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The youth invasion. UPA-A unveils certification costs.

October 07, 2024

The youth invasion is here. If you see a 12-year-old in your tournament draw, don’t even think about taking it easy.

Last weekend, the younger generation was snatching up gold medals across the country.

At The Dink Minor Leagues Southwest Regional Showdown in Arizona, a team consisting of 10, 11, and 12-year-olds won the DUPR 12 division and punched their ticket to the National Championships.

Meanwhile, in Tulsa, a team of 12-year-olds won the DUPR 12 division at the Oklahoma Paddle Royale. Have you ever seen a more adorable intimidating podium picture?

Find a local upcoming The Dink Minor League event where you or your kid’s team can get in on the action.

In This Issue:

🎯 Trust the middle dink
💰 Paddle certification pricing released
💪 Fed and Big H still undefeated

Let the kids play.

Our Picks ☝️

🏆 Results: APP Women’s Open raises $25K for Cancer Research

The inaugural APP Women’s Open was hosted over the weekend and helped raise funds for cancer research. CBS Sports broadcasted the championship matches from Columbus, OH on Sunday. Here’s who brought home gold:

Pro Singles: Shannon Pretorius
Pro Doubles: Jill Braverman & Megan Fudge
Split Age: Susannah Barr & Sheri Courter
Senior Pro Singles: Karin Ptaszek-Kochis
Senior Pro Doubles: Angela Simon & Lee Whitwell

💰 Investing: St. Louis Shock named Official MLP Team Partner of The Picklr

The St Louis Shock owners, the Chaifetz Group, struck a partnership with The Picklr late last week. The Picklr will collaborate with the St. Louis Shock on various brand awareness campaigns as part of this investment. Richard and Ross Chaifetz will also join The Picklr’s Board of Directors.

🎥 Video: Dow and Johns agree to skinny singles duel

On Wednesday, Ben Johns had Greg Dow dead to rights in their singles match. To make things more interesting they unofficially agreed to finish the match playing skinny singles.

When You’re in Trouble, Dink Middle

The middle dink is still one of the most underutilized shots in the game. It’s not a flashy move, but it can be extremely effective.

The ball doesn’t cross a paddle
Landing a middle dink is less risky than trying to hit a perfect sideline dink. The middle dink does not cross in front of the opponent, so there is less of a risk of it being attacked out of the air as a volley. As Tanner says, “It doesn’t cross a paddle.”

Your opponent will get too aggressive
When your opponent sees a middle dink, they will likely respond to it by hitting an aggressive shot directed at the sideline.

  • Since they’re already in the middle of the court, there is less room for error on their shot.

  • Their overaggression can lead to a ball that travels out of bounds or is high enough to poke out of the air as a volley. The attempt to create offense can backfire, leading to free points for you.

When you’re in doubt or in trouble, a safe place to land the ball is in the middle. The key is to ensure the ball stays low by hitting it softly and having the peak of the ball’s trajectory on your side of the net.

Don’t be afraid to keep them short in the kitchen to make your opponents move their feet.

Finding the Right Fit

Pickleball's all about quick moves and long rallies, and that's tough on your feet. You need shoes that not only keep up but help you play better. That's where the right features—like solid cushioning, reliable grip, and enough room to breathe—come into play.

Enter K-Swiss with their game-ready kicks like the Pickleball Supreme and Express Light. These shoes are designed to handle everything a pickleball court throws at you. The Supreme is super breathable, perfect for those sweaty sessions, and the Express Light delivers that extra cushioning you need when the game goes on forever. They both offer the stability to make every shot count.

If you're tired of shoes that can't keep pace with your game, check out what K-Swiss has to offer.

UPA-A Releases Certification Costs for 2025

In May of this year, it was announced that the United Pickleball Association of America (UPA-A) would compete against USA Pickleball and serve as the new governing body for UPA events, including paddle regulation.

Initial rumors of UPA-A certification pinned the cost at $100K annually for paddle companies. Recent news from UPA-A outlining the paddle regulation plan for next year dispelled those rumors. Please note that this certification only applies to pro-level UPA events.

  • Provisional Certification—Paddle manufacturers can apply for provisional approval that will last until March 31, 2025. The cost to apply for provisional approval is currently $2,000 but will increase to $3,000 after November 15, 2024.

  • Full Certification—In 2025, the costs will go up. Full certification in the new year will cost $20,000 plus $5,000 for each model and $1,000 per variation. Additionally, MLP/PPA will require a licensing fee for paddle brands competing at the professional level.

The announcement indicates that funds will be used to build out the testing platform, including equipment and staff for on-site and laboratory testing.

What You Need to Know

What amateurs need to pay attention to is the limits set on paddle performance. New standards set by the UPA-A could eventually influence future regulation of the amateur game. The limits set in place for the new paddle performance tests are:

Undefeated and It Feels So Good

One men’s doubles team has a perfect 10-0 record and two PPA titles this year. If you didn’t watch the Virginia Beach Cup over the weekend, then chances are you wouldn’t have been able to guess who it is.

Fed and Big H Mean Business
Federico Staksrud and Hayden Patriquin had an improbable run to their first men’s doubles title back in June. The duo linked up again in Virginia Beach and showed that the first win was no fluke. They topped the Johns Bros 11-9, 6-11, 3-11, 11-8, 11-2 in yesterday’s final.

Momentum Swing
Fed and Big H were two points away from elimination in game 4 of the finals. The Johns won games 2 and 3 and had a 9-3 lead in game 4. Staksrud/Patriquin rallied for three straight points, prompting the Johns to walk to their bench.

PPA Head Referee Don Stanley previously warned both teams that a timeout must be clearly indicated before leaving the court. Since no timeout was called, Stanley enforced a delay of game penalty and subtracted a point from the Johns.

Fed and Big H took advantage of the turmoil and came back to win game four and close the match in game 5.

A Near Double Triple
The men’s doubles loss was the only thing preventing a double-triple for Ben Johns and Anna Leigh Waters. They were dominant again in mixed, and Ben powered through men’s singles without dropping a game.

ALW had one of her closest matches of the year against Brooke Buckner in the singles finals, winning 9-11, 11-9, 11-6. She and Catherine Parenteau left no doubt in their rematch against Anna Bright/Rachel Rohrabacher in the women’s final.

Here is a full recap of the event, including another rule controversy and highlights.

PPA Virginia Beach Cup Results

Every Breath You Take – Lumen’s Watching Out for You

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The secret lies in metabolic flexibility—your body’s ability to efficiently switch between using carbs and fats for fuel. When your metabolism is flexible, you’ll experience better energy, easier weight management, and improved fitness results. Lumen’s tailored guidance helps you achieve this flexibility, leaving fatigue behind.

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When Pickleball Consumes Your Life

Kaitlyn Kerr, aka @pickleballchick, shares her journey from pickleball superfan to MLP team owner. She helped assemble the Las Vegas Night Owls and is now focused on growing something no one can take away from her.

Kaitlyn discusses the gender disparity in sports leadership and shares her plans to help women find a more prominent role in the game. Catch the premiere now!

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