The pro formula for smarter attacks

ALW triple crowns, sets new record. Watch: 1980s pickleball vs. today.

May 19, 2025

It’s not just big box stores anymore. Pickleball courts are popping up all over the country in underused areas—from a landfill site in Minnesota to a forgotten lot the size of two football fields under the Brooklyn Bridge. And we’re here for it.

In pro news, Anna Leigh Waters did Anna Leigh Waters things in Atlanta, pulling down another triple crown and earning herself a record in the process. Just another day at the office.

All of this, and much more, below.

In This Issue:
— Storylines and results from PPA Tour Atlanta Championships
— MLP champ’s formula for smarter kitchen attacks
— Watch: Pickleball in the 1980s vs. 2025

And we’re off.

Our Picks ☝️

👑 Queen: ALW Triple Crowns in Atlanta

Anna Leigh Waters dominated the field in all three events at the PPA Tour Atlanta Championships, earning her 34th career triple crown. The 18-year-old now has 151 gold medals to her name, with no plans of slowing down.

🗑️ Disputed: Proposed Pickleball Site a Real Dump

The owner of two inactive landfill sites in Minnesota has a grand vision of transforming them into a golf and pickleball oasis. But the local pollution agency fears contaminants could cause problems. Now both sides are throwing trash.

🍺 Rowdy: Can Pro Pickleball Attract More Fans?

How does pro pickleball attract more fans to its events—live music? Beer and food trucks? Zane Navratil says it’s simple: Embrace and amplify the rowdy atmosphere already found in MLP. That and more listener questions from the PicklePod.

🥇 Humbling: Balling at 32 Weeks Pregnant

The Dink Minor League Pickleball was out in force in Miami this weekend, but one player stole the show: At 32 weeks pregnant, Barbara Sabates was balling for team Ready to Drop, Florida heat be damned.

Pro Strategy: The 3-Part Formula for Attacking at the Kitchen

Augie Ge is an MLP champ known for his cerebral approach to the sport. The crafty lefty is a master at decoding when to play it safe and when to get aggressive.

Here, he hits the court with fellow pro Kyle Koszuta to detail their “3-Part Kitchen Formula” for better decision-making when attacking at the kitchen line.

Play smarter, not harder.

1️⃣ No attacks off the bounce. As a rule, any neutral dink that bounces below the top of the net should not be sped up. This is just physics: You’re forced to hit this ball upwards since you’re attacking from a low angle. This should, and will, get pulverized back at your feet.

2️⃣ No attacks out of the air when the ball is below the net. It’s tempting to reach in and flick a speedup out of the air. This, says Ge, is high risk, low reward. You’ll likely pop it up or else be forced to hit it too hard, sending it long and out of play.

3️⃣ Attack any ball out of the air above net level. If a ball comes at you waist-level or above, attack it. Aim for your opponents’ feet and reload your paddle quickly in anticipation of a counter-attack. This is the ball you’ve been waiting for—now take advantage.

The key here is actively thinking through high-probability attacks and using the net cord as your guide. Know when to play defense and when to get aggressive and you’ll find yourself winning more games getting more invites to play at the next level.

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Pickleball Courts Revitalize Forgotten Lot Beneath the Brooklyn Bridge

It’s hard to believe, but a space the size of two football fields has lay dormant and forgotten for more than 15 years beneath the Brooklyn Bridge.

Until now. CityPickle has announced plans to revitalize the space into a year-round public attraction, complete with green space, food trucks, shaded seating areas, and 11 brand-new pickleball courts.

Located in the iconic DUMBO neighborhood—that’s Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass for you out-of-towners—the project will break ground under a three-year lease once final permitting is secured.

“Our goal is to create a public space that improves urban vitality and promotes health, happiness and well-being,” said Co-Founder and Co-CEO of CityPickle Erica Desai.

Watch: Pickleball from the 1980s vs. 2025

Ever wonder how far the game of pickleball has progressed? A popular clip from Reddit compares some play from the late 1980s to 2025, and let’s just say the game has gotten faster. A lot faster.

We dug out the original video, and it’s worth a watch. Six minutes of four shirtless dudes in the middle of the woods putting up some impressive points, especially given the fact that they’re effectively playing with smooth planks of wood.

We’ve come a long way, to be sure. But honestly, we’d happily take any one of these guys as a doubles partner.

Yeah, That’s Pickleball Elbow

You see the pic? That player with the tape on their elbow? Yeah… classic case of what some of us are starting to know all too well — pickleball elbow.

It’s that dull, annoying pain that shows up after one too many games. And while rest is great, who really wants to sit out?

That’s where KT Tape Pro® comes in. Flexible, sweatproof, and super easy to apply. Three steps: anchor the start, stretch the middle, press down the end.

Where it hurts, this stuff helps. Feeling it in the elbow? Shoulder? Knee? You might want to give this a try.

Storylines & Results from the PPA Tour Atlanta Championships

There was something about this weekend’s PPA Tour Atlanta event that just hit different. The intensity was dialed all the way up; come Championship Sunday, you could tell the pros really wanted those trophies.

We broke down all the action in our full event recap, but here are a few highlights:

Anna Leigh Waters Just Wins

ALW completed her 34th career triple crown, winning all three of her events in commanding fashion and eclipsing 150 career gold medals in the process (she currently sits at 151).

This was the first event with new women’s doubles partner Anna Bright. They got the matchup everyone wanted in the finals, facing off against former teammates Rachel Rohrabacher and Catherine Parenteau. But it wasn’t close: The Annas won 11-4, 11-7, 11-3.

CJ Klinger and JW Johnson Taste Gold

The young duo took home their first gold together in men’s doubles, beating the favorites, Ben Johns and Gabe Tardio. In a post-match interview, CJ assured us that this team is just getting started.

This loss spoiled Ben’s bid for his own triple crown—notably, he beat Connor Garnett in a singles final that was full of emotion and drama.

The LifeTime Ball Was Fine

Despite some early rumblings, the debut of the LifeTime LT ball came and went without much fanfare. The consensus seems to be that it plays faster and bounces a bit higher, but nothing these pros can’t handle.

The next PPA event, the Select Medical Orange County Cup, is also at a LifeTime facility, so we’ll see if it plays consistently on the West Coast.

👉 For full event analysis, plus a few other storylines, check out the full recap.

Headlines & Quick Hits

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