Top pro fined $50,000

UPA decides on Gen 3. Fudge/Munro win inaugural APP Shuffle.

May 29, 2024

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A pickleball vandal is at large in New York City. Players at Riverside Park in Manhattan have fallen victim to criminal activity multiple times in the past couple of weeks.

The vandal has escalated their actions with each incident. First, they disassembled the nets and left all the equipment courtside.

On their next attack, they cut the nets and scattered equipment in trash bags and receptacles like some sort of evil scavenger hunt.

The local players have created a makeshift neighborhood watch to keep eyes on the courts while the park is open. The vandal is still at large.

In This Issue:

⚖️ Daescu is out for 60 days
↩️ Bend it like Ben Johns
🗽 APP shuffles the deck

Justice will be served.

What Ben is Working On

The two-handed backhand becomes more important in pickleball every day. It was sparingly used in years past, mostly just for groundstrokes from the baseline.

These days, two hands are used by a growing number of players at the baseline, in transition, and at the kitchen.

Ben Johns recently took to social media to share how he is folding it into his arsenal.

Johns states that he has been attacking off the bounce with the two-hander more often. Being the intelligent player he is, Ben knows that he needs to disguise that attack to make it more effective.

To better disguise the attack, he’s practicing a dink down the line with a similar motion to his attack. He gets into a low squat and winds up so you don’t know what he is about to do next.

Again, this is a step ahead of most players who are only using two hands at the kitchen when they hit a cross-court dink or an attack. DJ Young shared how he uses this to his advantage on the PicklePod.

Ben is essentially sacrificing comfort and ease to hit a shot that adds no offense directly. But indirectly, the dink makes his future attacks more effective.

Now that is chess, not checkers.

Selkirk’s New AMPED Pro Air Series

The highly anticipated Selkirk AMPED Pro Air Paddle series is here, and we're digging the new vibrant colorways.

These top-tier paddles are available in two shapes: the Invikta, designed for those who crave more power, reach, and spin, and the Epic, which offers a perfect balance of power and control.

Plus, both models now feature the innovative Air Dynamic Throat, enhancing airflow for quicker swing speeds and greater flexibility.

Prosecuted to the Full Extent of the Law

The UPA’s new governing body has just issued the largest fine and longest suspension in professional pickleball history. Andrei Daescu was accused of submitting a paddle coated in an illegal substance for on-site testing at MLP Atlanta earlier this month.

Daescu was fined a staggering $50K, suspended from PPA and MLP events for 60 days, and placed on a one-year probation. Sheeeeesh.

As a result, he will miss:

PPA Texas Open (5/29-6/2)
PPA Sacramento Open (6/5-6/9)
MLP Washington D.C. (6/13-6/16) - the AZ Drive are NOT playing this event
PPA Orange County Cup (6/24-6/30)
MLP Mid-Season Tournament (7/10-7/14)

The Dink has learned that essentially Daescu got unlucky. The paddle was dropped off and tested and it did have an illegal substance on it. The paddle was one of many he had at the time and it was dropped off for testing by someone mistakenly.

It was never intended to be used in competition. The paddle was used in training by Daescu and his team to help his hitting partners simulate an elite-level player across from him.

While $50K is a sizeable fine, it serves as a stake in the ground to deter players and paddle brands from trying to skirt the rules.

If the fine isn’t substantial, brands can justify taking more risks to push the limits of paddle technology beyond what is reasonable. In many cases, we’ve seen illegal paddles actually benefit brand sales.

Daescu’s team believes that the fine and suspension are fair and that the UPA is justified in its efforts to curtail the use of illegal paddles.

John Isner Makes his PPA Tour Debut

The PPA Tour rolls into Dallas this week for the Texas Open. The tour will be missing Daescu but has added an even taller former tennis pro in his place.

The New Tennis Crossover
John Isner is the latest tennis standout to test their chops in pro pickleball. Isner has participated in some exhibition events in the past but will compete for a men’s doubles title alongside Wyatt Stone on Saturday.

UPA Rules Out Gen 3 Paddles
The UPA has informed players that the JOOLA Gen 3 paddles will not be allowed at the Texas Open. The paddles have been a controversial topic in recent months. USA Pickleball officially de-listed the paddles two weeks prior.

Tug of War for No. 1
Ben Johns’ win at the Atlanta Open pushed him back ahead of Federico Staksrud in PPA points for the year. Good chance these two will meet in the finals again in Dallas.

McGuffin Magic
Look out for Tyson McGuffin with some new partners this weekend. He and Anna Bright teamed up for a last-minute pairing. In men’s, it will be McGuffin and Jaume Martinez Vich bringing infectious energy to the court.

MLP Influence
MLP team allegiance has dictated a number of partnerships for this event. Anna Bright will team up with St. Louis Shock teammate Kate Fahey. Parris Todd and Vivienne David of the Orlando Squeeze will aim to build more chemistry, as will AZ Drive teammates Lacy Schneemann and Kaitlyn Christian.

Check out our preview, predictions and how to watch PPA Texas here.

Munro and Fudge Are Inaugural Shuffle Champs

The APP showed off a new Shuffle format last weekend in NYC. The event was a round-robin where the individual winners advanced after each round to decide the best doubles players.

First APP Gold
Jack Munro is a pickleball OG who competed as a pro before it was cool. After a hiatus from the game, he has returned with intentions to be the world’s best.

Munro secured his first APP gold this weekend. He and Mario Barrientos cruised to a men’s doubles title without dropping a game. He followed that up on Sunday by winning the APP’s first NYC Shuffle.

Fudge’s Three Crowns
Megan Fudge matched Munro’s titles and raised him a singles title. She won singles gold Friday night, the women’s doubles title with Yana Newell on Saturday, and the women’s Shuffle title on Sunday.

Winner’s Circle
Will Howells and Bobbi Oshiro made a formidable duo in NYC. They pulled off multiple upsets to reach and win the mixed doubles final. Chris Haworth took back the men’s singles crown with a win over Grayson Goldin.

The APP is off for the month of June. Up next is the Golden Ticket Major event over the Fourth of July weekend in Newport Beach, CA.

We’re Serving Up Surprises

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Can’t Miss Moments from PicklePod

Zane is still away on his honeymoon, so we curated some of the top moments from the PicklePod so far in 2024. Catch Collin Johns’ explanation of how ping pong improves your pickleball game.

Anna Leigh Waters shares how fan interactions have ramped up in 2024 while Riley Newman demonstrates how to use his unique pickleball grip.

We’ve got the best moments so far in 2024 in case you missed anything.