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The Pickleball Dictionary: Pickleball Terms that Start with the Letter “L”

Strategy & Technique Stacie Townsend 01-06-2020

Pickler created The Pickleball Dictionary, which includes all of the common terms, phrases, words, people, and organizations found in, on, and around the pickleball courts. Get your FREE copy of The Pickleball Dictionary today!

PICKLEBALL TERMS THAT START WITH THE LETTER “L”

The pickleball terms, phrases, words, people, and organizations that start with the letter “L” include:

Ladder – A ladder is a play format designed to keep players of similar skill levels together. Over time, based on your win percentage, you may move up or down the ladder.

League – A league is a play format for recreational play with a competitive twist. There are a variety of different types of leagues, including ladder leagues.

Lefty – Have you ever been three or more points into a pickleball game and suddenly realized that one of your opponents is a lefty? Be sure to identify whether you are playing a lefty before the beginning of the game, as a lefty will have opposite forehands and backhands as compared to a righty. This is crucial, as you generally want to target a player’s weaknesses, which more times than not is a player’s backhand. To learn more tips to success when playing with or against a lefty, check out Pickler’s online pickleball video lessons.

Leigh Waters – Leigh Waters is one of the best pro pickleball players in the world and one of the reigning national champions from the 2019 USA Pickleball National Championships. Leigh is known for her killer drives and insanely smart strategy on the pickleball courts. Lookout for Leigh on the pickleball tours this year, especially as she takes on the field with her phenom teenage daughter, Anna Leigh Waters.

Let – A let is a rally on the pickleball court where the end result is not scored.

“Let’s Go” – Something you or your partner yell when you are fired up on the pickleball courts. Let’s go!

Level – A level is more commonly referred to as your pickleball skill rating. Levels or skill ratings vary from 1.0 to 6.0, with 6.0 being reserved for the top pro pickleball players.

Line – Each pickleball court has lines for the baseline, sidelines, centerline, and Non-Volley Zone or Kitchen Line.

Line Call – A line call is a verbal call and hand signal by a player or line judge that indicates whether the pickleball is “in” play (in the pickleball court or on a line) or “out” of play (outside of the pickleball court and lines).

Line Judge – A line judge is a pickleball referee that determines whether the pickleball is in or out on the sidelines and the baseline. In many tournaments, especially in medal rounds, there will be multiple line judges for a single match.

Linked – Pickleball players typically want to stay linked with their partner on the pickleball courts. If you and your partner do not stay linked and do not move in tandem, you will find yourselves leaving large open spaces on the pickleball courts for your opponents to take advantage of.

Live Ball – A live ball is the pickleball at any time between the score being called and a fault or dead ball being called.

Lob – A lob is a shot in pickleball where you will put some height on the trajectory of the pickleball and send the pickleball relatively high into the air. To learn how to perfect your lob and when to hit a lob on the pickleball courts, check out Pickler’s online pickleball video lessons.

Low Percentage – A low percentage shot is one that has a high chance of resulting in an error. Typically, you want to avoid hitting low percentage shots (for instance, shots near the sidelines with low margins for error).

Lucy Kitcher – Lucy Kitcher is a pickleball pro with countless medals, who is particularly known for hosting great tournaments and trips in and around the State of Florida.

Lucy Kovalova – Lucy Kovalova, a former tennis standout, is a pickleball pro who frequently finds herself atop the medal podium, including winning the triple crown (gold in singles, women’s doubles and mixed doubles) at the 2018 USA Pickleball National Championships.

DO YOU KNOW ANY ADDITIONAL PICKLEBALL TERMS THAT START WITH THE LETTER “L”?

Do you know any additional pickleball terms, phrases, words, people, or organizations that start with the letter “L” to add to The Pickleball Dictionary? Share with us in the comments below!

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Updated as of January 6, 2021

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