Pickleball's newest star: Caitlin Clark

5 drills to improve your power. Dylan Frazier's road to No. 1.

July 08, 2024

Have you reached the point where pickleball dominates every conversation in your life? Seemingly, every time you see a friend, you’re scheduling your next match or encouraging them to give it a try?

You’re not alone.

Patrick Mahomes and Nick Kyrgios met up over the holiday weekend and what was the topic of conversation? You guessed it.

But it doesn’t stop there. WNBA star Caitlin Clark picked up a paddle this weekend too. More on that below.

In This Issue:

🏀 WNBA star has found pickleball
🏎️ Faster paddle means more power
🥇 Dylan Frazier’s journey to No. 1

Back to the grind.

More Paddle Speed = More Power

Is your game missing that powerful punch to put balls away? Are you tired of cycling through paddles and adding layers of lead tape?

Zane Navratil has 5 drills to improve your paddle head speed and increase your power.

  1. The Ball Drop - Balance the ball on top of your paddle around waist height. Pull the paddle away and into a backswing, letting the ball fall to the ground and bounce.
     
    As the ball reaches its apex, swing the paddle forward like you would for a forehand drive. The limited time afforded by the ball bounce forces you to use a compact backswing and move the paddle with speed.
     

  2. The Fast Feed - From the baseline, have a partner side feed six balls in rapid succession. Practice swinging and reloading quickly. The fast pace here keeps the paddle speed high throughout the drill.

     

  3. The Wall Rebound - This may seem simple but quickly turns chaotic after a few shots. Stand seven or eight paces from the wall and try to string together a few volleys. Hit the ball with pace to make sure it returns to you in the air.
     

  4. The Wall Stop - Put your back up against the wall, literally. Have your partner feed you balls and take groundstrokes with the extremely limited backswing. This forces you to get all of your power with forward acceleration instead of a big backswing.
     

  5. The Long Drive - Extend the court. Stand a couple of steps behind the baseline and have your hitting partner do the same. Rally back and forth with the goal of hitting the ball deep in the court or even past the baseline. The extra distance will help build more power into your game.

Add these five drills to your training routine and watch your paddle accelerate like never before.

Selkirk’s Big Summer Blowout

While the sky's last sparklers have fizzled out, Selkirk is keeping the heat on with a big summer blowout that’s too good to keep quiet.

Grab the SLK Omega, now $40 off, ideal for those who thrive on precision and agility. Or, bring the BOOM with the Selkirk Original AMPED, slashed by $30, for players ready to dominate with power on every play.

Don’t let the summer fun end — grab these hot deals and equip yourself with the right paddle and keep the fun going on and off the court. It’s more than just a game, it’s a summer to remember with Selkirk.

The Caitlin Clark Effect Hits Pickleball

There is no bigger name in women’s sports right now than Caitlin Clark. Highlights of Clark draining threes for the Iowa Hawkeyes took over the internet last year.

The two-time National Player of the Year was drafted first overall by the Indiana Fever in April. Since then, she has been leading the WNBA hype train as the game captures new fans.

Over the weekend, Clark extended her range from the basketball court to the pickleball court. Clark headlined a fundraiser pickleball tournament with her teammates from the Fever, a day after recording the first triple-double by a rookie in WNBA history.

As you would expect, Clark’s got game. Catch some of her highlights here.

In case you didn’t know, another WNBA star has already been working her way up the pickleball ranks.

Two-time WNBA champion and last year’s scoring leader Jewell Loyd is a frequent participant in APP events. Loyd brought home gold at the 4.0 level at this year’s Miami Pickleball Open.

Fudge Takes Two at APP Newport Beach

Fudge’s Hard Earned Double Gold
Earning two gold medals was far from easy this weekend in Newport Beach for Megan Fudge. Kate Fahey’s emergence onto the women’s singles scene set up an epic final on Championship Sunday, ending in victory for Fudge with a bizarre scoreline of 22-20, 12-15, 19-17.

Fudge’s second gold was secured in mixed doubles in a new partnership with Jack Munro. The duo had to beat a pair of former champions in the final as well as Fudge’s husband, Ryler DeHeart, earlier in the draw.

Chris Haworth Just Wins
It doesn’t matter where he is playing or on what tour, Chris Haworth is a force to be reckoned with. He is the only player to win men’s singles gold on both the APP Tour and PPA Tour this season. He has won gold in back-to-back weekends, capturing the PPA Orange County Cup last week.

We’re excited to get to speak to Chris as he’s scheduled to join Zane and Thomas on this week’s PicklePod. Reply to this email with any questions you want the guys to ask him during the episode or leave a voicemail for Chris at (512) 200-4299.

First-Time Champions
The weekend was flush with first-time champions. Max Manthou and Erik Lange are teammates on the MLP’s SoCal Hard Eights and have clearly been putting in extra reps together. The hard work paid off with their first gold medal as a duo.

Emily Cederquist won her first APP title alongside Yana Newell in women’s doubles. They were the only thing standing between Fudge and a triple crown.

The APP has one remaining stop this month a NEXT GEN event in St. Louis, July 19-21. Full events resume in August with the Chicago Open.

These cannabis gummies keep selling out in 2023

If you've ever struggled to enjoy cannabis due to the harshness of smoking or vaping, you're not alone. That’s why these new cannabis gummies caught our eye.

Mood is an online dispensary that has invented a “joint within a gummy” that’s extremely potent yet federally-legal. Their gummies are formulated to tap into the human body’s endocannabinoid system.

Although this system was discovered in the 1990’s, farmers and scientists at Mood were among the first to figure out how to tap into it with cannabis gummies. Just 1 of their rapid onset THC gummies can get you feeling right within 5 minutes!

Frazier’s Road to No. 1 in Men’s Doubles

For Dylan Frazier, the path to No. 1 has been a long and hard-fought journey. Despite being only 21 years old, Frazier has already been grinding away at the game for eight years.

What makes Frazier different from most pro players is his racquet sports background. He doesn’t have any. Frazier is the face of a new generation of players whose first exposure to racquet sports is through pickleball.

  • Frazier grew up outside of Columbia, Missouri, and currently attends Mizzou, where he has one semester left

  • He picked up pickleball at age 13 and started playing at the 3.5 level with his mom, Cindy

  • Frazier’s development benefitted from trips to Wichita, Kansas, to train with pros including Pat Smith, Jay Devilliers, Matt Wright and Lucy Kovalova

Frazier and his partner, JW Johnson, have been biding their time behind some of the top men’s doubles teams in the game, including the Johns Brothers. But halfway through 2024, the Frazier/Johnson duo have pushed ahead of the field.

Last week, Frazier became the top-ranked player in Men’s doubles on the PPA Tour. We caught up with Frazier over the holiday weekend and profiled his journey to the top of the sport.

APP Newport Beach Open Results

Headlines & Quick Hits

Highlights

Last Call for the Aloha Pickleball Showdown

👋 Hey Dink Fam, it’s Alina here! Calling out all Austin-based players – we still have some team spots open for the Aloha Pickleball Showdown. If you’re interested in playing, just shoot me an email at [email protected] and I’ll get you in. Looking forward to seeing you on the court!

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