Universal Rackets Weekly Update!

Let’s Talk About Your Pickleball Game…

Takeaways

🔥 You Create The “Banger”

📍 Start Returns 2–3 Steps Back

👟 3-Step Forehand = Cleaner Contact

📘 Instantly Improve Your Serve Is Live

🚨 CRBN TruFoam™ Paddle Giveaway

🏕️ 2026 Adult & Junior Clinics and Summer Camps Are Open

How To Stop and Beat Bangers

Here’s the truth: Bangers are not self-proclaimed

They’re created by you.

Yes — YOU create the banger.

Some players naturally hit harder than others. But if you don’t want to deal with constant drives and speed-ups, the solution is simple:

Stop giving them what they want.

So how are you creating them?

A player can only truly “bang” the ball from one place:

Above the net. 

Any high ball you give your opponent allows them to hit down into the court. And when players hit down, they can be aggressive.

The Fix: Make Them Hit UP

If you keep the ball below net height, your opponent is forced to hit up.

And when they’re hitting up, one of two things happens:

• They slow the ball down

• They play a neutral/dink ball

If they try to hit hard from below the net?

• The ball goes out

• The ball goes into the net

Either way — advantage you.

Next time you’re playing a “banger,” pause and ask yourself:

“Where am I allowing my opponent to make contact?”

That question alone will change the match.

How To Keep The Ball Low

• On your 3rd shot → Drop shallow into the kitchen

This forces contact below net height.

• On your return → Use slice

Slice keeps the ball low and makes 3rd shot drives much harder.

• At the kitchen → Dink and keep it in the kitchen

Low dinks eliminate easy speed-ups.

Bonus Tip: Let Balls Go

Shoulder high? Let it fly.

This is easier said than done — but once a banger realizes you won’t swing at out balls, they start pressing… and the errors follow.

Bottom Line

Bangers aren’t unstoppable. They’re created by high balls.

Keep the ball low. Force contact below the net.

And watch the “banger” disappear.

Click here to watch full online lesson on how to beat bangers

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2026 PA & NJ Pickleball and Tennis Programs Are Here!

More Programs Announced! New Locations and New Offerings

Universal Rackets is excited to roll out our Spring & Summer Pickleball programming, offering Adult Clinics, Junior Clinics, and 50+ Summer Camps designed for all ages and skill levels and built around fun, structure, and real improvement.

✅ Adult Pickleball Clinics

✅ Junior Pickleball Clinics

✅ Pickleball Summer Camps

✅ Indoor & Outdoor Options

✅ Multiple Skill Levels

✅ Weekday & Weekend Offerings

Whether you’re just getting started or looking to sharpen your skills, our programs are built to help you play smarter, improve faster, and enjoy every session.

Click here to view all of our adult & junior clinic programs!

Click here to view all of our junior summer camps!

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👟 Drill of the Week: 3-Step Forehand DIY Sequence

Purpose:

To establish proper contact point, spacing, and pacing for your forehand drive.

How It Works:

Step 1: Drop & Catch Out in Front

Drop the ball out in front of your body and catch it with your hitting hand. This teaches you where clean contact should happen and trains your non-dominant hand to guide the ball into the ideal contact zone.

Step 2: Drop & Hit

After catching a few, drop the ball again — but this time hit it. Focus on making contact in the same spot you just practiced catching. This builds awareness of what clean, out-in-front contact feels like.

Step 3: Guide & Swing

Now put it all together. Use your non-dominant hand as a guide (your “GPS”) to track the ball into the ideal contact point, then swing smoothly through the shot. Maintain spacing, stay balanced, and let the paddle accelerate naturally.

This simple progression builds muscle memory for consistent, powerful forehand drives — without rushing or overthinking.

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🚨 GIVEAWAY ALERT: WIN A CRBN TruFoam™ Waves Pickleball Paddle! 🚨

We’re excited to announce that one lucky Universal Rackets reader will win a brand-new CRBN TruFoam™ Waves Pickleball Paddle 🎉

Here’s how to enter:

Purchase any Universal Rackets Adult Clinic, Junior Clinic, Summer Camp or eBook between February 11th and March 10th, and you will be automatically entered into the raffle.

One lucky winner will be chosen at random on March 11th Newsletter. Good luck!

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The Secret To A Better Return Of Serve

In pickleball, direction of movement is everything.

When you’re moving forward, you’re on offense.

When you’re moving backward, you’re on defense.

And you never want to be on defense.

As the returner, you get first access to the kitchen line — the most powerful position on the court. The server must stay back for their third shot, which means you have a built-in opportunity to take control of the point.

But most players give that advantage away.

Here’s the mistake:

They stand right on the baseline to return serve.

The problem? Most serves land deep.

So what happens?

You step back to adjust.

The moment you step back, you’re on defense.

You lose time.

You lose balance.

You lose court position.

The Fix

Start your return position 2–3 steps behind the baseline.

Now when the serve comes in, you move forward into the ball instead of backward.

That one adjustment does three things:

• Puts you in an offensive mindset

• Improves timing and contact

• Gets you to the kitchen faster

You’ll feel more balanced.

Your returns will be deeper.

And you’ll arrive at the kitchen under control — not scrambling.

Small shift. Big difference.

Click here to watch the full video on how to instantly improve your return of serve.

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Program Spotlight #1: SOUTH FLORIDA PICKLEBALL CLINICS

This past Monday in Lakewood Ranch, we kicked off Week 1 of our South Florida Beginner/Advanced Beginner and Intermediate Pickleball Clinics — and the energy was incredible.

Our beginner and advanced beginner groups focused on fundamentals, positioning, and building confidence with structured drills designed to create consistency from the baseline and at the kitchen.

For our intermediate clinic, Week 1 was all about one of the most overlooked (but most important) areas in pickleball:

The Transition Zone.

The transition zone is what makes or breaks players. It’s where points are won… or rushed away.

We focused heavily on:

• Shallow dinks

• Neutralizing the opponent

• Moving forward correctly from transition to the kitchen

By keeping dinks low and shallow, players learned how to force opponents to hit up instead of down. When your opponent is hitting up, you’re in control. When they’re hitting down, you’re defending.

The goal wasn’t just to “get to the kitchen.” It was to earn the kitchen through smart shot selection, controlled dinks, and proper positioning.

When players understand how to manage the transition zone, their game immediately becomes more patient, more controlled, and far more difficult to attack.

Want Universal Rackets to bring a pickleball program or special event to your community?

We offer beginner, intermediate, and advanced clinics, structured lesson progressions, mixers, round robins, and special events designed for all ages and skill levels.

Whether you’re in Florida, Texas, New Jersey, Illinois, Pennsylvania or anywhere in the country — we can build a program tailored specifically for your community.

Message us today to learn how we can bring high-quality pickleball programming to your courts.

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Program Spotlight #2: JUNIOR TENNIS & PICKLEBALL SUMMER CAMPS ARE HERE!

Summer is coming fast — and our Junior Tennis & Pickleball Summer Camps are officially open for registration!

Universal Rackets summer camps are designed to do more than just keep kids active. Our camps focus on skill development, confidence, teamwork, and FUN, all in a structured, positive environment led by professional coaches.

Whether your child is brand new to the sport or already competing, our camps meet them where they are and help them level up — both on and off the court.

What to Expect at Universal Rackets Summer Camps:

• Tennis & Pickleball options

• Ages grouped by age and skill level

• Beginner → Advanced instruction

• High-energy drills, games, and point play

• Emphasis on fundamentals, movement, and sportsmanship

• A fun, welcoming environment kids love

Our coaches create an experience that keeps kids engaged, learning, and excited to come back each day — while parents can feel confident their child is in great hands.

📍 Multiple Locations Available

📅 Weekly & Multi-Week Options

🎾 Tennis & Pickleball Camps Offered

Spots fill quickly every summer — especially beginner and prime-time sessions.

Click here to view all of our junior summer camps!

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Lesson of the Week: How To Keep The Ball In

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

-Universal Rackets