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Matt Wright is the Tim Duncan of pickleball
Paddle testing is coming to amateur pickleball
The rise of pickleball has led to constant innovation and changes in strategy at the game's highest level over the past few years.
Instructional videos have flooded YouTube going over how to his this shot or that shot, when to lob, why you need a two-handed backhand, why you need to nuke your serve … so on and so forth.
But what if you just made all your third-shot drops and hit unattackable dinks on repeat? Matt Wright -- now 48 years old -- showed us all this weekend that it's still possible to go pretty far with that game plan, even against the best players in the world.
More on Wright’s incredible run at the PPA Tour Bristol Open below.
Also in this issue:
Maroon 5’s James Valentine finds flow state through music and pickleball 🎸
What are you supposed to do against this duo? 😵💫
Adidas hits the podium 🏅
Paddle testing is coming to amateur tournaments 🧪
You can now bet on who will win MLP title 🎰
Let’s get cookin’. 🧑🍳
HIGHLIGHT OF THE WEEK
This duo simply can’t be stopped right now
It’s safe to say the reunited partnership of Anna Leigh Waters and Anna Bright is working out OK. They have entered three tournaments together this season and won all three of them without dropping a single game.
This weekend at the PPA Tour Bristol Open they were at it again, displaying amazing defense, lightning fast hands and soft resets.
It’s going to be a tall task for somebody to take them down this year.
PICKLEBALLERS PODCAST
The best description of why pickleball is more fun than tennis that you’ll ever hear
In case you missed it last week, James Valentine — lead guitarist of Maroon 5 and passionate pickleball player — joined the Pickleballers Podcast to discuss a wide range of topics, including why he feels pickleball is more fun than tennis and his take on the difference between rec games and tournament play.
Valentine shares how playing guitar and playing pickleball both get him into a flow state, who some of his favorite pros to watch are and where he’s at in his pickleball skill development.
UP NEXT ON PICKLEBALLERS: There are some good people in the world, there are some bad people, and then there are the great people. Thomas Wilson is one of the great ones. We miss Wilson and the pickleball world is better when he is part of it. His story is sad and inspiring and totally wild — hear it this Thursday on the Pickleballers Podcast.
FEATURED STORY
In a world of power paddles and twoey speedups, Matt Wright wins with fundamentals
We almost couldn’t believe our eyes this weekend. There was Matt Wright — at 48 years old — hanging with and ultimately beating the No. 2 men’s doubles team on the PPA Tour (Federico Staksrud and Hayden Patriquin).
Wright and partner Jaume Martinez Vich then backed it up with a win over No. 11 seed Tyson McGuffin/Max Freeman in the semifinals. They ultimately lost in the final on Sunday to Ben Johns and Gabe Tardio, but that doesn't make Wright's run any less impressive.
In honor of his 73rd medal on the PPA Tour, we came up with a comparison befitting of Wright, who continually does the simple things at an elite level: He’s the Tim Duncan of pickleball — The Big Fundamental.
NEW GAME, SAME PLAYER
Over Wright's career he has seen the game change drastically. The paddles of 2016 would be almost unrecognizable to most players today. Some of the shots being executed by the pros now had not even been considered a decade ago.
And a new generation of younger, more athletic players has taken over the pro game, and even the amateur game to a certain extent -- or so we thought.
Wright finds success the old-fashioned way: Floating his serves into the middle of the court, hitting buttery third-shot drops, consistent dinks and displaying the elite hand speed that he has been known for over the years.
Let that be a lesson to all of us — you don't need to reinvent the wheel and develop 100 different shots that you can pull from your shoetops to be successful. You just need to do the obvious things well, like getting to the kitchen line more than your opponents and limiting unforced errors.
TRENDING
Major League Pickleball has partnered with Polymarket to offer futures betting on who will win this year's MLP final, as well as other props.
Polymarket allows users to buy "yes" or "no" shares depending on their prediction. Buying shares is like betting on the outcome, and odds shift in real time as other traders bet.
There are four different markets that have been established heading into this week's MLP San Diego event, where the first and second round of the playoffs will be held. They are:
-Major League Pickleball winner
-Who makes NYC Final Four
-Miami Pickleball Club vs. Texas Ranchers first-round matchup
-Utah Black Diamonds vs. Orlando Squeeze first-round matchup
PADDLE CORNER
Paddle testing is coming to amateur pickleball
There has been a lot of chatter over the years about paddle testing in pickleball, but if you've been paying attention you've probably noticed a lot less talk this year on that subject.
That's because for the most part the PPA Tour and Major League Pickleball have gotten a handle on power levels and have learned how to better detect paddles that have "broken in" to the point of being illegal.
But the problem has still existed at the amateur level -- until now.
The Go-No-Go (GNG) Machine was recently named the exclusive on-site paddle deflection testing device for professional and amateur pickleball by three major organizations: DUPR, the United Pickleball Association and PickleballTournaments.com.
This marks a pivotal advancement in competitive integrity and data collection at the amateur level.
DUPR will implement the GNG Machine at its top-tier clubs and sanctioned amateur tournaments, according to a news release. Deflection data gathered will feed into advanced analytics tools, supporting the creation of loyalty and trust scores for both players and paddle manufacturers.
UPA-A, the governing body for the United Pickleball Association, which runs the PPA Tour and Major League Pickleball, will also deploy the GNG Machine across its premier events, including:
The Amateur State Championship Series
The PPA Challenger Series
MLP + PPA US, Australia, Asia
The Pickleball World Championships (Dallas, TX)
Do you like the idea of paddle testing at the amateur level? |
FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH
Pickleball named No. 1 sport for people to live longer
Pickleball was named the No. 1 sport for longevity by Blue Zones founder Dan Buettner, who cites racket sports as the top life-extending physical activity. Studies show they cut morality risk by up to 47%. Pickleball, in particular, combines moderate cardio, balance and strong social bonds — all linked to better heart health, less stress and longer life.
PRODUCT OF THE WEEK
Adidas hits the podium with Jaume Martinez Vich
You may have noticed Jaume Martinez Vich using an Adidas paddle this weekend at the PPA Tour Bristol Open. All we know for sure right now is that it was a prototype, and we have heard rumblings of new paddles coming from the sports equipment and apparel giant soon.
If the new model is good enough to help Martinez Vich get to Championship Sunday, it’s probably worth getting excited about. Be on the lookout next month for details on what’s coming.
QUICK HITS
It’s science: Study recommends 2 “pickleball nights” per week
Love in the air: It’s officially pickleball wedding season
Throwback: Is it unfair to expect points like this every day?
What did you think of this week's newsletter? |