One line call can ruin your weekend. We’ve seen countless examples where players dispute a call and it ends in a screaming match. This week a top 5 tennis player’s reaction to a line call cost him a match and some serious prize money.

We want to know.

In This Issue:

🤝 Learn to work with your teammate
🎾 Demoted to pickleball
💪 A Guinness World Record attempt

Let’s ride.

Anticipate Your Partner's 3rd Shot

Chemistry plays a major part in the success of a doubles team. Two less-skilled players who work together can beat two highly-skilled players who don’t mesh on the court.

There are plenty of things you can do to help build chemistry with another player. Selkirk Pro Athena Trouillot lays out simple tips to improve teamwork in a new video.

The video revolves around the third shot and how partners decide how to advance in the court.

Where to Stand

Athena recommends the partner not hitting the third shot stand slightly ahead - as in closer to the net - than the player hitting the third. Since the player hitting the third will have the first judgment on the shot’s quality, the forward court position allows the partners to advance together on a good drop.

Of course, if that drop is no bueno, it’s important to retreat back and prepare to play defense. Athena explains “You have to be able to make adjustments based on the shot your partner hits with their third.”

Partner Communication

Don’t be afraid to call your shot. You should be the first one on the court to know if your third is good or just average. So tell your partner. Say ‘Good’ or ‘Go’ and ‘Watch’ or ‘High’ on a bad one.

The more time they have to react, the better. You can move forward or back in the court to be best prepared for the next shot.

Body Langauge

Body language is another way to read your partner. Learn more on what to look for while your partner is hitting a third.

A True World Series

The game we all love is taking a monumental leap onto the global stage with the launch of the Pickleball World Series.

Spearheaded by the collaborative genius of Times Group and Pickleball Asia, this groundbreaking series promises to captivate with six major events spanning continents, beginning right in the United States.

The Pickleball World Series will feature an elite lineup of 64 individual players and six teams, showcasing exceptional talent from the U.S. and across the globe. Not only will $500,000 to $1,000,000 be up for grabs at each event, but participating players will also receive an appearance fee and enjoy complimentary travel and accommodations.

Dive into the details and see how you can take your game to the international stage at www.thepickleballworldseries.com

Demoted to Pickleball

Shots were fired at pickleball over the weekend in the wake of a player disqualification at the Dubai Duty-Free Tennis Championships.

The semifinal match between Andrey Rublev and Alexander Bublik was cut short following a disputed line call. Rublev let loose on the linesman that called his forehand out.

After a translator was brought in to clarify what was said, officials made the call to disqualify Rublev for his language during the outburst. It was a decision that was met with pushback from pros and prompted Reilly Opelka’s shot at pickle.

If only Opelka knew what it takes to be a ref in America’s fastest-growing sport. He wouldn’t dare question the likes of Courtney Johnson and Andy Jones.

Not to mention Don Stanley, who dared to call a line violation on Globo Gym’s White Goodman at the end of the American Dodgeball Association of America Championship Match.

We’re not going to sit here and let pickleball referees be disrespected like that. Certified referees are the unsung heroes who have helped competitive pickleball grow to new heights.

Thousands of volunteer hours have been logged throughout the country. Refs stand professionally next to an amateur court as 3.0s argue and complain over an obvious kitchen fault.

Without them, the medal around your neck doesn’t mean much. Remember to thank your refs and if they said you stepped on the line, you probably did.

25 Hours, 23 Minutes and 52 Seconds

A Guinness World Record hangs in the balance for four Montana pickleball players. Last month they set out to claim the world record for the longest continuous game of pickleball.

Dory Lerew, Dave Cook, Joe Fraser and Mike Nys were inspired after seeing a video online where players were attempting a similar feat in Spain. They reached out to Guinness to seek approval for a record attempt of their own.

Two weeks later, they had a list of stipulations from Guinness and a suggested goal of 24 hours of play to set the record. Stipulations included:

• A continuous video of the full play time

• Two witnesses at all times who could only work in four-hour shifts

• An umpire with some “pickleball cred”

• A 5-minute break was allotted every hour

After an exhausting 120 games, 27 hours, 5 minutes and 32 seconds the group finally called it quits. The official record sent in to Guinness, which factored in break time, was 25 hours, 23 minutes and 52 seconds.

Guinness now has to review the footage, photos, and accounts of the day to validate the attempt. It could take three months before they decide if they’ll award an official World Record.

Dory Lerew was quoted “I hope we can make the record and I hope nobody beats us before they go to print with the next book.”

Special Delivery for Pickleball Players

Do you wish someone would send a box full of pickleball gear to your house every three months?

If only they’d curate some of the newest and best products on the market, pack them together, and send them to my door. Well, look no further. Pickleball’s #1 subscription box is here.

Sign up for The Essentials Box or The Pro Box and receive a ton of pickleball gear for nearly half the price. Don’t miss the spring boxes shipping soon!

Nothing Like Minnesota in March

Two years ago the PPA Tour added the Minnesota stop to their calendar. The decision is still somewhat puzzling because rarely does a trip to Minnesota at this time of year sound appealing.

Due to weather conditions and some players’ hatred for playing indoors, this tournament tends to have some big names missing like Ben Johns and Anna Leigh Waters.

This can be viewed as a good thing as new players get a chance to shine. With three of the top teams missing in men’s doubles, the field is wide open. Jack Sock will partner with Julian Arnold for the first time and could lock up gold.

On last week’s PicklePod, Collin Johns announced he would be a late fill-in for James Ignatowich at the event. Johns will partner with Matt Wright in men’s and Anna Bright in mixed.

No ALW and Catherine Parenteau in women’s doubles frees up the podium. Look for Anna Bright/Rachel Rohrabacher or Lucy Kovalova/Callie Smith to slide into that top spot.

Headlines & Quick Hits

• It's your turn to TOUR

• Collin Johns Talks the Vulcan Ball, Growing Up With His Brother and More on the PicklePod

• Pickleball Tournaments: What to Expect and How to Prepare

• ICYMI: The Case for the Middle Dink

Highlights

• Sheila with all the smoke 💨

• The guy that carries $2k of paddles in his bag 💰

• The infamous nut shot 🥜

A review from the Dink Fam...