Introducing: the banana shot

Black Friday pickleball deals.

November 22, 2023

Happy Thanksgiving. Since y’all are clearly pickleball’s biggest fans, we can only presume you’ll surround yourself with at least one other pickleball fan during the holidays.

So here’s a thematic trivia question you can quiz them with while you’re navigating food comas or avoiding Aunt Ethel:

  • Which three states house the most pro pickleball players? Answer below.

And if you’re looking to buy one of those pickle people a gift this year, we’ve assembled a guide to pickleball Black Friday. Enjoy.

In This Issue:
 
🍌 The banana curve
🗺️ Where the pros are from
🎪 Big numbers from Nationals

Let’s get going.

The Banana Shot

Pickleball is already a goofy enough name to turn people away. Thanks to Zane Navratil, you’ll have to explain to your friends that you hit a banana shot while playing pickleball. Yikes.

He peels back the layers on the banana shot in a new video.

The banana shot is used to curve the ball around your opponent and land it into the backcourt behind them.

The shot was made famous in tennis by Rafael Nadal. As paddle technology has advanced to provide more spin, the banana shot has also become a possibility in pickleball.

The banana shot is most commonly used to hit the ball down the line, either for an ATP or passing shot.

Zane recommends three tips to give your ball the banana shape:

  • Make contact with the ball at your side instead of in front

  • Drop the paddle head down so you can curl it around the ball

  • Brush around the outside of the ball to create side spin instead of slice or topspin

Make a stop in the produce section and drop the banana shot into your cart. Not only is it effective but it is one of the most fun shots to hit.

Watch your opponent turn their head to see the ball land in and their dreams crushed in the process. See it in action here.

New Standard in Pickleball

Introducing the Selkirk Pro S1 Pickleball Ball: The Next Generation of Pickleball Ball Technology.

Crafted by Selkirk, a pioneer in paddle innovation, this ball is a game-changer. Its patented design ensures consistent flight and bounce, redefining your playing experience. The Pro S1, made with seamless rotomolding technology, is perfectly round, balanced, and designed for durability.

Its advanced aerodynamic structure with a 38-hole pattern guarantees consistent flight and optimal spin. This ball is not just an equipment upgrade—it's your new partner in achieving peak performance. Backed by a 1-Year No-Crack Warranty, the Pro S1 sets a new standard in pickleball.

Elevate your game with the Pro S1 Pickleball Ball, where innovation meets performance.

Homes of the Pros

A Sport Geographer has released this map depicting hometowns of the PPA Tour’s pro players. (Side note: we have no idea how “Sport Geographer” is a real job).

The map reveals areas which are clearly well-suited to pickleball professionals’ lifestyles. It may not be the most accurate…for example, we know all of the below players are Utahns:

  • Allyce Jones

  • Meghan Sheehan Dizon

  • Chuck Taylor

  • Spencer Smith

  • Etta Wright

  • Tyler Loong

  • Callie Joe Smith

  • Austin Gridley

Florida is the state with the most players (12), followed by Texas (9), California (8), Utah (5) and Missouri (3). Florida and Texas account for half of the players.

California is no surprise. The state contains 12% of the country’s total population, so you’d expect more than one pro to call Cali home. Also, the weather is notoriously fair, and it’s only two states away from pickleball’s home state of Washington.

Utah? This is the state where pickleball is most poised to grow in terms of both interest in and access to the sport. Plus, it’s a regular tour stop on the PPA tour and home to the Tournament of Champions.

Even entry-level pickleball fans could probably guess at Florida leading the pack. Constantly warm, home to several major pickleball companies, and interest teeming in most of the state’s cities…naturally, it ranks the highest.

So that leaves Texas. What’s so special about the Lone Star State? Apart from the usual weather niceties and its (somewhat) centralized location, Texas is home to Dreamland – the outdoor sports complex dedicated to pickleball in Dripping Springs, founded by Steve Kuhn.

Sorry, Northeast. If you do have any pros, they aren’t playing in the upper echelons just yet.

The Cavaliers are National Champs

The DUPR Collegiate National Championships took place last weekend in Georgia. Thirty-six schools from around the nation competed in a Major-League-Pickleball-Style event for scholarship prize money and bragging rights.

Last year’s champs from the University of North Carolina were favorites entering the event alongside the number 1-seeded Utah Tech team. Both teams went undefeated through group play.

Following group play, the top twelve teams entered the playoffs. It was in the semifinals where the scrappy University of Virginia squad upset Utah Tech to advance to the finals.

DUPR Collegiate National Championship Finals
University of North Carolina vs University of Virginia

It took four doubles games and a singles dreambreaker to decide a winner in the finals. Pro player Collin Shick and the Tarheels were first to 20 in the dreambreaker, but could not secure the winning point.

In front of a raucous and divided crowd full of students and supporters, UVA rallied back to win the match 23-21. Congrats to Conor Burns, Eli Mautner, Lauralei Singsank and Alexandra McDonald from UVA.

Save Big on Every PCKL Paddle

Another day, another deal this time coming from PCKL.

For the rest of the week get 25% off every paddle meaning you can grab a PCKL Pro Series 13 and 16 for $120!

And if you're still looking for other deals from them, check out additional discounts PCKL is running on Amazon 👀

Record Numbers at Nationals

The 2023 Nationals wrapped up this month with its fair share of complaints from event-goers. But maybe that was partially due to the sheer volume of visitors at Brookhaven Country Club this year.

The PPA Tour says attendance more than doubled initial projections, with over 50,000 picklers throughout the 7-day event.

More impressive Nationals numbers showing growth for the sport include: 

  • 2.6 million people watched pros compete across 20+ hours of coverage on ESPN, Tennis Channel & PickleballTV

  • Over 3,500 players competed

  • Nearly 7,000 matches played

  • A Guinness World Record-breaking 264 participants made for the most players in a pickleball exhibition match

If organizers are able to learn from the shortcomings of this year’s event and keep growing attendance numbers, Nationals will soon overtake the last Super Bowl’s attendance (67,827).

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