DADGUM MINUTE
The Dadgum Minute is our home for everything happening in the Dadgum pickleball world.
This is where you'll find playing tips from Coach Brett Noel, a 3x National Gold Medal Winner who's coached thousands of players from beginner to advanced. But it's also where we'll track the tournaments, clinics, and grassroots organizations DadGum sponsors. We'll even showcase the events and people growing this sport, on and off the court.
Drills you can use today. Strategy that actually works. And a running list of who we're backing. Because good pickleball needs more than good gear.
Play smarter. Play stronger. Play DadGum.
There Are Only Four Shots in Pickleball
Everything you do on a pickleball court comes down to four shots. Pickleball can feel complicated. Third-shot drops. Resets. Speed-ups. Blocks. Names for everything. Here's Coach Brett's simplifier...
Read moreAim Here, Not There: Smarter Pickleball Shot Placement
The ball doesn't have to go at somebody. It has to go where they aren't. Where do you aim? Most players say: "At the other team." That works until it doesn't. Aim for empty spaces on the court, not...
Read moreThe Pickleball Timeout Most Players Forget to Call
Momentum is real. A timeout is how you interrupt it. Your opponents win a point. Then another. Then a third. You look at your partner. Your partner looks at you. Nobody says anything. Nobody calls ...
Read moreWhen (and When Not) to Speed Up the Ball at the Kitchen
Speeding up the ball is a weapon. Used at the wrong time, it's a gift. You're at the kitchen line. The ball comes up. Speed it up? Block it? Let it go? Coach Brett's rule: speed up the ball at the ...
Read morePlay the Player, Not Just the Ball
The ball is only half of what you're playing. Most players watch the ball. The best players watch the people. Coach Brett Noel is a 3x National Gold Medalist and PPR Certified Professional. One of ...
Read moreThe Pickleball Dink Isn't Passive. It's a Weapon.
A good dink doesn't wait for a mistake. It creates one. Ask a lot of players about dinking and they'll say it's the boring part. The part where you wait. That's the wrong way to look at it. When yo...
Read moreBreak the Pickleball Third-Shot-Drop Myth
Somebody told you every third shot has to be a drop. Somebody was wrong. You've heard it at every court in America. "Third shot drop. Always." Coach Brett teaches something different: drive most th...
Read moreThe 15-Minute Pickleball Warm-Up Nobody Should Skip
Your first game shouldn't be your warm-up. You walk onto the court. The group is waiting. You pick up your paddle and play. Cold. Coach Brett's advice is simple: warm up at least 15 minutes before ...
Read moreLobbed in Pickleball Doubles? Here's Exactly What to Do Next
A lob over your head is a communication test. Most teams fail it. The ball sails over your head. One player turns. The other freezes. The ball lands. Nobody was wrong, exactly. Nobody was responsib...
Read moreWhy "Less Is More" Doesn't Mean a Lighter Pickleball Paddle
The goal isn't a paddle that's easy to swing. It's a paddle that does more work for you. "Less is more" is one of Coach Brett's favorite pickleball lines. Less swing. Less strain. Less overhitting....
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