The year of Anna Leigh Waters continues, now with a notable inclusion on TIME Magazine’s new list of the 100 most influential figures in all of sports. Not too shabby.
Speaking of lists, there’s a very different one quietly circulating from within USA Pickleball: it’s more of a naughty list, and three new paddles have just been added for exceeding allowable surface grit limits. Tsk, tsk.
In This Issue:
— The one critical moment of every point
— TIME Magazine honors Anna Leigh
— Zane publicly puts Hayden on blast
Let’s get into it.
Our Picks 👆
🔥 Delisted: USAP Pulls 3 Paddles from Approved List
USA Pickleball has quietly delisted three models from its Approved Paddle List. Brands under the microscope: Proton, Speedup, and Facolos. At the heart of the investigations is excessive surface grit. We’ve got the scoop.
🤝 Feeling Isolated? Zane Navratil Can Help
It’s never a good feeling knowing the other team has pegged you as the weaker player. You’re getting every ball. You start playing tight for fear of messing up. Stop doing that. Flip the script and get aggressive. Zane shows you the way.
💧 Thirst Trap: Your Fave New Water Bottle
Owala just dropped a limited edition of their massively popular water bottle that’s sporting serious pickleball vibes. There are some golf clubs and tennis rackets on there, too, but we won’t hold that against it. Get it before it’s gone.
📏 Vertically Challenged? It’s Not All Bad
You don’t have to be tall to dominate in pickleball. In fact, there are countless highly ranked pros the world would consider “short.” The trick is using it to your advantage. Don’t try to make yourself taller; lean in to getting low and prioritize your footwork.
Should You Stay or Should You Go?
You've served, your opponent has returned, and now you're facing a choice that will either put you in control of the point or leave you scrambling from the baseline.
What you do immediately after your team’s third shot can make or break the entire point. And, spoiler alert, you should never be doing nothing.
Here’s your rapid-fire decision tree to take maximum advantage of one of pickleball’s most consequential moments.
First comes the question: whose ball is it? This isn't something you figure out when the ball bounces. Great players know whose ball it is as soon as it leaves the opponent's paddle. If you're waiting until the ball lands, you're already late.
Second: if it's your ball, what shot are you going to hit? Are you dropping it softly in the middle? Driving it? Lobbing? You need to commit to a shot based on what your opponents are showing you, not what you’re in the mood for.
Third: if it's not your ball, where do you go? When your partner is hitting the third shot, your positioning matters just as much as theirs. You can't just stand there and hope.
The key to all of this is partner communication.
✅ If you hit a successful third shot, one you know is going to bounce and stay below net level, tell your partner “good!” or “yes!” and move up in unison.
✅ If your drop isn’t great, you’ll know right away. It’s your job to communicate “wait!” or “stay!” immediately after contact.
Building a point is one of the most satisfying elements of quality pickleball. That means hitting shots with intention and taking what’s given back in stride. React to what’s in front of you, take ground when you can, and communicate early and often with your partner and you’ll see the court open up in front of you.
The Scientific Way to Find Your Next Paddle
Most paddle decisions come down to YouTube reviews, Reddit threads, and whatever your 4.0 friend swears by.
Then JustPaddles built something backed by science: Paddle Lab.
Every paddle in their inventory gets pulled into the lab and tested under the same conditions – exit velocity, twist weight, balance point, and more. Because when every paddle goes through the same test, the numbers do the talking, not the reviewer.
Looking for the highest spin in your price range? Lowest swing weight? It's all there.
No guessing. No vibes. Just data.
TIME Magazine Honors Anna Leigh Waters
It’s Anna Leigh Waters’ world. We’re all just living in it.
In a year positively bursting with milestones — career PPA medals and triple crowns; ESPY and Sports Illustrated swimsuit party appearances; a lucrative, long-term paddle deal; and did we mention becoming Nike’s first-ever sponsored pickleball athlete? — Anna Leigh Waters has added another major accomplishment to her already ridiculous resume.
TIME Magazine just published its inaugural list of the 100 most influential people in sports, a venerable who's who of exceptional athletes, coaches, executives, and more.
Broken into four categories – Icons, Titans, Innovators, and Leaders – it honors such figures as LeBron James, Lionel Messi, Caitlin Clark, Lindsey Vonn, IShow Speed, and Alex Honnold.
In the "Innovators" category is a name unfamiliar to many TIME readers, we suspect, but sacred to pickleball fans: Anna Leigh Waters.
“As pickleball popularity has soared since the COVID pandemic, and the sport has become a ubiquitous presence in communities across the United States,” her description reads, “one player has set a standard of excellence.”
We’re just happy we’re here to witness it.
MLP Austin: Who’s Playing This Week?
It’s dizzying to imagine, but we’re already on the eve of Major League Pickleball’s fourth event of the season.
MLP Austin takes place at the Austin Pickle Ranch, largely considered one of the nicest indoor facilities in the country. The pros are playing on outdoor courts, which were built last year for this event.
Here’s who is taking the court for a chance to compete in Super Sunday and earn the coveted 25 standings points for the winner.
Group A: California Black Bears, Carolina Hogs, Columbus Sliders, Miami Pickleball Club, and SoCal Hard Eights
Group B: Atlanta Bouncers, Bay Area Breakers, Dallas Flash, Florida Smash, New Jersey 5s, and Texas Ranchers
We’re going to shoot you straight here: If Sunday’s final is anything but Columbus vs. New Jersey, we’ll eat a pickleball paddle.
➡️ For more on how to watch, match schedules, and full team rosters, head here.
Gravité Cologne for Men: Confidence in a Bottle
No gimmicks, no fluff. Just a great scent. Gravité Men's Cologne by Particle blends citrus, amber, and rosemary for a formula that lasts all day and stands out without overpowering. Fresh yet masculine — the Father's Day gift he'll actually reach for every morning. Get 20% off with code BH20!
Zane Publicly Called Out Hayden, Then This Happened
Last week, OG pro and PicklePod co-host Zane Navratil put Hayden Patriquin on blast in a YouTube video, specifically calling out what he felt was a lackluster performance from the young St. Louis Shock superstar at MLP Columbus.
“He texted me,” Zane told fellow co-host Nico the Lefty on this week’s episode.
Big H’s response?
“Good post. I needed some [expletive] fire. I will show you [expletive] ball this week.”
We’ll let you fill in the blanks there. But Hayden’s actions did all the talking at MLP St. Louis — he went 10-0 as the Shock swept the entire event.
➡️ Watch this exchange and so much more on this week’s PicklePod.
Headlines & Quick Hits
Add Progressive Serve Power with These 7 Simple Steps
Graphic: Updated Rosters for All 20 MLP Teams
10 Stretches for Better All-Court Movement
Highlights
Best hands in the business
Top 5 shots: MLP St. Louis
Absolute chaos out there
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