Leigh Waters on raising pickleball greatness

The best paddles for power players

February 19, 2026

 

Leigh Waters has been a force in pickleball for nearly a decade. She was a pro player long before the sport’s pandemic-fueled explosion, and has transitioned into coach and de facto manager for her daughter, Anna Leigh.

Leigh recently joined us on Pickleballers to discuss her history in the sport, watching her daughter become the biggest star in the game and her thoughts on the trajectory of pickleball at the pro level. Watch the episode here and learn more below.

Also in this issue:

  • A tribute to the Anna Bright Shock era 😢

  • The best paddles for power players 🔥

  • Pro Grayson Goldin’s recovery from unexpected stroke 🤣

  • The power of resilience in pickleball 💪

  • The DIRTIEST pickleball shot: The Nasty Nelson 😱

  • CourtsApp modernizing court booking process 📱

Let’s get cookin’. 🧑‍🍳

HIGHLIGHT OF THE WEEK

A tribute to the Anna Bright Shock era (which might not actually be over)

Earlier this week we told you about the big-name players who were dropped from their Major League Pickleball team. Anna Bright was arguably the biggest name on that list, and she is no longer with the St. Louis Shock (for now).

The team could still pick her up in the free-agency draft later this month, but it’s certainly no guarantee that she returns to the Shock. If she doesn’t get drafted by St. Louis, it will be the end of a memorable era — the team made deep runs in the playoffs both seasons she was the captain.

We’re not crying … you’re crying.

🔗 Re-live this Anna Bright/St. Louis Shock highlight on Instagram, Facebook or TikTok

PICKLEBALLERS

Leigh Waters: What it’s really like raising pickleball’s greatest player

Leigh Waters is the mom and coach of Anna Leigh Waters — the most dominant pickleball player of all time — and the person who’s been in the room for every major moment that turned Anna Leigh into the face of the sport.

In this episode of Pickleballers, Leigh sits down with Roscoe and Jared to tell the full story behind pickleball’s biggest moves: Anna Leigh signing with Nike, switching from Paddletek to Franklin, and what those months were really like behind the scenes. She breaks down the stress of negotiations, the pressure of making a once-in-a-career decision at 19, and how she kept Anna Leigh grounded while the internet and the entire sport watched every step.

🔗 Watch the full episode on YouTube or listen on Spotify

PICKLEBALLERS & JOOLA GIVEAWAY: Each week we’re doing a Pickleballers giveaway to celebrate the latest episode. This week we are giving away any JOOLA pickleball paddle of your choice. Enter here!

VIRAL VIDEOS

The DIRTIEST pickleball shot: The Nasty Nelson

The Nasty Nelson serve is a completely legal shot, but it’s probably the most controversial move in pickleball. If you’ve never seen one in-person, it’s where the server hits their opponent who is standing at the kitchen line, instead of serving it into the diagonal box.

You can see where the controversy lies — the player who gets hit is often not happy.

We’ve scoured the internet to find the most epic (and downright disrespectful) Nasty Nelson serves.

GEAR

We’re loving these power paddles right now

Are you a player who likes to hit big serves, drive your third shot and be aggressive with balls out of the air at the kitchen line? This list is for you.

Below you’ll find the best paddles available right now that are designed to maximize power so you can dominate your local courts.

  1. Selkirk Labs Project Boomstik Elongated: Selkirk stayed competitive among the top brands with the release of the Boomstik in the summer of 2025. Its foam core makes it one of the most powerful paddles on the market, and the Infinigrit surface also provides good spin. (Shop now — use code “GRP-KITCHEN” for a credit toward a future purchase!)

  2. Six Zero Black Opal: Six Zero's move into the foam paddle category was met with much hype, and this paddle certainly delivers when it comes to power and pop. The 14mm foam core gives off a very satisfying feel, and this paddle is a formidable weapon in the hands of higher-level players. (Shop now — use code “KITCHEN” for 10% off.)

  3. Luzz Pro 4 Inferno: As the name suggests, this paddle is hot. It's 100% foam core offers big power on serves, third-shot drives and putaways. It also has a slightly more dwell time than many other foam paddles, meaning dinks and drops are a little easier to get a feel for than many other foam paddles. (Shop now — use code "KITCHEN" at checkout for 15% off.)

HELP GRAYSON

Support pro player Grayson Goldin’s unexpected stroke medical bills & recovery

Last week, pro player Grayson suffered two strokes while preparing for his next tournament. After emergency hospitalization and multiple neurological procedures, he was diagnosed with RCVS - a reversible condition - and is now on the road to recovery. Without health insurance, the medical bills from his hospital stay and ongoing care are significant.

If you feel called to support, contributions will go directly toward hospital expenses, follow-up treatment, and recovery. And if you can’t give, your encouragement means just as much. You can DM him on Instagram here.

Stronger comeback loading. 💪

PICKLEBALL TECH

CourtsApp is modernizing the pickleball court booking process

A new app aims to simplify the court booking process for pickleball players – and other racket sports enthusiasts – and help facilities get the word out about their available court times.

CourtsApp has officially launched and the app is live in the northeast and will be expanding across the east coast and nationwide in 2026.

The AI-powered marketing and booking platform currently features hundreds of facilities and thousands of courts across pickleball, tennis, padel, racquetball, squash and ping pong, with the goal of eventually having more than 50,000 courts on the app.

The app and website was started by Daren Hornig, who has a background in real estate and owns the Port Washington Tennis Academy in Long Island, New York. Hornig said he noticed a “significant technological lapse” between supply and demand and the ability to let players know at a glance what court times were available at facilities in their area.

He compared it to booking sites in other industries like Expedia or GolfNow, which facilitates tee-time bookings at over 9,000 golf courses globally.

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