Jason & Steve vs Nithin & AK Pickleball match. Serving missiles with the Diadem Icon Infinity Pro.

I took my new Diadem Icon Infinity paddle out for a spin. The paddle has great control and lets me consistently land my serves on the line and in the corner. It feels like a precision guided missile is flying off my paddle.

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Highlights:

Great Serves: 0:08, 0:17, 0:56, 1:07, 1:45, 3:44, 3:53
Put Aways: 0:06, 2:06, 4:17
Aces: 0:08, 0:17

Players:
Jason: Bright red shirt
AK: Dark red shirt
Steve: Blue shirt
Nithin: Gray shirt

Match commentary:

1. 0:17, 0:08 If your opponent is known for consistently serving the ball deep then you should stand further back 3-4 ft. behind the baseline. This will give you more time & space to return the ball without getting caught off balance.

2. Nithin did not move up after returning the ball (0:28) and I pushed AK back when I hit the ball at his feet (0:30). It caught him off balance so he popped the ball up and I hit it hard with an overhead smash. My foot landed in the kitchen after the ball bounced on the other side so i'm not sure if counts as a fault due to the momentum rule.

3. AK did not move up after returning the serve and Steve did a good job keeping AK at the baseline (1:37) by hitting the ball deep and catching him off balance.

4. At 2:09 Nithin misses the ball because he moved up too early after serving the ball. He should not have moved up until after the 3rd shot drop.

5. At 2:31 the ball was probably going out but Nithin hit it and I was able to recover the point by hitting the ball at Nithin while he was off balance.

6. At 2:46 we had a sideout after I Steve and I both went for a ball going down the middle. His paddle hit my paddle which caused the ball to go out. Generally, the player with a forehand goes for balls headed down the middle. However, I'd rather have both players go for the ball instead of each player assuming the other will cover the middle.

7. At 3:27 Nithin mishits the ball because he had to rush forward after AK does not move up after returning the serve.

8. At 3:46 - 3:48 AK misses the ball because he did not move up after returning the serve.

9. The serve starts at 3:56 & we lost the point at 4:08 because Nithin hit the ball short and Steve didn't move up to the kitchen after the 3rd shot.

10. At 4:17 Nithin hits a fast ball down the middle. I did not react in time and Steve was standing too far away to hit the ball.

11. At 4:30 I kept both players back by returning the ball to the middle and hitting the ball at Nithin's feet. Nithin should have let the ball before instead of volleying it.

12. At 4:51 AK hit the ball short so my team had to rush up to the kitchen. Steve's momentum carried him into the kitchen where he volleyed the ball (4:57) while standing in the no volley zone. Remember to always leave the no volley zone before hitting a ball that hasn't bounced.