Mahomes, Osaka, Kyrgios invest in pickleball

Pickle goes virtual. ALW debate. APP highlights.

December 14, 2022

Oh baby, we're back to name dropping. In this round, we have two fan favorite tennis stars and the face of the NFL. According to Forbes, Naomi Osaka, Nick Krygios, and Patrick Mahomes will be part of MLP's new ownership group.

Don't fret, in about 5 minutes flat we will:

  • Give you an option for virtual pickleball

  • Recap the '22 APP Tour

  • Start a debate that will last the entire off season

Let's ride!

Two Versions of the Erne

Not all ernes are built the same. Let's take a look at the two most common ernes you see in play.

To differentiate between the two, we've named them the leading and lagging erne based on where your paddle is in the motion. And for simplicity's sake, we will imagine that you're right-handed and playing the left side of the court.

The most common is the lagging erne: you jump over the kitchen and your paddle lags behind to execute a forehand erne. The main benefits of this shot are power and reach.

It requires an early read and commitment from you to get your body in motion before the ball crosses the net. The descent of your jump amplifies the power of the forehand erne.

In contrast, the leading erne is executed as a backhand. The paddle leads in front of the body as you jump over the kitchen.

It is usually a sign that the erne read was late or disguised. There was not enough time or conviction to clear the kitchen and set up a forehand, so you have to settle for the backhand.

The shot is not as powerful but leaves very little reaction time for an opponent. Unlike the lagging erne, there is no sign that you are cooking a leading erne until it is too late. The contact point is very close to the net, providing the opponent with almost no time to recover or prepare for another shot.

It takes time to build the erne into your game, but now that you know what you're looking for, hopefully you can skip ahead of the rest of your class.

Pickleball Wear that Lasts

Think of the last time you found an article of clothing that felt tailor-made for you. Was it made in the USA? Did it last very long?

American Giant wants to help pickleball enthusiasts connect on the court in style by creating a durable and polished collection that’s as inclusive as the sport it’s named for.

Each durable cotton piece is designed to breathe, stretch, and hold up to your hardest-hitting moments on the court. These hoodies, jackets, sweatshirts, sweatpants, shorts & tees make excellent gifts, too!

More Big-Name MLP Investors

What did we say a few days ago about assuming we'd have huge pro scene news every week? This time: exciting investors come to claim another MLP league.

Tennis star Naomi Osaka and Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes are the next big names to invest in Major League Pickleball.

It is unclear how much they invested, but MLP’s recent expansion fees from other deals have ranged between $1 million and $3 million.

Osaka and Mahomes’ new MLP team is also said to be co-owned by tennis star Nick Kyrgios, NBA super-agent Rich Paul, tech billionaire Soichiro Minami, and billionaire Matthew Pritzker.

According to Forbes, Osaka has ranked as the world’s highest-paid female athlete for three straight years.

Naturally, we have more coverage of the news here.

Sensitive Waters: Where Does ALW Rank?

Pickleball is an equalizer. The old can play with the young, the tall/big can play with the short/small, and women can play with men. It's part of why we love it so much.

One of the sport's stars, Anna Leigh Waters, is widely regarded as the most dominant player in pro pickleball. So naturally, one question surfaces in the community ad nauseam: where does ALW rank amongst men and across gendered play?

Now, we recognize that we are wading into some sensitive waters here (pun intended). In addressing the question, one might have flashbacks of when John McEnroe stated that if Serena Williams were to play on the men's circuit, she'd rank somewhere around #700.

For the full piece, check out our full blog here, but we'll summarize below.

Pro Adam Stone: Stone stated that he would place ALW just outside of the top 50 for men's singles and in the 40-60 range for doubles.

Pro James Ignatowich: I've played singles against everybody at the highest level and I've played ALW many times in practice. She isn't going to beat anyone in the top 20, but I think she could rank at around #25. For men's doubles, the 40-50 range.

Pro Rob Nunnery: It's different in women's the game is different. In men's you stay up on the line whereas in women's, firefights tend to stay 3-4 ft off the line. You have more time and you can cover more court back there. If you had two Anna Leigh's vs. two men, what would the outcome be?

But come on, did you really think we'd base this whole piece on the opinions of men!?

Pro Irina Tereschenko: "It's interesting." According to Tereschenko, there are more than a few women who could compete with the top men. ALW's singles ability is comparable to that of Ryan Sherry, who recently took silver at a PPA tournament, defeating the likes of Tyson McGuffin in the process. Doubles is a bit more complex, but probably in the top 30.

"But let's be clear, Anna Leigh is an absolute monster. I love her game, I think she's ridiculous. Big gap between her and the next female. Either way, she is a beast and I love everything about her game." - Adam Stone

Agreed, Adam. 8 triple crowns speaks for itself.

Everything You Need For Pickleball Under One Roof

Rhino Pickleball has paddles, balls and portable nets perfect for players at all levels. It's the best selection of training aids to support player development. Up your game with court markers, cones, and other fitness accessories that take drill work to the next level.

Pickle Enters the Metaverse

No more excuses if you live in a cold climate or too far away from the nearest court. Now, you can play pickleball virtually – as long as you have a VR setup at home.

Playin Pickleball, a virtual reality game now available on Meta’s App Lab, promises players “physics that have been carefully mapped from actual pickleball gameplay” and scoring, rules, and regulations based on the USA Pickleball Association rulebook.

This is a fascinating development for the pickleball-obsessed. But can playing pickleball in VR help you improve actual-play techniques?

Common sense says “no.” But the game may have other applications, such as providing newbies a comfortable platform to learn the rules without the stress of more-experienced players surrounding them. Or making the sport more accessible to those with limited mobility…

…Or simply having a leveled-up, trash-talking Zoom date with your closest pickle friends.

Catch our recap and see a video of gameplay here.

And if you do end up downloading, just be careful where you’re swinging that backhand, ok?

The APP Tour in 2022

In 2022, JW Johnson grew from a top player on tour to THE top player on tour. He won more than 30 gold medals and made fans question if Ben Johns is still the top dog. Spoiler alert: he is.

Anna Bright broke onto the scene in February at the APP Punta Gorda Open. The former California tennis star came in like a wrecking ball and won two gold medals in her debut event. She is now considered by some, including Adam Stone, to be a top three player in women's doubles.

In March, the pickleball world learned another name that will not soon be forgotten: Parris Todd. By May, Todd had found her stride and won three straight singles titles, including the year's flagship event at APP New York City Open.

Oh, that's right, in case you forgot, this year the tour took over the home of the US Open, the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. A three-year deal with the venue means the tour will be back for their Spring Championships in 2023.

This year, numerous tennis converts found their way to the top of the singles podium, including Federico Staksrud, Salome Devidze, James Ignatowich, Hunter Johnson, Julian Arnold and Megan Fudge. The doubles game, however, was controlled by pickleball vets Andrea Koop, Simone Jardim and Dylan Frazier.

The third season of the APP Tour is officially in the books, and as the league preps for a bigger and better 2023, it appears the proverbial rug might have just been pulled from beneath their feet.

Headlines & Quick Hits

Highlights

It’s like Airbnb...but for Pickleball Courts

As if you need another reason to add a homecourt to your backyard, now you can share your court with local players when you aren’t using it.

Swimply allows court owners the chance to rent out homecourts and players the opportunity to reserve a private court for their game.

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