What’s your favorite pickleball slang term?

Is it “shake-n-bake”? “Getting pickled” (losing with zero points)?

What about “body bag” (when your opponent successfully targets your body)? Or one of its supposed derivatives:

• Pedicure: hitting your opponent’s foot

• Manicure: hitting your opponent’s hand

• Full wax: hitting something no one wants to hit…

Leave your favorite in the comments here.

In This Issue:

• Thinking ahead on your thirds

• Pickle on Prime

• What to watch for in PPA’s weekend event

• A state booming for PB

Let’s get into it!

Timing is Everything

You just crushed a serve. The return is on its way back. Time to decide: drop or drive.

If you're still thinking about it, it might be too late.

For a drive, you want to meet the ball early. Catch it on its way up.

The goal is to put pressure on the opponent. Meeting the ball early allows less time for them to get into position at the NVZ. Combine that with pace, and you've limited their ability to get comfortable.

A drop, on the other hand, is not dependent on time. You're not going to catch anyone out of position or on the move with the drop. So take your time.

For the drop, you don't need to rush to the ball. You actually want the ball to slow down to give yourself an easier shot.

Off of the bounce, wait for the ball to reach its apex and start descending. This allows some of the spin from their shot to dissipate and for the ball to slow down.

The drop is all about control. Obviously, a ball that is slow and not spinning is easier to control. Give yourself the advantage by being patient.

The takeaway: start thinking ahead. If you see a ball you can drive, jump on it early. If they hit a solid, deep return, take your time and wait for the ball to descend before attempting the drop.

PCKL’s Pro Series

Long time readers know we're big fans of the Pro Series from PCKL.

In our review earlier this year, we found the paddle’s large sweet spot to be very forgiving, adding an element of consistency to our game.

Plain and simple: if you are looking for a higher-end paddle for a budget-friendly price, this is a great option.

Check out the full review and use code DINK15 to save 15% off sitewide!

PPA on a Major Streaming Network

Amazon Prime members: you can add pro pickleball streaming to your list of benefits.

The sport will stream on Prime for the first time this weekend courtesy of a multiyear agreement between the streaming service and PPA Tour.

The agreement gives Prime Video exclusive global streaming rights to four live PPA Tour events per year, which includes the 2023-24 PPA Tour World Championship Series.

The complete 2023 PPA Tour World Championship Series schedule on Prime Video:

• May 18-21 – Acrytech Atlanta Open presented by Vizzy, Atlanta, 10:00 a.m. EDT – 6:00 p.m. EDT (Daily)

• August 24-27 – Vulcan Kansas City Open, Kansas City, 11:00 a.m. EDT – 7:00 p.m. EDT (Daily)

• October 5-8 – Guaranteed Rate Championships presented by Thorlo, Las Vegas, 1:00 p.m. EDT – 9:00 p.m. EDT (Daily)

• October 12-15 – CIBC (USA vs. World) Boca Raton Open, Boca Raton, 10:00 a.m. EDT – 6:00 p.m. EDT (Daily)

So take a break from Daisy Jones & The Six, The Last of Us, and your 8th rewatch of Game of Thrones. It’s almost time to stream some pickleball!

ATL Open Makes Pickleball History

A full slate of PPA tour stars will adorn the first-ever Amazon Prime broadcast. Ben Johns, Anna Leigh Waters and Tyson McGuffin will all take to the court this week in Atlanta.

The Atlanta Open is the first PPA Major of 2023. Points are doubled and prize money is at an all-time high. It’s an event few players miss and one where most players play all three divisions.

One example is JW Johnson, who will throw his hat back into the singles ring after a couple of months away. He and 90 more of his friends make up the largest men's singles draw to date.

Federico Staksrud made history winning his first PPA title at last year's event. He and Ben Johns are on a collision course for Championship Sunday where they could have their fourth meeting of the year.

Anna Leigh Waters is the favorite in the women's singles field. She finds herself on the same side of draw as Catherine Parenteau. That also means we could see another fiery run-in between Lea Jansen and Salome Devidze in the opposing semi-final.

The mixed doubles field is packed to the gills. Waters and Johns are almost a shoo-in for Sunday, but their potential opponent is a complete unknown.

They could see Anna Bright/James Ignatowich, Riley Newman/Parris Todd, Jessie Irvine/Jay Devilliers or Catherine Parenteau/Tyson McGuffin who all find themselves on one side of the draw.

The on-court opposition won't be the only factor in play. The forecast for the weekend looks like a bathroom remodeling convention, showers everywhere. The rain has already been a factor in the Tour's weekend prep and likely is not done spoiling the fun.

Stay dry this weekend and enjoy a new pickleball milestone with the first Prime broadcast. If you somehow don't have a Prime account, you can try borrowing ours.

Username: [email protected]
Password: ErneK1ng!

Easy, Safe, Fun: Lectric

Forget the hassle of finding parking at pickleball courts.

The XP Lite is a unique eBike with easy maneuverability, a twist grip throttle option, a basket to hold your things, and five levels of pedal assist.

Learn more about this fun transportation option here.

Why Utah?

Utah’s residents Google pickleball more than those of any other state, according to a Selkirk report we covered last year. But why?

A story in Deseret News credits the following as reasons why Utah is so poised for pickleball growth:

• A particularly friendly atmosphere - Surprisingly, this is the first reason the story mentions. I guess people must be really friendly in Utah?

• Age diversity - Utah's median age is 31.8 years, the youngest in the United States and pretty close the average age of pickleball players at 34.8.

• Parents’ proclivity for having kids - "People have a lot of kids. They'll take their kids out, but then there's multigenerational grandparents here,” says Big Dill Pickleball founder & Utah resident Katy Luxem. “It's something you can do as a big group or a big family."

• Warm climate - Those from outside the area may not think of Utah as a warm place, but some parts, like Saint George, only dip into the low 50s during an average winter.

Pickleball participation in Utah increased by 85.7% last year, so they must be doing something right in The Beehive State.

Utah readers: we know you live in a picturesque state. We want to see your most scenic pickleball-in-Utah photo. Reply to this email if you want to send us yours.

Headlines & Quick Hits

• Make a little extra income off of your home court

• ICYMI: Third shot strategies in mixed doubles

• Holding court: How (and where) to play pickleball on the Peninsula

Highlights

• 🗣️Out!

• Crab walk prevails

• How to destroy a paddle

• Just keep swinging

A review from the Dink Fam...