It’s good to be The King. And it’s hard to deny Altaf Merchant’s royal status:

• Gold in the U.S. Open Pickleball Championships, Senior Men’s Doubles

• 16-0 tournament record

• 59-0 match record

Altaf is on track to be best Senior Pro of all time. Shout out to the Mumbai Monster.

In This Issue:
 
🛡️ Protect the line
🏛️ Trouble in DC
🎓 Biggest collegiate tourney yet

Let’s move.

Protect the Line

The kitchen line was added to the game of pickleball to keep players off of the net. It prevents players from smashing volleys and angling insane winners.

Even though you have to stand 7 feet away from the net, it’s still advantageous to take balls out of the air when possible. In a new video, Zane explains how important it is to protect your line with volleys instead of dinks.

He demonstrates a drill to help practice protecting the line and maintaining the most advantageous position on the court:

• Set up a barrier roughly three feet behind the kitchen line

• Stand across the net from your drilling partner

• Your objective is to land a ball in the area between the kitchen line and the barrier on your partner’s court

• Their objective is to intercept the ball with a volley before it can land in that zone

This drill will help you maintain the kitchen line, the most advantageous position on the court. The more time you spend here, the better your odds to win any point.

$1.50 Pickleballs!

Holiday deals are officially here and we're pumped to share the Ball Buster sale from PCKL!

Pretty straight forward here: all of their balls including the PCKL Elite 40 are going for 30% off which means if you grab 100 balls you're paying $1.50 for a ball thats going to last you a LONG time.

Deal won't be around long so take advantage while you can!

Cross Your Fingers for DC

While the DC Pickleball Team is living large, recreational players in the nation’s capital are far less celebratory.

Even though court space is scarce there, just like it is in many of the nation's large cities, District of Columbia officials have decided to restrict pickleball play on any court not lined exclusively for the sport:

That means no more playing on tennis courts with pickleball lines unless otherwise marked. Any pickleball played in the city must take place on dedicated courts ordained by the city – by our count, there are currently only 17 of them (not including privately-held courts, of course).

The Department of Parks & Rec has outlined their reasoning for the restriction here and outlined a list of “legal” places to play.

There's a chance these restrictions will only be temporary. The District's Department of Parks & Recreation have announced a Pickleball Summit to take place today to allow locals the chance to provide their feedback about the future of the sport in town.

Specifically, the Summit aims to "safely [balance] the needs of other sports that are played in the same outdoor spaces..."

Let’s hope that doesn’t turn out to be a bunch of tennis players complaining about courts they only use a few weekends per year.

The End of 2023 is Near

The 2023 pro calendar is rapidly coming to a close. This week is the last traditional PPA Tour event of the year, the Hertz Gold Cup in Daytona, FL.

The tour will also host the PPA Finals at the end of the month in CA, but that event is invitation-only based on 2023 results.

The Gold Cup is the last chance for some players to earn a spot in the finals, and if MLP San Clemente is canceled, could be their last event of the year.

The event will include the majority of top ranked pros in the game, including Ben Johns and Anna Leigh Waters who would both love to cap the season with triple crowns.

• Nationals champion JW Johnson returns to his home state of FL to try to make it back-to-back golds

• In men's doubles, Riley Newman will test his hand with Dekel Bar to try to top the podium before the close of the year

• Daytona is where Catherine Parenteau bested ALW earlier in the year but appears to be skipping the singles grind this week

Catch all of the action on pickleballtv and Amazon Prime starting at 10am ET tomorrow.

Healthy Hydration

Drinking enough water isn’t just about keeping your blood pumping or your body properly hydrated.

You literally need water to stay smart and strong on the court. If you’ve ever asked yourself if you’re drinking enough water, the answer is: probably not.

Click here to find the best water bottle for you. Their bottles keep fluids cool all day, whether you’re practicing with friends or competing for gold.

Biggest Collegiate Tournament in Pickleball History

This weekend is the biggest tournament for collegiate pickleball in the history of the sport.

The 2nd annual DUPR Collegiate Pickleball National Championships takes place Nov 17-19 at Peachtree Corners, Georgia.

Thirty-six schools across the nation will compete. The event features the top 36 universities with over 350 participating players – all battling it out for a $32,000 prize pool.

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill are currently the reigning champions, led by Collin Shick, who we know from the Major League Team Florida Smash.

Speaking of MLP: the tournament is MLP-style, with teams made up of 4-6 players, a combination of 2-3 men and 2-3 women. 

For streaming details & a pool breakdown, check out our blog.

All 3 Elements of the Serve are Broken

Connor Garnett is in studio to cover everything from Nationals in Dallas. The former investment banker made the switch to full-time pickleball in 2023 and it is paying off.

Garnett weighs in on the drop serve discussion and Zane explains why the serve is so difficult to regulate. Connor shares his experience with the progression draw and questions if JW Johnson and Collin Johns swap secrets to benefit the Columbus Sliders. Don’t miss Connor on this all-new episode.

Subscribe to The Dink YouTube to catch the premiere.

Headlines & Quick Hits

• The first ever pickleball paddle with adjustable weight technology

• The go-to backpack line for pickleball players

• Was this the greatest mixed doubles match of all time?

• 3 Drills to improve (and weaponize) your serve

• ICYMI: APP to debut multi-state high school pickleball tournament

Highlights

• It takes A LOT to win a point vs. JW 😅

• The Zane Navratil Serve strikes again

• ATP: good from any sport

• “Hey, we’re looking for a fourth…” 😳

A review from the Dink Fam...