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Major League Pickleball Finals predictions
Reviewing the BRAND NEW Proton Project Coyote
We’ve reached the final weekend of the Major League Pickleball season.
20 teams started the year. There are 4 left — the New Jersey 5s, St. Louis Shock, Brooklyn Pickleball Team and Dallas Flash.
Today our pro pickleball experts are offering their predictions on what we’ll see in New York City as the best players battle for the title on the biggest stage. More below.
In this issue:
We love to see the kids balling out 🤩
Invest in your own piece of pickleball 📈
Reviewing the new Proton Project Coyote 🐺
Send us your best amateur highlights 🎥
Move through the transition zone like a pro 💪
Let’s cook! 👨🏻🍳
HIGHLIGHT OF THE WEEK
When an elite soccer player discovers pickleball
Grown men getting schooled by a 7-year-old? We love to see it.
In today’s highlight, an accomplished junior soccer player hits the pickleball court and the light bulb goes off.
She has clean footwork, quickness, finesse — all of the things you need to pull off an Erne like the one she’s hitting in the screen grab above. Maybe it’s time to make a sport switch?
🔗 Check out this week’s highlight on Instagram, Facebook or TikTok
GOT A CLIP WORTH SHARING? Each month we showcase the Top 10 Amateur Pickleball Highlights of the Month on our YouTube page. Submit your BEST clips for a chance to be featured in next month’s video using this form.
THE PROS
Calling our shot: Major League Pickleball Semifinals and Finals predictions
Ahead of this weekend's Major League Pickleball Semifinals and Finals, we asked our team of pro pickleball experts what they think we'll see in the coming days.
Both rounds will be a best-of-three match series, with the Semifinal matches starting Friday afternoon from Central Park in New York City. Here's the matchups:
New Jersey 5s vs. Brooklyn Pickleball Team
St. Louis Shock vs. Dallas Flash
The winners will play in the Finals, with Match 1 scheduled for Saturday evening. Find the full match schedule here.
PREDICTIONS
Jared Paul (The Kitchen Founder): New Jersey over Brooklyn. St. Louis over Dallas. New Jersey over St. Louis in the Final. St. Louis looked like the stronger team coming out of the quarterfinals in Newport Beach, but I think we’ll be reminded this weekend why Anna Leigh Waters is the GOAT.
Chris Cali (host of the Sorry Not Sorry Pickleball Show): New Jersey over Brooklyn. St. Louis over Dallas. St. Louis over New Jersey in the Finals. Expect a lot of screaming and some top-tier chirping between Fed & Hayden in the Finals. I think New Jersey vs. St. Louis is going to be the best 3 matches we have ever seen in pickleball history.
Alex Lantz (pro pickleball writer for The Kitchen): New Jersey over Brooklyn. St. Louis over Dallas. New Jersey over St. Louis in the Finals. Bet against Anna Leigh Waters at your own risk. The one thing she doesn't have on her resume is an MLP title (since the league moved to a season-long format in 2024), and I think her performance this weekend could go down as one of the highlights of her career ... and there are many. Mostly I'm rooting for a close series that forces everybody to raise their level, and I think we'll get it.
THE KITCHEN COMMUNITY WEIGHS IN
We included a poll in our newsletter earlier this week asking readers who will win the MLP title. Here are the results:
St. Louis: 43%
New Jersey: 41%
Dallas Flash: 9%
Brooklyn Pickleball Team: 7%
MLP FINALS SCAVENGER HUNT
If you’re attending the MLP Finals in person this weekend, we have a surprise for you: We’ve teamed up with DoorDash (the title sponsor of MLP) to give away 10 $100 gift cards at the event. Follow @TheKitchenPickleball and @DoorDash on Instagram for clues on where the gift cards are hidden.
PADDLE CORNER
Expert review: New Proton Project Coyote is powerful but also very predictable
Proton Pickleball just released what we think is the company's best paddle to date.
The all-new Project Coyote is a 15mm elongated model that balances high power with a stable and connected feel.
It uses a "Gen 3" construction with reinforced foam around the perimeter and a carbon fiber surface. The Project Coyote also introduces a new shape for Proton -- a more traditional elongated shape with a modified throat taper, which provides a smoother transition from the handle to the face and is something that a lot of Proton players had asked for over the years.
WHAT WE COVER IN OUR REVIEW
How the Proton Project Coyote plays on court.
Power, control, feel and forgiveness.
How its low swing weight impacts performance.
Who this paddle is best suited for.
🔗 Check out our full review of the Proton Project Coyote here or shop all Proton paddles here — use code “KITCHEN” at checkout for 15% off!
OWN A PIECE OF PICKLEBALL
Group seeking investors for nationwide network of pickleball vacation homes
Recently we got an inside look at a unique property in North Georgia that combines luxury hospitality with a pickleball experience unlike any other.
The Blue Ridge Pickle Barn near Morganton, Georgia, features 3 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, a chef’s kitchen, sauna, hot tub and beautiful scenery – all centered around a private, pro-level indoor pickleball court.
For owner Chip Bulloch, the project’s early success represents proof of concept for what he thinks can be a nationwide network of private pickleball vacation homes. Bulloch already has his eyes on properties in New York, Florida, Texas and Arizona and is currently seeking investors to help bring those locations (and more) to life.
“People don’t remember hotel rooms,” Bulloch said. “They remember the laughter on the court, the conversations around the bar overlooking the court, and the time they spent with people they care about. We want to help create those memories.”
Each Kaizen property will be designed around a professional tournament-size indoor pickleball court (34×60 feet) that is the centerpiece of the house, not simply another amenity. The result is a hospitality experience guests travel specifically to enjoy.
The long-term vision is to build the world’s premier network of experiential pickleball destinations. Investors will get complimentary stays at the properties every year as well as quarterly returns on their initial investment.
INTERESTED IN LEARNING MORE?
Kaizen Pickleball is currently speaking with a small number of accredited investors about the next phase of expansion. If you believe in the future of pickleball, private group travel and experience-led real estate, you can request private investor information here.
INSTRUCTION
Evaluate your third-shot drop before moving through the transition zone
Your third shot in pickleball starts your transition forward to the kitchen line. The drop shot is a great option for your third as it can disarm your opponents and give you time to advance safely if played well.
Of course, not all drop shots are perfect. After you hit your third shot, evaluate the quality of your drop and decide how aggressively you should move forward. Below are three possible outcomes of your drop shot, and each one tells you something different about how far you can safely move.
1. The floater (bad drop, high and deep)
Your drop shot sails a bit high and deep and likely will not land in the kitchen. You’ll know it’s a floater because your opponent doesn’t hesitate. They raise their paddle to shoulder height or higher the moment they see it coming their way, already loading up to attack. When you see this happening, take one or two small steps forward at most. Then split-step (pause, get balanced, and prepare to respond) and get low with your paddle ready to defend, because a smash is likely coming your way.
2. The in-between drop (OK height, a little deep or bounces a little high)
The height is fine, but the shot is a little deep or bounces a little higher than you wanted. You’ll know it’s this one because your opponent doesn’t load up to attack. Instead they set up to meet the ball around waist height. It’s harder for them to put away, so they’ll likely hit a neutral block or attempt an attack depending on where the ball is located and whether they let it bounce or volley it. Take a few steps forward and split-step just as the ball crosses the net. Be ready to defend and reset with another drop shot if needed.
3. The low drop (good drop, clears the net low and drops fast)
You can see the ball dropping just over the net rather than carrying deep into the kitchen. You’ll know it’s this one because your opponent has to reach down and hit upward, or play a soft dink. They have no other option. Start moving immediately. As soon as you recognize your opponent must hit up or dink, continue all the way to the kitchen line. Now you’re looking for a mistake. If they leave the ball high, be ready to attack and finish the point.
QUICK HITS
Grinding: This point was grueling
Pickleball Karen: Don’t hate the player, hate the game
What did you think of this week's newsletter? |