The legend of Tim 'Nasty' Nelson

PPA pro analyzes 3.0 rec play. MLP's tasty new rebrand.

April 04, 2025

Pickleball and pickles—yeah, we know. The joke’s been made a million times, and honestly, we’re as over it as you are. But this time, it's about actual pickles. In a jar. Delivered to your door.

Thanks to a new multi-year partnership between Major League Pickleball and DoorDash, you could score a free jar of pickles (yes, real pickles) with your order—while supplies last, limited time only, yadda yadda.

The announcement dropped yesterday, featuring a fresh new league name, a slick logo, and some tasty perks for fans on-site.

Here’s what’s in the pickle jar.

In This Issue:

  • ALW chases historic 150th gold

  • PPA pro analyzes recreational match play

  • The legend of Tim “Nasty” Nelson

Let’s get into it.

Our Picks ☝️

🫤 Boo-Hoo: Top Seeds Upset at ‘The Fort’

An APP Major is underway in Fort Lauderdale, and already the top men’s and women’s singles players are out. Who could be next? Our predictions.

🏆 Higher: Get That DUPR Up

In a year of The Dink Minor League Pickleball events, former tennis player Alex Bowers has raised her DUPR from 3.95 to 5.42. Here’s how she did it.

🏃 Run: Pros Put Spin on Classic Game

A group of PPA pros used some downtime to play a classic game, with a twist. Introducing spin the paddle—no kissing, all bodybags.

📺 Spotted: “Somebody at Hulu Loves Us”

The stars of Hulu’s new sitcom, “Mid-Century Modern,” were spotted in a recent episode sporting CRBN paddles—including the new TruFoam. Not too shabby.

Pro Strategy Breakdown—Small Tweaks, Big Results

There’s a reason pros in every sport watch endless hours of game film, both of themselves and their opponents—there’s no more effective teaching tool than witnessing your own mistakes.

But there are positives to take away from a good film sesh, too. To help you on your path of self-discovery, we’ve again enlisted the help of PPA pro Eric Roddy to analyze some 3.0-level recreational game play we came across on Reddit.

What They Did Right: Steal These Moves

Patience, Then Attack—At any level, it’ll often take more than one shot to get your team up to the kitchen. And that’s OK. 📌 Lesson: Don’t rush your 3rd, 5th, or even 7th shots—that’s when mistakes happen.

Keep the Point Alive—Pickleball points are unpredictable, especially at the lower levels. When in doubt, put the ball in play. 📌 Lesson: Make your opponent hit one more shot and good things can happen.

Room to Grow: Fix These ASAP

Off-Ball Positioning—Don’t get caught ball-watching while your teammate is doing all the work. 📌 Lesson: Move up, pinch middle, try a poach—anything to swing the momentum back in your favor.

Concede the Kitchen—Yes, you want to keep your opponents back. But if they’ve earned a trip to the kitchen, let them have it. 📌 Lesson: Bad speedups lose points. Don’t fear a proper dink rally.

If you want a chance for your own match to get a pro review, email us: [email protected]

You’ve Got Game. Your Feet Deserve a Break.

We always talk about what to wear during a match …

But what about when you step off the court? Selkirk’s new Recovery Collection is here to give your feet the “ahhh” they’ve earned.

These aren’t your average slides—lightweight, cushy as hell, and engineered to boost blood flow for faster recovery. (Science-y stuff that feels like clouds.)

Bonus: They come in clean colors like red, black, sandstone, and ozone.

🤔 Newsletter getting clipped? Click ‘view entire message’ or click here to read online

MLP x DoorDash = One Tasty Rebrand

In a development you definitely didn’t see coming, Major League Pickleball has announced a multi-year rebranding partnership with food delivery giant DoorDash.

This collaboration aims to enhance the MLP experience for fans and players alike, bringing a fresh flavor to the rapidly growing sport.​ Pros Anna Bright and Tyson McGuffin were joined by the DudePerfect guys to make the announcement.

No word yet on how long this deal is good for—or how much juice it puts in MLP’s pickle jar—but it seems like a positive sign for the health and future growth of team-based professional pickleball.

It’s not just about the league, either—the rebranding should help sweeten the deal for fans at the events, too:

  • Fresh: MLP uniforms and courts will be emblazoned with the new logo

  • Yum: DashPass members can get a free jar of pickles with code PICKLE

  • Fast: MLP events will now feature special branded areas to collect DoorDash orders

We’re gonna pass on the free pickles—but we’ll let MLP relish their big moment.

Drip for Your Dinks

Your twoey’s crisp. Your fit should be too.

Franklin’s Flex Collection is built for movement, sweat, and style—because nobody wants to play pickleball in stiff gym clothes or that ratty tee from '08.

This gear breathes, stretches, and keeps up when things get heated (on and off the court).

The Legend of Tim ‘Nasty’ Nelson

Tim Nelson is the most disgusting pickleball player you’ve likely never heard of.

Nicknamed the “puppet master,” he was putting opponents on skates a decade ago, hitting Ernes, bodybags, and inside-outs long before they were part of the sport’s everyday vernacular.

He made a living out of making his opponents look silly.

His signature shot, one that still bears his name to this day, was the “Nasty Nelson”—a missile of a serve intended to hit the offside opposing player, resulting in an automatic, debilitating point.

We dug through the archives to look back at the legend that was Tim “Nasty” Nelson—watch the short video here.

All Eyes on Anna Leigh Waters

Anna Leigh Waters is two golds shy of the 150-mark, putting her in rarefied air with the likes of Ben Johns and … nobody else.

This weekend, she could make history as the first female to hit that milestone. But since she bowed out of singles, she’s only got two chances at two wins. Pressure’s on.

Reminder: The PPA Tour is utilizing the hybrid format again this week, with semifinal matches in all five divisions played Saturday.

Additional Headlines:

  • Can Andrei Daescu and Christian Alshon win their fourth gold medal of the year? They’ll likely have to get through Ben Johns and Gabe Tardio to do it.

  • With Anna Leigh out of women’s singles (she’s not a fan of the surface), who will take home gold?

  • Hayden Patriquin rolls into men’s doubles action ranked #3 on the PPA Tour, the highest spot of his career. Is this the weekend he and Staksrud reclaim gold?

  • Jack Sock retired from men’s doubles with an apparent back injury. He’s got three weeks to get right before the season opener of MLP.

Men’s Singles Semifinals
(1) Federico Staksrud vs. (13) Gabe Tardio
(10) Roscoe Bellamy vs. (17) Zane Ford

Women’s Singles Semifinals
(5) Lea Jansen vs. (6) Parris Todd
(2) Kate Fahey vs. (8) Salome Devidze

Mixed Doubles Semifinals
(1) Anna Leigh Waters / Ben Johns vs. (4) Anna Bright / Federico Staksrud
(2) Jorja Johnson / JW Johnson vs. (10) Meghan Dizon / Andrei Daescu

For everything you need to know about the event, including predictions from PPA expert Erik Tice, head here.

Headlines & Quick Hits

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