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Before pickleball, Anna Leigh Waters dominated the soccer field. But how good was she, really?

We watched hours of footage and talked to her old coach (himself a former pro). Turns out, she had all the makings of a generational talent before a paddle sport pulled her off the pitch for good.

So, did pickleball rob the soccer world of the next Mia Hamm? Find out below.

In This Issue:
— One drill for faster forehand counters
— The paddle brand consolidation rolls on
— Lab tested: 5 ultimate all-court paddles

You don’t want to miss this.

The New Jersey 5s will look a little different at this week’s Mid-Season Tournament thanks to a brand partnership with Michigan-born Kellogg and their iconic Raisin Bran cereal. 1-2-3-4-FIIIIBER!

Today marks the beginning of the pro pickleball event any true fan has had circled on their calendar: the MLP Mid-Season Tournament. All 20 teams compete, plus four new ones, for a chance at the crown. The best matchups all season, guaranteed.

There’s a lot of pickleball content on the internet. But when a top pro gives on-court pointers for her signature shot, we tend to stop scrolling and lock in. Parris Todd’s two-handed backhand counter is poetry in motion. Here’s how she pulls it off — and you can, too.

Teenage sensation Kiora Kunimoto is on the move in MLP as part of a four-player deal that sent her and James Delgado to the Bay Area Breakers while the California Black Bears receive Pablo Tellez, Mya Bui, and some cash money.

Elliott Schupp started as a 2.5 amateur not too long ago and now sits at a 6.1 DUPR with an APP silver medal under his belt and a bright future ahead of him.

It’s also rumored he’s got some of the fastest hands in all of pro pickleball.

Along with pro and coach Cam Luhring, he walks through the exact progression he used to get there: a four-step forehand counter drill you can run today, plus the wall routine Schupp credits for his reaction speed.

Grab a buddy and some balls. You’re both at the kitchen line while your partner feeds you. Run this until it feels like overkill. Then run it back some more.

Make sure your partner is moving the feeds around so you’re forced to anticipate rather than simply react. Remember: fast hands are just as much about active feet.

Don’t have access to a court? No sweat. Elliott shares his favorite fast-hands wall drill too.

➡️ See it all in action.

Here's a thing most players never question: the "sweet spot" isn't the middle of your paddle.

On a lot of paddles, dead center is actually a hot spot: catch a reset or a dink there and it jumps on you.

The good zone is a thin ring around the very center. Miss the ring, and the ball sails or dies.

FLiK built the F3 to widen that ring. Its three foam densities across the face mean the ball comes off about the same whether you catch it clean or not.

With the F3, the good zone stops being a small target you have to hit and starts being most of the paddle.

Less guessing. More shots land where you meant them.

Play the F3 and spot the difference.

How good was Anna Leigh Waters as a soccer player? It's a common discussion on the PicklePod podcast, and across the pickleball zeitgeist. 

“When I write this story, people are going to read it and think you're embellishing or exaggerating. What would you say to those people?” I asked Clem McAuley, retired professional soccer player and Anna Leigh Waters' former coach.

“I'm so glad you brought up that it would be easy to think I'm embellishing,” he said with a chuckle.

“I played professionally in Ireland. I've played with and coached and been around top-class players...what you see on the pickleball court is exactly what she was like on the soccer field," McAuley told us. "Within 6 months, she could be getting tryouts for the top pro teams in America. And then she would be on the women's national team within two years. Without a shadow of a doubt.” 

Initially I assumed that was hyperbole; the most you could honestly claim was that the face of pickleball had once been a pretty good soccer player. I was wrong. We dug into her stats, consulted her coaches, spoke to her family, and scoured the internet for highlights (spoiler: there's a lot of them).

She tallied 2+ points per game against girls a year older. She landed a roster spot on the older boys team, too. She was scouted and recruited by top youth teams, college programs, and pro clubs in both Europe and the US. Her coach, a former pro, regards her as the top prospect he's ever seen; the best youth soccer player there was, and maybe... just maybe, still could be.

But don't take it from me. You be the judge. Check out the full story below, complete with our full video interview with her coach, and then come back to this email, hit reply, and tell me if I'm full of it, or if pickleball robbed us of the next Mia Hamm.

➡️ Read the full story.

The great paddle brand consolidation steadily rolls along.

Weeks after Selkirk brought Bread & Butter into the family business, news has broken that another OG paddle brand is growing its portfolio – and its talent roster.

Paddletek has acquired PIKKL and signed JW Johnson, Jorja Johnson, Julie Johnson, and Hurricane Tyra Black in the process.

Tyra has been a PIKKL-sponsored pro for years. Jorja and JW were with Franklin, but have been spotted testing several different models over the past months after that relationship ran its course, including PIKKL.

All signs seem to point toward the three pros using PIKKL paddles going forward, rather than switching over to Paddletek models.

But hey, it’s all in the family now.

"This was never about logos or contracts," said JW. "I've tested every paddle, and this opportunity gives us access to incredible technology while becoming part of a brand focused on winning."

Paddletek has built up an impressive pro roster over the past months, with names like Zane Navratil, Max Freeman, Connor Garnett, and Riley Newman joining their marquee star in Christian Alshon.

➡️ Get the full scoop.

ALW has a new signature bag. Franklin built it with her, not just for her.

The details are what make it: insulated cooler pocket, dedicated ball compartment, and organized sections for paddles, shoes, and apparel. Plus, a convertible carry system that quickly switches from backpack to duffle.

It's the bag she uses on tour. Shipping now.

Make it yours today.

All-court is all the rage right now.

The power phase was fun. But more and more, rec players are discovering that feel trumps firepower nine times out of 10 (so are pros, for that matter). The game is just more fun when you're not blasting every shot 10 feet past the opposing baseline.

Performance and feel are subjective, of course. That’s why we had our friends at the Paddle Lab crunch the numbers across the 500+ paddles in their database, focusing on a few key metrics: below average swing weights, above average twist weights, and an exit velocity calibrated between 38 and 42 mph.

Here’s what came out on top:

This is far from an exhaustive list, of course, but these five paddles represent a sweet-spot in performance for anyone looking for the best of all worlds.

Take a closer look, and be sure to try code THEDINK for a possible discount at checkout.

➡️ Ultimate All-Court

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