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Pickleball at the Lincoln Memorial

Pickleball at the Lincoln Memorial

Top 3 land in group B. The Dink Ceiling.

Think you can dink with the pros? How about you and your partner vs. one of the world's top pros?

The winners of Honcho’s Austin League will have the chance to play Zane Navratil 2 vs 1 this fall. Check out Zane’s challenge in the PicklePod (below) and find out more about Hocho here.

In This Issue:

🇺🇸 Pickleball at the Nation’s Capital
🎓 NCAA is not a fan of the acronym
💪 MLP groups announced

Here. We. Go.

The Dink Ceiling

While playing pickle, you might be inclined to raise the roof. That’s fine after the point, but while the ball is in play, John Cincola recommends you adhere to a dink ceiling.

According to Cincola, there are three parts to any shot:

The backswing
The contact point
The follow-through

This video focuses specifically on the follow-through. When dinking, Cincola suggests that your follow-through not exceed an imaginary ceiling just above net height. For slow soft shots, you don’t need to follow through excessively.

A follow-through that gets as high as your chest or shoulders results in wasted movement and takes your paddle of out position. A longer follow-through is only necessary for a shot like a drive that needs more acceleration and speed.

Next time you're on the court, hang an imaginary dink ceiling above the kitchen and don’t let your paddle escape.

Designed to Play Better

Introducing you to Holbrook Pickleball, the go-to brand for players of all skill levels. Their paddles and gear are the perfect fusion of cutting-edge technology and eye-catching design.

The Power Pro was engineered with groundbreaking technology to amplify the power, durability, and touch to your shots for next-level performance.

So whether you're an intermediate, advanced, or pro player, Holbrook Pickleball has the paddle that's right for you. Experience the innovation, style, and performance that sets Holbrook Pickleball apart.

Visit Holbrookpickleball.com today and elevate your pickleball game to new heights.

The National Mall of Pickleball

One of the coolest parts about pickleball’s explosion is the new locations that have arranged pop-up courts. Games have been played in city streets, at professional sports stadiums and even the NYSE boardroom.

The latest and possibly the best yet is an installment entering the JFK Hockey Fields at the National Mall. Humana and the Trust for the National Mall teamed up to host the National Mall of Pickleball.

The three-day event will deliver 180 hours of free court time and clinics with MLP’s DC Pickleball Team. Celebrities Rob Riggle and Katie Couric will also take to the court for exhibition events against attendees.

The iconic event is only two weeks away. The temporary courts in the shadows of America’s most famous monuments will be on-site from September 28 - 30. Find out more and book your court time here.

The Show Goes On

With all of the Tour War chaos, it felt like the MLP Atlanta event snuck up sooner than expected. In case you didn’t know, the first event of season two starts next Thursday from Peachtree Corners, GA.

MLP announced yesterday the round-robin groups for next week. Catching the most attention from the announcement was a name change for the Columbus Pickleball Club to the Columbus Sliders.

In case you forgot who landed where in the draft, we have the full list available here. Conspicuously enough, the league’s top three draft picks all find themselves crowded into Group B.

Chicago Slice - Ben Johns, Jessie Irvine, Lacy Schneemann, Erik Lange
Utah Black Diamonds - Anna Leigh Waters, Irina Tereschenko, Thomas Wilson, AJ Koller
DC Pickleball Team - Riley Newman, Jackie Kawamoto, Jade Kawamoto, Christian Alshon

Only two teams advance out of each group so that means at least one of them will miss the knockout round.

The dust is still settling from the MLP/PPA merger. There is concern that some players will hold out from playing in the event. This event is one of three remaining on the MLP calendar this year. The teams will meet again in Los Angeles, Nov 2-5 and the final event will be in SoCal, Dec 7-12.

It’s Like Airbnb…but for Pickleball Courts

As if you need another reason to add a homecourt to your backyard, now you can share your court with local players when you aren’t using it.

Swimply allows court owners the chance to rent out homecourts and players the opportunity to reserve a private court for their game.

NCAA vs. NCPA

What does the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) have in common with the National Collegiate Pickleball Association (NCPA)?

Almost nothing, except three of the same words in the title. Yet those three words can mean the difference between a slight similarity and a legal case.

NCAA has filed an intellectual property dispute against the NCPA’s event organizer Noah Suemnick, probably because the Pickleball association is planning a large tournament in March…the same month as NCAA’s famous collegiate basketball tournament.

Suemnick told the San Diego Tribune that he’s using a very different logo and that he doubts there’ll be any confusion:

They’re really not that similar…

“It’s just because pickleball is the thing now and they want to get in on it,” he told reporters.

He says the threat of litigation won’t impact his tournament, but that he’d prefer not to change the name of his organization.

NCAA’s attorney says they take no issue with Suemnick planning pickleball tournaments involving colleges, they just want a slight name adjustment.

The Tribune report quotes NCAA’s attorney:

Doug Masters, a Chicago attorney handling the case for the NCAA, says the 117-year-old organization has no problem with Suemnick staging pickleball events involving colleges.

What do you think: should Suemnick be forced to change the name, or is the NCAA overreaching?

NCAA vs. NCPA

Pickleball Apparel Reinvented

Experience the revolution of pickleball apparel with Dilly Life! Discover a whole new level of style, comfort, and performance that will leave you wanting more, both on and off the court.

Dilly Life is redefining the pickleball apparel game, offering you a range of styles that not only look amazing but also deliver exceptional functionality. Their apparel is crafted with high-quality, moisture-wicking materials that keep you dry and comfortable, even during intense matches.

Take advantage of their exclusive offer: Get 20% off your first order with the code DINK20, and enjoy free shipping on orders over $75. Don't miss out on this opportunity to elevate your pickleball experience with Dilly Life!

The pro boycott, changing contracts & bad blood

Zane and Thomas wade through the Tour Wars fallout on a new episode of PicklePod. MLP Atlanta is a go, but there is still plenty of bad blood among owners, players, and staff.

Speaking of bad blood, the McGuffin vs. Loong feud rages from the court to podcasts and to Twitter. There is speculation on holdouts, renegotiations, and how this new organization can function moving forward.

Watch the new episode here or listen here.