The Dink Pickleball Newsletter: The APP is Going Back to Cali, MLP Miami Preview, and Christian Alshon is on the PicklePod
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History was made last night in the NBA. LeBron James and his son Bronny James became the first father-son duo to play together in an NBA game.
Fittingly enough, another father and son duo were in attendance. The MLB’s first-ever father-son teammates, Ken Griffey Jr and Ken Griffey Sr, took in the Lakers’ first regular season game.
But missing from the crowd was pickleball’s most prolific mother-daughter duo.
Leigh and Anna Leigh Waters not only played together but were a dominant force in the women’s doubles game prior to Leigh’s knee injury. We will see if LeBron and his son can hoist a trophy together before their time is done.
Shout out to all the parent-child pickleball teams out there.
Our Picks ☝️
🗞 Article: How I Became a Professional Pickleball Player
Eric Roddy was training to be a pro pickleball player before pro pickleball was a thing. His preferred style of doubles tennis, full of drop volleys and sliced groundstrokes, translated perfectly to pickleball.
🏢 Facility: Oregon’s Largest Pickleball Facility
East County Pickleball Courts hosted its ribbon-cutting ceremony last Saturday. The 12-court, 36,000-square-foot facility is located just outside of Portland.
🏈 Video: Terrell Owens Celebrates His First Pickle
Hall of Fame NFL receiver Terrell Owens is well known for this touchdown celebrations. After completing his first pickle, Owens takes a lap around the court and looks ready for a Lambeau Leap.
🚗 Quote: Spreading Mental Health Awareness with Pickle in 50 States
“It’s not about how good you are or what level of player you are. It’s not about, you know, just how amazing you are at pickleball. It’s about the community.” Chong Kim is on a journey to play pickleball in all 50 states while sharing the mental health benefits that a pickleball community offers.
What You Can Learn from Watching the Best
Christian Alshon, who was recently featured on the PicklePod, shared a video breaking down five key factors that explain why Ben Johns and Anna Leigh Waters dominate mixed doubles pickleball. We’re going to dive into two of those factors here.
1. Aggressive Poaching
Anna Leigh’s aggressive poaching off Ben’s drives is one of their biggest strengths. Her confidence in cutting across the court creates constant pressure, a tactic rarely seen in mixed doubles from the female player.
Whether you play mixed or gender doubles, what you can adopt from their strategy is understanding that aggression, especially early on in a rally, can force your opponents to make quick decisions that can get them in trouble.
If your partner is good at driving the ball low and to a particular spot, you can sprint to the kitchen as soon as they hit the ball. Sure, you might get yourself into trouble sometimes, but being indecisive will typically cause more problems for the other team.
2. Keeping Opponents Back from the Kitchen
Perhaps the most important factor in playing dominant pickleball is keeping your opponents back at the baseline and preventing them from getting to the kitchen.
Ben and Anna Leigh excel at keeping opponents back. Their deep returns and constant pressure (taking balls out of the air and aiming their shots at their opponent’s feet) ensure their opponents never catch up in the point.
If you only do these two things, you will win a lot of matches:
See the full breakdown of the #1 Mixed Doubles team in the world from Alshon here. Then, catch his episode on PicklePod.
Best $18 You’ll Ever Spend?
Over 100 hours a week. That’s the collective number of hours The Dink team spends playing pickleball per week (it's no surprise we’re obsessed). With that time spent on the courts, we’re all conscious that we’re pretty high risk for sprains, strains, and the occasional dive-gone-wrong.
One thing we’re not risking, though - is a strain on our pockets. Emerge Insurance Services closes the gap on your deductibles for as little as $18 a month. So if you’re injured on the courts, that deductible money goes right back into your pocket.
Get a free quote in seconds based on your pickleball habits, and put your mind at rest while you go beast mode on the courts.
It All Comes Down to MLP Miami
Major League Pickleball ’s final regular season event of the year gets underway tomorrow in Miami. Three playoff spots remain up for grabs, and one team has a chance to play their way into a first-round bye.
Still A Lot of Ball Left for the 5s
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The New Jersey 5s can secure a first-round bye this weekend in Miami. With five matches and 15 points on the table, the 5s can pass the second-place Flash by securing 6 points. Also, they could potentially jump past the Shock into first place by snagging 12 or more points.
Who’s In and Who’s Out
As of now, the last three playoff spots belong to the (4) Texas Ranchers , (5) D.C. Pickleball Team and (6)NY Hustlers. The (7)AZ Drive is best positioned to steal one of those remaining spots.
The Ranchers are frozen at 38 points on the year and have no matches remaining. They are at risk of being passed by the Hustlers, D.C., or Drive, who all have at least five matches left to play. Also in the hunt are the Orlando Squeeze and Carolina Pickleball Club.
The Playoff Bracket
The MLP playoffs will be held over two separate weekends. Each round will be in a best-of-three-matches format. The quarterfinals are set for Nov 1-3 at the United Pickleball Association World Championships in Dallas. The semifinals and finals will be held Nov 22-24 at the USTA National Tennis Center in Orlando, FL.
Find out the remaining schedule for each team on the bubble and read the in-depth predictions on how the top six will shake out at the Premier and Challenger Levels.
Lace Up Like the Pros
Ever wonder what powers a pro on the pickleball court? Meet the shoes making strides alongside top players like Travis Rettenmaier. He doesn’t just wear K-Swiss Global Brands for the brand—he wears it for the performance. The Pickleball Supreme and Express Light models are specifically designed for pickleball, supporting every step you take on the court.
Decked out in vibrant colorways, from the men's electric blue and yellow combo to the women’s striking turquoise and purple, these shoes don’t just perform—they turn heads. And with Travis Rettenmaier's stamp of approval, it’s clear these shoes are built for those who take their pickleball seriously.
Step into a pair of K-Swiss court shoes, and feel the difference quality footwear can make to your game.
The APP Returns to Newport Beach
The Association of Pickleball Players Tour set attendance records at its Newport Beach Open in July. The event was so popular that it was doubled up with another stop in Newport Beach this week.
Chris Haworth is on a Roll
The number one singles player on tour is looking to make it five straight titles. Chris Haworth can bring home his seventh gold of the year with a win in Newport.
The Start of Something New(ell)
Yana Newell won her first APP singles gold two weeks ago in Dallas. Look for her to start a winning streak of her own this weekend.
Find a full preview of the event including predictions from our guy Erik Tice here. You can tune into the Newport Beach Open starting tomorrow at 1 pm ET on APPTV.
APP Collegiate Qualifier
Last weekend, the APP hosted its Midwest Regional Qualifier for the APP U.S. Collegiate Championships. Nine schools made the trip to Chicken N Pickle in St. Louis to compete for a bid to the Championships in March.
Winner: Drury University
Runner-up: University of Wisconsin, Whitewater
Third Place: Purdue University
How Pickleball's 'Bad Boy' is Changing the Narrative
Christian Alshon is the special guest on a new PicklePod. We uncover more details on Alshon's Twitter battle with James Blake, Nick Kyrgios, and the rest of the tennis world.
Alshon shares why tensions have been high between him and the Johns bros at recent PPA events. He also explains his plans for creating content while still competing at the game’s highest level. Watch the new episode here.
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