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Fines and disqualifications at PPA

Fines and disqualifications at PPA

Play like a pro. Paddlegate & player fines.

Raw carbon face paddles are seemingly everywhere now, but there was only one on the market before 2021.

By end of 2021, USA Pickleball says there were 8 introduced.

But in 2023, they expect 130 to hit the proverbial shelves.

Why are we kicking off this issue with paddle facts? Could there be some paddle drama to unpack?

In today's issue:

Playing like a pro
The latest in Paddlegate 2023
PPA results
A place in the pickleball history books

Onward!

PPA Newport Beach Open Results

Minto US Open Results

Ready to Play Pro

We've all thought about making the leap to pro. Maybe dreamed about it is more accurate.

One brave and possibly naïve soul made the jump to the pro ranks at the Florida Open last month. Owner of MLP's Hard Eights, Tim Parks, filled in as Riley Newman's partner in men's doubles.

On PicklePod, Parks explained the most notable difference:

"The difference between pro pickleball and amateur pickleball - it's not how hard the drives are or how hard the serves are, it really is the caliber of the dinking, which I didn't appreciate until I was in a pro match."

That's right, it's not the power game that is the most challenging (although that is a struggle as well). It is the soft game where control, placement and spin have an outsized impact.

Parks admitted, "I thought my dinks were okay, which they are for a 4.0 game, they were just annihilating my dinks."

Your average dink just won't cut it at the higher level. Pros can pick you apart if you're not applying pressure with your dinks.

It’s tough to notice when watching on the livestream, but a pros ability to force their opponents out of position or pop up a high ball via a thoughtful, strategic short game is what separates them from amateurs.

How do they do this? By harnessing the 81 dink combinations at their disposal through variation of:

Spin: flat, backspin, topspin
Speed: slow, medium, fast
Depth: shallow, medium, deep
Placement: straight ahead, middle, cross-court

They’ll also pick on the weak link, which we all know as targeting. When you or your partner are feeling targeted, try implementing the squeeze, a strategic shift to open the game back up.

Catch Tim's full episode with unprecedented business conversations here. And for those who want to dig in to improving their short game:

How to Master the Dink: 81 Combinations to Win in Pickleball
Follow This Journey for an Advanced Dinking Technique

Let's get Filthy

After 6 months of designs, testing, and modifications, Bread & Butter Pickleball is finally ready to launch its latest paddle.

The Filth is a Thermoformed and edge wall inject paddle that measures 16.5" x 7.375" and weighs 8.0 ounces. Bread & Butter only made 1000 paddles with this first production run, not realizing the feedback and hype that spread like wildfire in Reddit, Discord, YouTube, and beyond.

There are just a few left to order here. Shipping kicks-off May 15th!

The First Onsite Paddle Disqualification

While many viewers will remember this weekend’s PPA Tour stop for its top-tier athleticism, it will hold a place in history as the first onsite DQ for paddle delamination.

Jill Braverman and Sarah Ansboury were disqualified after Sarah's Gamma Obsidian Raw Carbon 16mm paddle failed on-site testing following their quarterfinal against Lina Padegimaite & Lacy Schneemann, who issued a post-match paddle challenge.

Braverman posted about the issue:

The obvious question these players and fans have raised on social media following the tournament: how can a paddle pass an initial test only to fail a secondary one during the same tournament?

After all, other players’ paddles reportedly failed the initial test, but only Sarah & Jill were ultimately disqualified.

PPA response

According to the PPA's official statement, Sarah was given a warning before the semifinal match that her paddle had a high likelihood of crossing the legal threshold.

The PPA says it is true that other players' paddles failed the initial mandatory testing process, but in those cases, everyone else chose to retire their paddles before playing with them.

"...this incident was the first time testing had been conducted directly following a match after a player challenge. For this reason, this was the only occasion on which additional steps were taken, per PPA Tour standard protocols – all of which had been communicated to players prior to the tournament."

We want to know what you think. Read our blog featuring full statements from the players, the PPA, & even the paddle manufacturer, then let us know your thoughts in the comments here.

PPA Newport Beach Open Results

The delamination DQ was enough to fill an episode of The O.C., but it was not the only drama coming out of Newport Beach. Despite only doubles being played, there were plenty of headlines over the weekend.

Lacy Schneemann and Tyson McGuffin shocked the mixed doubles field. The 12th seeds toppled seeds 4, 5 and even the top seeded Ben Johns and Andrea Koop on their way to a second place finish.

McGuffin was also involved in the heated men’s semifinal match that resulted in Pablo Tellez flipping the bird to a heckler in the crowd. Tellez and Federico Staksrud overcame an unfriendly environment to defeat McGuffin and James Ignatowich in the second round.

This morning it was announced that the PPA will fine Pablo Tellez for the gesture. This isn’t his first offense. At MLP Daytona, Tellez was issued the first ever Blue Card (technical warning) for his contentious interaction with an intoxicated fan.

Also in men’s doubles, the Johns bros win streak was ended by (16) Ben Newell and Phillip Locklear. Newell and Locklear were then ousted by (24) Garrett Whitehead and Gabriel Tardio.

This opened the door for the young guns JW Johnson and Dylan Frazier, who won 11-1, 11-3 in the semis. The clean path to the finals boosted their confidence for Championship Sunday where Johnson and Frazier pulled out a W over Riley Newman and Matt Wright.

This was only one piece of Johnson’s historic weekend. JW won mixed doubles gold with his sister Jorja Johnson during the nationally televised CBS broadcast.

Lucy Kovalova and Callie Smith returned to the top of the women’s doubles podium they defeated Anna Bright and Andrea Koop in four games yesterday.

If that wasn’t enough, YouTuber David Dobrik entered into the pro mixed doubles bracket. Hollywood’s Fred Savage snagged himself a little PPA hardware. He left with a silver in 3.0 singles.

Charlotte is the next stop on the PPA Tour. The NC Open begins May 4th.

Your Daily Wellness Shot

MTE shots provide you all the focus and energy benefits of caffeine without any of the common side effects.

Let MTE help you stay at the top of your pickle game. Learn more here.

Minto US Open

Parris Todd can add triple crown winner at the US Open to her growing pickleball resume. She completed the clean sweep on Saturday in Naples.

Todd won women’s doubles gold with Simone Jardim then defeated Jardim in the mixed doubles final. Todd and Jardim dropped the first game to Megan Fudge and Bobbi Oshiro before righting the ship and cruising to gold.

In mixed, Todd and Hunter Johnson won in a thriller against Jardim and Kyle Yates. Down to the wire in game three, Johnson and Todd pulled out the 11-9 win in front of a sold-out crowd to secure the title.

Johnson missed his triple crown opportunity with a loss in the men's doubles final alongside brother Yates. Florida natives Kyle Yates and Andrei Daescu played spoiler and won in convincing fashion 11-6, 11-0.

Altaf Merchant joined the senior ranks this year and cleaned up in Naples. The Mumbai Monster won gold in senior pro mixed doubles with Eva Welsher and senior pro men's doubles with Dayne Gingrich.

That's a wrap from the US Open 2023.

A Place in the Pickleball History Books

Rob and Stone dive into the latest headlines surrounding pro pickle on a new episode of It Feels Right.

The Red Rock Open brought paddle delamination into the spotlight. With increased prize money and limited partnerships there is even more incentive to ‘cheat.’

The guys cover what MLP will look like for the rest of the year and make predictions for 2024. Plus, we get an update on the prep for Baby Stone.

Watch here or listen here.