Well, another year is almost gone. It’s as good a time as any to take stock in the past 12 months and to evaluate how our pickleball journey is progressing.
Was 2024 a good year, a bad year, or a so-so year for you on the pickleball court?
And if you had to grade it, would you give your pickleball experience an “A” or something less satisfying?
We know what you’re saying. If only there were a handy-dandy quiz you could take, a quiz that aims to evaluate your pickleball year and assign a grade to it.
Guess what? There is. We here at Murmurs from the Losers’ Bracket think of way too many things, including coming up with our very own quiz to help you assess how the year 2024 has been to your pickleball game.
To get your grade, please answer the following 10 questions and tally your point score. A table at the end of the quiz will convert those points to a letter grade.
Good luck, and remember, it’s just pickleball.
1. The words that best explain the progress of my pickleball game through 2024 would be …
a. Due to drilling and devotion to instructional material, I leveled up … (add 5 points)
b. I didn’t improve a single bit, but I love playing just the same (add 10 points)
c. I didn’t improve a single bit, and I find that very frustrating (subtract 5 points)
***
2. The words that best express my fitness for playing the game would be …
a. I got through the whole year without being injured or in too much pain to play (add 15 points)
b. I had to take some breaks from playing in order to maintain my ability to keep playing. (subtract 5 points)
c. I now have an orthopedic surgeon who smiles every time I walk into the office (subtract 10 points).
d. I’m wearing a boot right now. (subtract 15 points).
***
3. My biggest joy in playing pickleball this year has been …
a. I made a lot of new pickleball friends (add 10 points).
b. I made one new pickleball friend who has a pickleball court in his/her backyard (add 15 points)
c. I did my first Erne or ATP (add 5 points).
d. I body-bagged a banger (subtract 5 points).
***
4. My biggest regret in playing pickleball this year has been …
a. My habit of lobbing to senior citizens (subtract 5 points).
b. I wish I played more (add 10 points).
c. Over-policing of the paddle rack during open play (subtract 5 points)
d. Kicking a gloating opponent in the face during post-game paddle taps at the net. (subtract 1,000 points).
***
5. I am proud that I taught myself how to …
a. make honest line calls (add 5 points).
b. yell “Out!” before a close ball bounces at my feet (subtract 5 points)
c. make a third-shot drop (add 5 points).
d. not get involved with line calls on the next court (add 10 points).
***
6. The best way to explain my paddle situation is …
a. I am still looking for the perfect paddle (subtract 5 points)
b. I’ve found my perfect paddle (add 5 points)
c. I have too many perfect paddles now (subtract 10 points)
d. I have given up the search for paddles, concluding that they are mostly irrelevant in my quest to be a better player. (add 15 points).
***
7. I say “sorry” …
a. … when I hit a winner after the ball flicks off the top of the net, but I’m really not “sorry.” (add 5 points)
b. … when I hit a winner after the ball flicks off the top of the net, and I really am “sorry.” (subtract 10 points)
c. … to my partner at the start of the game to cover all my upcoming mistakes (add 5 points).
d. … to my partner at the end of the game to cover all my previous mistakes (subtract 5 points).
***
8. When I find myself paired with a new player during open play I try to …
a. give constructive playing tips during the game (add 5 points)
b. fake an injury at the beginning of the game (subtract 5 points)
c. keep reminding him/her that it’s a “paddle”, not a “racket.” (subtract 10 points).
d. be a good sport, especially if it’s your spouse. (add 10 points).
***
9. The nickname that best describes my playing style is …
a. The Poach-in-ater! (subtract 10 points)
b. Se̴n͊or Sorry (subtract 5 points)
c. Stinky DInky (add 5 points)
d. Lord Voltaren (add 5 points)
***
10. The best way to describe how often I play pickleball is …
a. Never enough (add 10 points).
b. Even in the rain (subtract 10 points)
c. Limited due to work (subtract 5 points).
d. I quit my job (add 15 points).
***
Scoring: Tally your points and figure out your grade, from A to F:
A – more than 50 points. Wanna play another?
B – 20 to 50 points. Good game, good game.
C – zero to 20 points. Lacking consistency.
D – zero to minus-30 points. Do you still play tennis?
F – beyond minus-30 points. Better luck next year!
MURMURS FROM THE LOSERS’ BRACKET
Read past editions of Murmurs from the Losers’ Bracket, including:
- Ten Things Not to Say on a Pickleball Court
- Oh, the Horror! Playing with a Pickleball Partner who won’t Move Up
- Not a Softie When it Comes to Pickleball with a Foam Ball
- Do Pickleball Prayers Get Answered?
- Ten Tips for Being “Nice” at Pickleball
- Attention Pickleballers: Be On The Lookout For “Ball Blowers”
- The Etiquette Crisis with “Open Play”
- Lob into the Sun? Maybe, Maybe Not
- Mastering the Diplomacy of Round-Robin Scheduling
- Confessions of a Paddle Addict
Frank Cerabino is a long-time columnist for the Palm Beach Post in Florida, a pickleball addict like the rest of us, and a newly published author. Check out Frank’s newly released book, I Dink, Therefore I Am: Coming to Grips with My Pickleball Addiction (available on Amazon and a great read (or gift!) for any pickleball player), for pickleball tips and laughs!
