Foxx vs Fitzgerald Amazon Wants to Know

Amazon is playing the role of Don King in a budding pickleball rivalry between Larry Fitzgerald and Jamie Foxx. What started as playful social media banter quickly escalated...

Amazon is throwing fuel on the 'flame' via Twitter and, hmm, don't they have some place where they show live sports? Oh, yeah, that's right: the NFL's Thursday Night Football on Amazon Prime.

Celebrity pickleball sounds like an appropriate addition to the platform. Speaking of streaming, big news (well, big rumors, at least) out of APP who are inking what we hear is the biggest broadcast deal in pickleball history. 

Remember: paddles up, even at the dinner table. You never know when you'll need to reset an awkward question from Aunt Judy.

 Happy early Thanksgiving Dink Fam.

APP Next Gen Kansas City Results

Variety is the Spice of Life

Not everyone can pack the same power into a serve as 6'3 former tennis pro, Dekel Bar. But what almost everyone can do is mix it up. 

Greg Maddux didn't win 4 Cy Young awards throwing straight fastballs. It was the variety of pitches and command of the strike zone that set him apart. Is there a pickleball equivalent? We think so: 

A) Fastball - Deep and to your opponent's backhand. This is where the majority of serves should probably live. Push them back off the baseline and make it difficult to return. Let us reiterate, target their backhand if you can.

B) Curveball - This is a good chance to let the topspin shine. Put a little loft on this one and let it dip into the back corner. Depth is key: delay their journey to the NVZ and take the pressure off your third shot. Enough topspin will cause the ball to skip, and hopefully cause an error. 

C) Changeup - After they back off the baseline to deal with the fastball and curveball, hit them with the changeup: low, soft, and just barely past the kitchen line. Sure, this brings them up in the court, but in rec play it can lead to return errors.

D) Slider - Every once in a while it's nice to mix in the slide piece. Dot the low, outside corner of the strike zone (service box) and their head will spin faster than the ball itself. The benefit here is even if they return the serve it will be a struggle for them to get back in position to cover a third-shot drive.

Bonus: Eephus - The lob serve. It's a great change of pace serve. The floating ball affords the returner time to think, which can surprisingly cause them to go for too much on a return. They might try to hit a perfect return that results in a net ball, or one that sails deep.

In the end, simply being unpredictable can have tremendous upside in pickleball. If your opponent is comfortable, you're handing them the W. 

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The Most Pickle-Curious States

Here in the US, it’s only a matter of time until pickleball fans start exhibiting what most sports inspire in their fans: regional pride. In the meantime, there are certain states whose residents' curiosity surrounding the sport make them prime targets for conversion.

Selkirk recently trawled the depths of Google Trends to find out which states google pickleball the most based on search terms like “pickleball,” “pickleball rules,” etc.

One of the most surprising results from their research is that California, the most populous state, didn’t even crack the top 10.

Meanwhile, Arizona, Colorado, and, of course, Florida all made the top 5. 

Want to know which state came in first? Find out here.

APP Next Gen Kansas City

Last weekend was loaded with two pro pickleball events and the first ever DUPR Collegiate National Championships. Lest we forget the rising young stars of the APP Next Gen Series. Shout out to Referee Chris of the Dink Fam for requesting the coverage.

Seventeen-year-old Alix Truong was the star of the show. She swept the women's divisions to complete a triple crown. Partnered with Riley Bohnert and Jayden Broderick, Truong racked up 900 points and earned the top prize of $2,500.

Over on the men's side, Spencer Lanier clinched the top spot with a gold medal run in singles. Lanier collected a silver in men's doubles with Broderick and silver in mixed with Bohnert. The gold medal finish on Sunday landed Lanier 60 points ahead of the second place finisher Kaden Seward.

Seward was the men's doubles champion alongside partner Eli Bertram. These young pros will be breaking into the pro ranks before you know it. Just like we have seen throughout the country, pickleball is pulling a Benjamin Button and only getting younger over time.

The Bag Built For You

The modular bag system from Cancha Bags is designed by professional tennis player, Jack Oswald. It meets all the needs of your daily game and is the perfect bag for travel. The Cancha Paddle Bag Mini is durable, customizable, weather-proof and just the right size for pickleball gear. Get yours today.

Honoring Pickleball Legends

The Pickleball Hall of Fame honored four inductees on November 10th. Let’s take a moment to appreciate the accomplishments of the following community members.

In the competitor category:Pat Kane - A dominant player from 1991-2019, Pat amassed over 288 medals and awards, including 15 Nationals titles. Pat was also one of the original USAPA Rules Committee members.

Larry Moon - Larry is a 16-time Nationals Champion, earning the triple crown titles in 2016 & 2017. 

Wes Gabrielsen - Wes won 11 USAPA National titles since 2011 and is a founding member of the International Pickleball Teaching Professional Association.

In the contributor category: Norm Davis - Norm was a charter member of the USAPA board and accomplished lots in his 10 years with them, including a template for teaching pickleball in public schools, initiating the USAPA Grant Program, and establishing standards that govern paddle and ball performance.

Congrats to this legendary four!

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