The Dink Newsletter: The End of Sandbagging in Tournaments, Transition Zone Tips, and MLP Team Flavored Soda

Anna Leigh Waters remains undefeated since her break in April.

The?reason for her month-long hiatus? Wisdom teeth removal. Par for a 16-year-old’s proverbial life course.

But unlike most her age, Waters is on track to bring in 7-figures this year. Not exactly?the?traditional high school experience…that and more ALW facts below.

Let's dink in!

Get Comfortable in?the?Mid Court

People refer to?the?space between?the?kitchen and?the?baseline as?no man’s land.

It's definitely not a space we recommend you play from. It is, however, a spot that you're often forced to play from.

It's tough to go baseline-to-NVZ on anything less than a perfect drop. And even when you make it, it is common to be forced off?the?line from aggressive dinks and speedups.

Don't fret if your feet are planted in no man's land.?Zane Navratil's got tips?to help you win from?the?transition zone:

• Drill: Get comfortable playing in transition. Take two steps off?the?line and rally back and forth with your partner.
• On your toes: When retreating, it is easy to get caught on your heels. Zane Navratil recommends staying up on?the?balls of your feet. This will not only help you move side to side, but also add power to your counterattacks.
• Decision making: Chances are they're aiming at your feet. If?the?ball is low, practice resetting into?the?kitchen. If it's high, waist-to-shoulder-height, practice smacking an attack back at your opponent.

Being comfortable in an uncomfortable position comes with experience.

Put more reps in while in no man's land to prolong rallies and win more points.

New Tech will End Sandbagging

Major League Pickleball creator? Steve Kuhn ?joins PicklePod this week. Steve is committed to growing?the?sport of pickleball domestically and internationally.

He unveils new initiatives that will place pickleball in more schools, create more playing opportunities, and end sandbagging once and for all (you hear that, Gary?). Don’t miss an all new episode with pickleball visionary Steve Kuhn .

Watch?here?or listen?here.

Easy, Safe, Fun: Lectric eBikes

Forget?the?hassle of finding parking at pickleball courts.

The?XP Lite is a unique eBike with easy maneuverability, a twist grip throttle option, a basket to hold your things, and five levels of pedal assist.

Learn more about this fun transportation option?here.

ALW Facts

Anna Leigh Waters has likely given more interviews than any other pro pickleball player.

In a recent conversation with?Sports Illustrated, Anna Leigh provided some interesting details on her path to?the?top of?the?game…some we’ve heard before, and some we haven’t.

ALW - Interesting Facts:

• Athletics are in her DNA:?ALW is?the?daughter of pro pickleballer and former University of South Carolina tennis player Leigh and former Gamecocks golfer Stephen. Her grandfather is former Chicago Cubs draft pick, Neil Eichelberger.
• Despite this biological advantage,?Waters wasn’t good at sports as a (younger) child.?“People would go up to my parents and be like, ‘are you sure this is your daughter? She should be really good at sports.’ But I just wasn’t,” she told SI. All that changed once she turned 12.
• ALW?discovered pickleball after evacuating Florida?for Hurricane Irma. She was reportedly skeptical of?the?game her grandfather showed her, but quickly took to it once she realized her tennis skills translated.
• Anna Leigh?won her first national pickleball title at 12?years old.
• She considers?Roger Federer?a role model: “I always wanted to be like him and be #1 in?the?world,” ALW says.

Now she is #1 in?the?world, was?the?first overall pick in Major League Pickleball , and has collected 16 PPA Tour triple crowns all at?the?age of 16. No wonder Sports Illustrated , Forbes and more have bought in to?the?ALW hype.

McGuffin Madness

Tyson McGuffin?was in his element on Championship Sunday…and yuggin’ Miller Lites with?the?crowd following his comeback victory over Connor Garnett .

McGuffin was down 5-10 in game one of?the?final but dug deep to escape with a 12-10 win. There was no stopping McGuffin after?the?comeback and he rolled through game two on his way to gold.

This win came on?the?heels of a loss in mixed doubles. He and?Catherine Parenteau?had an impressive run to reach Sunday but lost in straight games to?Anna Leigh Waters?and? Ben Johns .

As expected, Waters brought home two more titles on?the?day to complete her fourth straight triple crown. She is?the?first player to ever string four together in?the?women's game.

She and Parenteau battled?Etta Wright?and?Irina Tereschenko?in?the?women's doubles final. Wright and Tereschenko turned heads on Saturday upsetting?the?#2 and #3 seeds to reach Championship Sunday.

A rain delay interrupted?the?broadcast yesterday.?The?delay, plus a five-game match in?the?men's final made for an extended day at?the?courts.

The?Johns bros?moved to 8-0 on Championship Sundays with a win over?Riley Newman?and?Matt Wright.?The?brothers put together an awe-inspiring 18 straight unanswered points late in?the?match including an 11-0 pickle in game 4.

The?mountains are calling, and?the? PPA Tour answered. Next stop for?the?tour is Denver, CO starting July 13.

Obsidian from GAMMA Sports

Get ready to elevate your game and withstand?the?heat with?the?new Obsidian paddles from GAMMA Sports Pickleball.

The? GAMMA Sports Obsidian pickleball paddles are available in both 13mm and 16mm core thickness and feature a raw carbon hitting surface for massive spin.

Increase your swing speed and power today by purchasing one on?www.gammasports.com.

Miami Pickleball Club’s Official Beverage

The?sports world is known for some zany sponsorships.

National Football League (NFL) linebacker Ray Lewis promoted?the? Snuggie . Werner is?the?“official ladder” of?the? National Basketball Association (NBA) . And who could forget that most unforgettable of NCAA sporting events:?the?TaxSlayer Bowl?

So when we tell you that Major League Pickleball Miami Pickleball Club announced a partnership with?the?prebiotic soda brand, poppi ...well, that doesn’t seem too shocking, does it?

As?the?team’s first official sponsor, poppi plans to create a special Miami Pickleball Club flavor of its real fruit, low-sugar soda in 2024.

Honestly,?the?thought of a pro pickleball team having a prebiotic soda as its official beverage makes a lot of sense. We can expect more like this from Major League Pickleball teams — consider all?the?owners from different walks of life who will now use their networks to bring sponsors to their team,?the?league, and?the?sport at large.

Let’s keep pickleball weird (and gut-friendly?).

Headlines & Quick Hits

• 12 Airbnbs for pickleball addicts (2023 edition)
• Aberdeen pickleball players?help raise funds?for Dacotah Prairie Museum
• ICYMI:?The?paddle taping guide

Highlight

• Ben’s?experimenting
• Never planned?but always pretty
• Pickleball in?Uganda
• Ben Johns & ALW?talk strategy

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