How to volleyball dive on the pickleball court with Allyce Jones
Allyce “Mighty Mouse” Jones is one of the best players in professional pickleball at
giving everything she’s got on every point.
She has singlehandedly produced some of the sport's wildest moments by diving all over the court and miraculously chasing down balls that others would simply let go.
Her remarkable ability to extend points is simply electrifying.
So, how does she dive on the 20x44 without getting covered in cuts and bruises?
“I played volleyball my whole life and I was the libero,” said Jones, who stands 5-foot-2, but goes about her business in PPA and MLP tournaments like a 6-foot-5 giant. “My job was to keep the ball off the ground. As the libero, you throw your body anywhere to keep the ball off the ground, so that’s what I do with pickleball.”
It's all about effort and the insatiable will to win.
She wouldn't have it any other way.
“You never know if you could get the ball if you don't go for it. I don’t care if I’m sprawled out on the court because if I got it, I just saved us a point,” explained Jones. “There’s been multiple times that we’ve won points because of it, so it definitely benefits my game.”
The perennial crowd favorite, however, doesn't advise just throwing yourself on the court with reckless abandon.
If you’re going to dive, you must do it right.
“I was a volleyball coach and actually coached kids how to dive properly without getting hurt for 10 to 12 years of my life. I have 22 years total of teaching people how to dive, so I definitely feel comfortable with diving on the pickleball court because I did it for so long in volleyball,” shared Jones. “Sometimes, I get little scrapes, but I just barely get dirty. That’s usually it. It’s all worth it to get the point.”
Jones' competitive spirit is something extra special.
Athletes of all ages could take a page out of her playbook in this department and benefit from it.
Talk about a treat to watch every match...
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