Waters Makes it 7 on the Year

A Wrap on 2022. Eliminate this shot. Shuttered retail good for pickle.

Call your agent. Get Jerry Maguire on the horn. Today is the last day to register for the Major League Pickleball draft.

Both PPA and APP tours put a bow on their 2022 season yesterday. The only pro event remaining this year is the PPA Team Championships in Las Vegas.

Let's take a look at how it all ended.

PPA Hertz National Championships Results

APP Mesa Open Results

Say No to Dinks Down the Line

Some things in life just aren't worth the risk. For most rec players, hitting a dink down the line is one of them.

Dayne Gingrich describes the perils of the down-the-line dink: "When hitting this dink, there are so many factors that play against us - it’s two inches higher over that part of the net, we have a much smaller landing area, and the Erne comes into play."

First, the net is two inches higher on the sidelines than it is mid-court. This means your dink has to be two inches higher to just clear the net.

Second, there is less kitchen space to work with on the other side of the net. The kitchen is 20ft. wide but only 7ft. deep. If you dink down the line, your window for the ball to land safely is small. That grows dramatically if you redirect to the middle or cross-court.

Finally, the down-the-line dink is like catnip for an erne hunter. A slow ball, tight to the sideline provides the perfect opportunity to jump the kitchen and smash for a winner. The same logic can be applied to baseline third shots and mid-court resets and third shots.

"I’d go as far as saying that until you can make it bounce perfectly in the tiny area available and make it “un-Erneable” 95% of the time, get rid of that shot altogether. This simple shift will exponentially increase kitchen consistency while also elevating our dinking confidence."

Think twice about the down the line dink. Eliminate unnecessary risk and keep the odds in your favor.

Stylish Pickleball Clothing That Lasts

Think of the last time you found an article of clothing that felt tailor-made for you. Was it made in the USA? Did it last very long?

American Giant wants to help pickleball enthusiasts connect on the court in style by creating a durable and polished collection that’s as inclusive as the sport it’s named for.

Each durable cotton piece is designed to breathe, stretch, and hold up to your hardest-hitting moments on the court. These hoodies, jackets, sweatshirts, sweatpants, shorts & tees make excellent gifts, too!

The Desert Rain

Rain delays in Arizona put a damper on the Mesa Open. But stormy weather and the competition were no match for pickleball OG Simone Jardim. Jardim walked away with two gold medals in what could be her final pro tournament.

Jardim and Jorja Johnson navigated the women's draw without dropping a single game. They received help from Susannah Barr and Etta Wright, who made a run from the fourth seed to a silver medal. Their run included wins over the Brascia sisters and Andrea Koop/Lauren Stratman. Etta Wright's stock is rising faster than anyone in pickleball as of late.

Jardim and Dylan Frazier lived up to the first seed billing on Sunday. It was a rocky road to reach the final, but Jardim and Frazier were all business on Sunday defeating Johnson and DJ Young, 11-7, 11-4.

Jorja and JW Johnson each won two gold medals on the weekend. Jorja took the women's title while JW cleaned up in men's doubles and squeezed out the win in men's singles.

After climbing through the back draw, JW completed the double dip over Federico Staksrud 11-7, 11-13,11-8, 15-10. He and Dekel Bar found a smooth route on their way to gold and won 11-4, 11-2 against Fed and Chuck Taylor on Sunday.

That's a wrap for 2022 APP Tour. We will recap the season in next week's issue.

Triple Crowns in the Magic Kingdom

2022 belonged to Anna Leigh Waters. She dominated every tour appearance, and yesterday was no different: Waters completed her seventh triple crown of the season in front of a packed house in Orlando. Our professional analysis: that's absolutely insane.

Not to be outdone by his 15-year-old mixed doubles partner, Ben Johns also went 3 for 3 on Sunday to complete his own triple crown. Their mixed doubles partnership is the most formidable in the game, bulldozing their way through the season.

The women's doubles win looked a little different for ALW. One, because she was playing with Catherine Parenteau, and two, because they squared off with the new duo Lea Jansen/Jackie Kawamoto. A Championship Sunday appearance and silver medal is an incredible result for a new partnership.

Things got chippy in the men's doubles final. The best rivalry in pickleball has reached a breaking point. Riley Newman chirped Collin Johns as they were leaving the court after game one. The two shouted back and forth during the intermission before taking the court for game two.

Apparently, a fired-up CJ is even more deadly than a calm one. It was all Johns bros in games two and three. They took the title 14-12, 11-5, 11-7.

The Orlando event is the last on the traditional PPA calendar but the tour will host a team competition in Las Vegas Dec 15-18.

We all want more energy without the jitters, sketchy ingredients, or sugar lows. Organifi Red Juice will keep you moving with powerful adaptogens.

First off, Red Juice doesn't contain any caffeine - and it doesn't need any. An organic fruit blend packed with ginseng and cordyceps provides energy support when you need it without keeping you up at night. Research-backed delicious superfoods support pickleball performance.

And, each glass of Red Juice only contains 2 grams of natural sugar for sustainable energy - no sugar crash mid-meeting or mid-game!

Best of all, Red Juice tastes amazing! Like a healthier fruit punch, bursting with berry flavor...Oh yeah, did we mention it's 100% organic?

Our pickleball community loves Organifi's products and enjoys the performance benefits on the court.

We Need More Former K-Marts!

The lack of pickleball courts is one of our sport’s most prevalent problems. But do we really have to rely on brand-new builds as the primary solution?

A town in upstate New York just proved that re-zoning is an effective tactic in the battle for more pickle space. Latham, NY used to have a K-Mart. And until recently, it also used to have a disused building with very little development potential.

But next spring, it'll have a large indoor pickleball facility bringing money to the community and propping up other local businesses, like a neighboring bar & restaurant.

How many shuttered suburban strip mall stores have you seen with locked doors? With their tall ceilings, spacious layouts, and ample parking, these spaces don’t have to be doomed to wasteful tear-downs. Plus, we’re pretty sure there won’t be any noise complaints about rallies coming from within what is essentially a shopping cave.

Master Your Topspin

How many times have you heard someone ask (or asked yourself): how can I hit topspin like the pros?

Thankfully, there's a way to practice that doesn't even require another player.

TopspinPro makes an excellent gift this time of year and will have you spinning in no time!

Headlines & Quick Hits

Christmas cards to share the love with your pickleball crew
Shaq and Alonzo Mourning on the pickleball craze - CNBC
Pickleball Explosion in Florida Creating New Hits and Misses for Insurers, Agents
More courts in more locations, find them in the app
Arlington residents react to possible legal action due to pickleball games - WTOP