Your favorite actor just bought a pickleball team

UT Longhorns takeover the pickleball courts. Eliminate your chicken wing weakness.

July 26, 2024

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Today is the opening ceremony for the 2024 Olympics in Paris. There are a few new competitions making debuts this Olympiad:

  • Breaking

  • Kayak cross

  • Marathon race walk mixed relay

  • Artistic swimming - men’s division

All of which sound like a snoozefest to watch. At least trips to and from the swim-up bar can be classified as Olympic training.

Pickleball still sits squarely outside of the Olympic picture. But more progress was made yesterday, as Pickleball World Rankings announced the Pickleball World Series, marking a new level of international growth in the sport.

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In This Issue:

🍗 Chicken wings are no longer on the menu
🎥 Vince Vaughn takes majority stake in pickleball team
🏈 University of Texas trades pads for paddles in the preseason

Let the games begin.

Never Get Chicken Winged Again

Keep chicken wings on your plate

A chicken wing in pickleball is when the ball is hit to your forehand side, but instead of taking it with your forehand, you lift your elbow up really high and hit a backhand.

Here's an image from Pro Zane Navratil’s video to help you picture it:

Elbow-high backhands lead to weak replies

While this allows you to get to the ball with the paddle, these shots should typically be avoided because they are often weaker than forehands and can be harder to control.

They also give your opponent a spot to aim for the rest of the game.

Here's how to avoid hitting chicken wings.

Keep your paddle neutral

Most players who hit chicken wing shots sit backhand too much while at the kitchen line. The back of their paddle face is completely open to their opponent (top of the image below), reducing the chance of them turning it to their forehand during a quick exchange.

Instead, players should sit more neutral or lean slightly backhand (bottom of image).

top is extreme backhand; bottom is neutral/slightly backhand

With this ready position, you can turn to your forehand more easily and avoid lifting your elbow in a chicken wing position.

Slide then hit

Another way to avoid being chicken-winged is to slide your body to the left (if you're right-handed) or right (if you're left-handed) as you open your forehand to hit the ball.

If your opponent has shown a propensity to attack your forehand side, sliding while keeping your paddle in the hitting zone can help you counterattack more effectively.

Shift your weight

The final tip from Zane is to shift instead of slide. In this technique, you keep your feet in the same position but shift your weight to the opposite side of your forehand.

Hips turn, feet stay to open the forehand

This can be helpful if you don't want to commit to sliding completely or if your reaction just isn't fast enough to move your entire body. To work on shifting, practice hands battles while keeping your feet glued to the floor and focusing only on turning your hips and shifting your weight.

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Vince Vaughn’s New Executive Role

Your favorite Wedding Crasher, Dodgeballer, and Swinger is now your favorite pickleballer. A member of the Hollywood comedy elite — Vince Vaughn — just purchased a pickleball team.

News broke yesterday that Vaughn has acquired a majority stake in the Coachella Valley Scorpions. The Scorpions are an expansion team in the professional league for players aged 50 and over — the National Pickleball League.

Vaughn shared the courts with pro player and Scorpions owner Kim Jagd and had this to say: “I have always enjoyed the game and in meeting Kim I was impressed with her, not only as a player, but her passion and style of coaching. I’m excited to support her and the Scorpions on their journey.”

Vaughn is a significant addition to the ownership of the league, both in terms of financing and credibility. Will he bring friends like Owen Wilson, Jon Favreau, and Will Ferrell into the mix as well?

If a pickleball movie ever hits the big screen, you have to hope it’s in the hands of the new owner of the Scorpions.

Horns Up for Pickleball

@TexasFootball via X

Football season is right around the corner. We’re about one month from the first tailgate, touchdown, and two-point conversion of the 2024 season.

The football team at the University of Texas is gearing up for the season with a little team building. They skipped the pads and went straight for paddles to do a little dinking at the Austin Pickle Ranch.

The UT roster isn’t your average college roster this year. Heisman hopeful quarterback Quinn Ewers is an avid pickleball player. His partner on the depth chart is from the legendary Manning quarterback lineage — Arch Manning (above) — who also got in a little preseason paddle work.

Also joining the Longhorns on the court was football influencer Donald De La Haye — aka @deestroying — who you might recognize from a Mr. Beast or Paul Brothers video (ask your kids).

Every fall the question comes up: is Texas football back? We’ll wait and see, but the Longhorns are certainly prepping for the season and building team chemistry by playing a great sport.

Get To Know Your Shoes

Now that we’ve highlighted the need for true pickleball court shoes, let’s introduce a brand that really gets the game — K-Swiss.

Say hello to the Pickleball Supreme and Express Light Pickleball models. The Pickleball Supreme is perfect for competitive players who need stability and power for dynamic movements. Meanwhile, the Express Light Pickleball shoe is all about lightweight responsiveness and comfort, ideal for players who value speed and agility.

And style hasn’t been overlooked — K-Swiss ensures you’ll look as good as you play. The men’s versions are available in a striking electric blue and yellow, while the women’s models dazzle in vibrant turquoise and purple.

Lace up a pair of K-Swiss pickleball shoes and see how they can transform your game.

Parity on Display at MLP Salt Lake City

Critics have said that professional pickleball needs more parity. Well, Major League Pickleball is delivering. There were six Premier Level matches yesterday and four teams ended the day with a 1-1 record.

  • The Dallas Flash got revenge against the New Jersey 5s with a 3-1 win, then fell flat against the LA Mad Drops, losing 4-0

  •  The 5s were fired up after their first loss of the year and took it out on the Columbus Sliders. Watch Anna Leigh Waters go for broke with a bodybag on Jay Devilliers (don’t try this at home)

  • The Mad Drops — still without Thomas Wilson, lost to the AZ Drive to start the day before sweeping the Flash

  • The Orlando Squeeze won the first match of the event against Columbus but also fell to the AZ Drive later in the day

Andrei Daescu made his triumphant return to the AZ Drive and led them to a 2-0 day. The new Sliders roster was unable to put together a win in their first outing together.

The weekend continues with 24 more Premier Level matches still on the docket. Keep an eye out for national broadcast windows on Fox Sports and ESPN2.

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