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ALW’s Nadal shot is next-level nasty
MLP 2025 team-by-team predictions. PicklePod explores pickleball lore.
Major League Pickleball is (almost) back, baby. Next weekend, all 16 Premier Level teams will battle it out at the season opener in Orlando, Florida. Anyone who’s anyone in the pickleball world will be there to witness the drama unfold firsthand.
If you’re watching from home, fear not: we put together a team-by-team analysis, some bold predictions, and everything you need to set the stage. Could the Dallas Flash repeat, or is a new contender poised for glory? Read on to find out.
But before all that, it’s the final day for our aches and pains survey. It’ll just take a second, we promise.
Where do you feel the most aches or pain when playing pickleball? |
In This Issue:
Legends from pickleball’s past join the PicklePod
This ALW shot is giving serious Nadal vibes
MLP 2025 season analysis and predictions
Get excited.
Our Picks ☝️
🚨 PSA: Paddle Brands Feeling the Squeeze
CRBN is warning of the potential impacts of the tariffs on China. “As a small, family-run business, the financial impact is very real,” they said, citing rising costs of 145% or more. No changes yet, but paddle prices could be rising …
🏆 Shocker: PPA Points Race Update
If the PPA season ended today, five players would have enough points to qualify for The Finals in all three events: Anna Leigh Waters, Catherine Parenteau, Federico Staksrud, Christian Alshon, and Gabe Tardio. Can someone check on Ben Johns?
🚫 Axed: Florida Parks = Paddle-Free
The Florida House voted unanimously, 115-0, to outlaw the future development of pickleball courts in any of its 175 state parks. Good for nature. Bad for dinks.
🍍 Clean: The Daily Diet of a Pickle God
If you want to play like a pro, you might need to start eating like one. Anna Leigh Waters isn’t slouching between tournaments. In addition to rigorous weight training and drilling sessions, she’s keeping her fuel intake on point, too.
The Nadal-Inspired Shot ALW Swears By
Anytime Anna Leigh Waters wants to give a bunch of free pickleball advice, you know we’re locking in.
In a new video, she discusses a bread-and-butter shot that really got us thinking: On a forehand, instead of following through across your body to the opposite shoulder—follow through up and above your paddle arm.
An exaggerated version of this shot was made famous by Rafael Nadal, where he whips his forehand follow-through up and over his head like a runaway tornado. But the advantages are the same.
In her own words, here’s why ALW loves it — and why you should incorporate it into your own bag of tricks.
✅ “You can get a lot more spin this way.” Improved paddle technology has unlocked a world of new shot options and varieties. ALW uses this one when she wants to put added spin on her shot, as the condensed swing path allows for quicker acceleration through the ball. The resulting action is downright nasty.
✅ “You don’t [always] have time to get to the other side.” The same-side follow-through is a shorter range of motion than carrying your paddle arm all the way across your body. This lets ALW fire off this shot and reload to a ready position super-fast.
✅ “You can stay more balanced.” ALW also favors this shot when she’s in motion or fully on the run—which is common for her explosive style of play. Sometimes, a full, cross-body follow-through can pull or twist your body away from the direction of the shot. Instead, this approach helps keep ALW more square to the action.
The next time you’re watching the pros play, watch for this technique—it’s more common than you might expect at the highest levels.
And for good reason. As ALW puts it: “Any shot that I hit, I’m trying to set up a ball that I can be aggressive on.”
This Fabric Deserves a DUPR Rating
Selkirk’s new Sport-Wik gear might be the most well-rounded player on the court.
It moves with you (thanks, 4-way stretch), keeps you cool (shoutout to the built-in airflow), and dries so fast that you barely notice the sweat.
Oh, it’s also got UV protection, odor control, and it resists wrinkles—so you’re fresh on the court and wherever you end up after.
Honestly, it plays better than some of our rec partners. We’re into it.
🤔 Newsletter getting clipped? Click ‘view entire message’ or click here to read online
On the PicklePod: Stories from Pickleball’s Past
If you’re even mildly obsessed with pickleball history—or just love a good story—you’ll want to drop everything for this week’s PicklePod.
Steve Paranto, aka the guy who literally helped invent the composite paddle, stops by to talk about the gear evolution, how he rewrote the rulebook, and why he thinks pickleball’s identity might be slipping away.
Spoiler: He’s got thoughts on the real origin of the sport—and he’s not buying the dog story.
Joey Farias then jumps in to unleash the legend of Tim Nelson—the most chaotic, misunderstood villain the sport has ever seen. Nasty Nelsons, fake paddle switches, surprise subpoenas—it’s all there.
Also featuring:
Chris Rork of MUEV apparel explains how a Ralph Lauren vet ended up designing high-performance pickleball tees
A developing DUPR identity theft scandal
Finally—A Shoe That Gets Pickleball
You’ve probably heard us talk shoes before—but this one’s worth a closer look.
The XRZ™ by SQAIRZ is the first legit pickleball shoe built for pickleball, not repackaged from tennis leftovers.
You’ll notice it right away: more room in the toe box means better balance and fewer rolled ankles. The grip holds up on slides, pivots, and those awkward shuffle steps we do at the kitchen. And the ‘Sta-Put’ laces? They actually stay tied, which shouldn’t be rare — but somehow is.
It’s not flashy. It just works. And yeah, it’s backed by a 6-month sole warranty.
MLB Front Offices are Obsessed with Pickleball
According to a new feature from ESPN, Major League Baseball isn’t just battling for pennants—it’s battling for pickleball supremacy.
Front offices, coaching staffs, and even umpires are hooked. The Dodgers held a full-on, bet-laden showdown between their assistant GM and Triple-A manager that drew a crowd of 100. The Rangers’ support staff treated pickleball like a good-luck charm during their 2023 title run—checking off a court in every road city. And the Brewers? They built courts at camp and handed out fake org titles like “VP of Pickleball Ops.”
Some teams have resorted to March Madness-style brackets. Others had to cancel their league because it got too competitive.
Players are slowly getting in, but for now, it’s the execs, trainers, and umps leading the charge.
Pickleball isn’t MLB’s sideshow—it’s the offseason main event.
Catch the full story via ESPN.
2025 MLP Team-by-Team Predictions
The season opener for Major League Pickleball is next weekend. That gives you less than a week to brush up on all the storylines before our beloved team-style pro format gets back into full swing.
It’s been a busy off-season. Now that the draft is behind us and all 16 Premier Level teams are locked and loaded, all that’s left is to settle in for the drama.
Will the Dallas Flash defend their title?
Will any of the new teams make a name for themselves?
Will we witness any fallout from the Anna Leigh Waters / Catherine Parenteau split?
Will Ben and Collin Johns find any of their old magic?
And on that topic, is Carolina’s squad really called the Hogs now? (Spoiler: Yes.)
It’s a lot to digest. Thankfully, our pro pickleball expert, Erik Tice, has done all the work for you.
Brush up on some new rules, peep the full 2025 competition schedule, and get a detailed, team-by-team analysis—plus predictions—right here.
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