michael Jackson? The now deceased musician’s fame wasn’t just a cultural movement; it was a near-religious experience. MJ’s stardom could never be replicated, for better or for worse.

This also isn’t the first time The Chef has opened up about his life being forever altered because of his success. Back in 2019, he told The Athletic that the first time he was ever bombarded was one of the worst experiences of his life.

“One of the worst experiences of my life. Getting bothered left and right from the time we showed up at the airport to the time we got to the house in Charlotte. That was probably when it was like, OK, this is crazy. And, yeah, it’s got even crazier from there.”

It wasn’t just Curry saying this either. Curry’s old teammate, Shaun Livingston, was involved in the same interview and had this to say: “He’s an A-list celebrity. A-plus. Another tier. Think of the hottest movie star. It’s probably even more than that.”

“It’s uncomfortable at times, for sure. Because I’m not that important. I’m not,” added Curry, whose tone probably couldn’t have been truly known due to the interview being in print.

Steph has arguably only gotten more famous since then, too. However, with time comes experience. The future Hall of Famer may not like certain aspects of his life, but he’s gotten used to the hecticness by this point.

However, few probably handled it with the humility and cool demeanor that Steph has. He truly is one of the rare examples of someone who deserves everything he got. The NBA will be a much quieter place without the magical noise that Curry creates.

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NO LEBRON!!! STOP!!! WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?!?

Dexerto – LeBron James has sent a Cease & Desist letter to an AI company that went viral for its ability to make “brainrot” videos of the NBA star. Throughout most of 2025, TikTok videos showing an AI version of Lebron James took over the FYP of millions of users on the app.One video posted in […]

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NO LEBRON!!! STOP!!! WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?!?

Dexerto – LeBron James has sent a Cease & Desist letter to an AI company that went viral for its ability to make “brainrot” videos of the NBA star.

Throughout most of 2025, TikTok videos showing an AI version of Lebron James took over the FYP of millions of users on the app.
One video posted in February shows James as a mermaid, swimming through the ocean to the tune of ‘Under the Sea’ from The Little Mermaid. The viral videos quickly gained the NBA star’s attention, prompting him to take legal action in order to keep them from using his likeness in AI videos.

According to 404Media, users on the Interlink AI Discord server were actively learning how to create AI videos of LeBron James that they could post on TikTok – with many of them going viral after doing so.

However, in late June, mods told members that they decided to remove all “realistic people models” from the AI platform.

“This change comes after we ran into legal issues involving a highly valued basketball player, and to avoid any further complications, we’ve chosen to take a proactive approach and fully remove all realistic likenesses from the site,” one mod said in a Discord post.

The publication confirmed with Jason Stacks, the founder of Interlink AI’s parent company, FlickUp, that the basketball player in question was in fact LeBron James. He also shared the news in a post on Instagram.

I’m going to slap a big ol’ ALLEGEDLY on this entire blog. Seeing that LeBron James is actively sending cease & desists to some random internet company who’s posting AI slop, I’m not trying to get Barstool caught up in Non-Pregnant LeBron James ALLEGED crusade against Pregnant LeBron James videos. Pregnant LeBron James videos that I will NOT be posting here, because I’m told those can get us sued. But trust me… they are not hard to find.

God damn it LeBron. I’m as big of a LeBron James defender as it gets. In my own head at least. I suppose I’m not out in the internet trenches replying to every @LeMickeyMouseJames troll bot on Twitter like a truly dedicated Bronsexual. But I like LeBron. I think he gets a bad rap from NBA fans at large. And he’s had a better overall career than Michael Jordan. I’m sorry if that offends. But when I see headlines of him allegedly filing cease & desists against this guy…

Thinking that would somehow make the AI pregnancy videos stop… I understand why people are so quick to jump down LeBron’s throat with the, “God damn it LeBron. You big fucking dummy. Why do you do the things you do?”

But LeBron James is not a dumbass. Sure, he didn’t attend college. He’s not a Mensa candidate. But as far as athletes go, he’s not a complete idiot. You can’t possibly be a complete idiot and be successful in the way LeBron is. He’s also been actively online pretty much his whole career. He’s not just pawning off all his socials to a professionally trained PR team either. I’m sure does with parts of it. But those tweets LeBron sends with #JustMyThoughtsComingFromASportsJunkieRegardlessMyOwnSportIPlay… those are coming straight from LeBron’s remarkably gifted thumbs. 

Even when he goes ZeroDarkThirty-23, he can never fully keep himself away. The man is chronically logged on. He must have developed the slightest bit of internet literacy by now. And anybody who’s spent 10 minutes online should know that the #1 surefire way to make sure people NEVER stop doing something you don’t like, is to make it known that you do not like that thing. 

It’s a tale as old as time. Every time an athlete or celebrity does this to themselves, every person on Twitter makes the same joke. I personally had to fight back the urge to write the same blog that’s been written at Barstool a hundred times before. 

“Whatever You Do, DO NOT POST ANY AI Videos of Pregnant LeBron James!”

Followed by a litany of examples of what NOT to post. It’s such a well-known concept that the joke has become played out. 

Filing a cease & desist might force the person profiting off the videos to stop. But revealing to the world what gets under your skin is worth so much more than anything a few popular Instagram accounts can produce. Internet trolls alone will yield more pregnant LeBron James content for the love of the game than money can buy.

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It almost has to be that LeBron thought that the news of him filing a cease & desist would never see the light of day. I’m not sure why anybody who’s spent time on the internet would think that, but it has to be the case. Or maybe filing the cease & desist wasn’t even LeBron’s doing. Maybe somebody working for him took the initiative to try and scrub all instances of pregnant LeBron James from the internet. If it’s the latter, he’s gotta fire that employee. But I can’t help but think (not accusing you of anything LeBron, just giving my educated guess) that this cease & desist is coming from LeBron himself.

In some ways I don’t blame him. People are willing put up with a lot of shit on the internet. Lot’s of insane, psychotic shit that’s objectively WAY worse than some stupid, harmless AI pregnancy content. But I gotta imagine there’s something about seeing a realistic looking video of yourself as a pregnant man, basically giving birth, that just makes your skin crawl. It’s not even close to the meanest thing an Instagram account has done or said to LeBron, but there is something uniquely unsettling about it. I don’t enjoy watching them. They’re bizarre. They make me feel uncomfortable. Clearly the smart thing to do would have been to turn the other cheek and wait for people to move onto the next trend. But I can kinda get how constantly seeing AI pregnancy videos of yourself might illicit this type of a reaction, while other more inflammatory things would not.

But fuck, LeBron… Do you realize what you just did to yourself? What you just did to me? The world? Pregnant LeBron James is about to take over the internet. Under every LeBron James related tweet, we’re about to be inundated with the weirdest, most unnerving pregnant dude videos that AI is capable of cooking up. And underneath each one will be replies that say “Why the buddy pregnant?”, ten-to-twenty times over. 

I hope I’m wrong. I’m probably exaggerating things a bit for the sake of a blog. But it never fails to blow my mind when I see an athlete announce to the world that he’s personally bothered by something fans are doing. And of all people… as online as LeBron is… for him to be one to come out and file a cease & desist over pregnancy videos (allegedly)… I just thought LeBron knew better. Now that I’ve typed out that sentence, I realize how stupid I sound. Egg on my face. 

Allegedly. 

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