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Goodbye, pros: Recent tennis-to-pickleball converts are beating out seasoned pros

PLUS: A paddle with a changeable grit is coming + Paddletek has been acquired by 35 Capital

Welcome back, picklers

Read time: ~5 min

The future of pro pickleball players has really become a hot topic. So much so that when I made a claim about it in the r/pickleball Reddit community, people did not hold back.

Also, the first giveaway is here! If you love Harry Potter, you won’t want to miss it.

Now, on to the newsletter.

How to read The Pickle Talk:

  1. First, don’t click any links just yet. Read it all the way through, and then send it to a friend you think might benefit too.

  2. Next, come back and dive into the links that caught your eye.

  3. Last, go play some pickleball and stir up conversations with your newfound knowledge.

Enjoy :)

TODAY’S BANGERS:

  • Pickle Talk: Will recently converted tennis-to-pickleball players soon dominate pickleball? Let’s discuss.

  • Bite-Size Pickle: A paddle with a changeable surface grit + Canada’s $5,000 pickleball spa, announced

  • Golden Pickle: Paddletek has been acquired by 35 Capital

Let’s get into some... PICKLE TALK 🎙️

(TL;DR= Too Long, Didn’t Read = Summary)

(WPAS= What people are saying)

🤔 Will recently converted tennis-to-pickleball players soon dominate pickleball? Let’s discuss.

The 2024 PPA Hyundai Masters was definitely an interesting time if you were able to sit down and watch. Some notable outcomes came from it:

  • Jack Sock made his debut and managed to earn bronze in the men's singles.

  • Tennis player and teenager Quang Duong took out #1 seed Ben Johns.

  • Hunter Johnson (top 10 seed) fell in the first round of qualifying to former University of Miami tennis star Stephen Madonia.

What struck me was that while most pro pickleball players have prior tennis experience and then switch over (Ben Johns, for example), this new batch of pickleball converts are seemingly changing up the game and beating seasoned pickleball pros at their game.

Jack Sock, for example, came in with powerful bangers that have not been seen often on the court.

And Quang Duong’s agility and unique style of playing challenged Ben Johns, resulting in a win for the 17-year-old.

Note: Viewers challenged Duong’s serve. He responded. (refer to snap shot section.)

WPAS: I took up my observation and asked the pickleball community to see what they had to say. To say the least, it was very mixed.

Most people had no problem pointing out the fact that most of these pros were already high-level tennis players before (as mentioned previously), but my observation was simply that these newer players are bringing a different type of spice to the game.

Some notable comments:

While Jack did very well as tennis doubles, he got to #8 in the world in singles. He did achieve a #2 ranking in doubles and won a gold medal as well. Bottom line. Jack was a world class tennis player.

IMO, tennis players have already taken over pickleball, but they were all college players and a few pros, but this new wave of pros is coming.

Jack Sock looked like he put in some serious work and was way more prepared.

Quang looks like to be a new generation of singles players that can change the meta of Pickleball. His semi-western grip is super uncommon on the tour, but he can rip that thing hard.

This question was positioned to start a conversation, and it definitely did not disappoint. I think we can all agree that even five years from now, the game will be completely different from what it is today. 15-year-olds will be ready to compete at a high level and likely gain an advantage in the future of the game.

To me, the pro side of pickleball is just getting started.

RIP to my mental health as I tuck this debate away for good. whew.

Insider Info: The “quiet” OWL pickleball paddle

A few newsletters ago… I shared that the first ever USA Pickleball-approved “quiet” pickleball paddle was released for sale. I have been scouring the web to find reviews on how this paddle plays (other than from sponsered players) with very little luck.

Well, it’s our lucky days because a fellow pickler who’s finally got his hands on the paddle has reached out and will be supplying us with some first-hand experience playing with the paddle.

I will include his full review (and possibly some video) either in next week’s newsletter or the one after that.

Stay tuned!

*BITE-SIZE* PICKLES

1/ ➜ Happenings: A company by the name of Reload Pickleball has been in the year-long process of creating a patent-pending paddle that gives players to ability to swap out surfaces when needed (i.e renewable grit).

According to one of the hosts of the Pickleball Studio podcast, the process is foolproof and easier than applying a screen protector to a phone.

It is projected to be released early in 2024 and is hinting at a subscription model.

Join their email list to stay up-to-date.

***

2/ ➜ Happenings: Canada isn’t letting their brutal winters stop them from playing pickleball. For a limited time, a pickleball/spa combo named DinkDunk Pickleball Spa will be opening from March 16 to March 23. The reservation waitlist opened on January 16.

Here’s the ad (plays in newsletter):

Located in Quebec, Canada, the spa featured other amenities like cold plunges, fire pits, and amazing food.

The price? It starts at $4,715 per pair (4 days/3 nights). YIKES.

GOLDEN PICKLES

🎫 Breaking: Paddletek has been acquired by 35 Capital, the firm that also owns ProXR, Boundless Pickleball and MLP franchise Chicago Slice. Top pros that used to be under Paddletek, like Anna Leigh Waters & Andrea Koop, have had their contracts absorbed by the firm.

🎫 Pro Pickleballer Tyler Loong’s take on the new PPA official pickleball, the Vulcan. In summary…it’s softer & slower.

🎫 Self-proclaimed Japanese pickleball champion-to-be showing off those skills (57.9k views and counting). Wishing you luck!

🎫 The PPA Masters Recap, short and sweet.

🎫 12-year-olds showing some true pickleball skill at the PPA tour. A GOAT in the making.

🎫 If someone if your life doesn’t think pickleball is a contact sport… Show them this.

🎫 ICYMI: Here’s last week’s newsletter (PPA Masters testing a new serve)

The Pickle Talk Giveaway

Any Harry Potter/Pickleball fans out there?

As a big thank you to all of our readers here on The Pickle Talk newsletter... we are giving away new, custom-bling, Harry Potter Blender Bottles.

⭐️ This week, we are giving away the blue Ravenclaw cup. ⭐️

To enter, simply like this newsletter & share this Pickle Talk newsletter via the button with 5 other picklers you know. That’s it!

The winner will be contacted via the e-mail used to subscribe to the newsletter.

(Giveaway ends Monday (1/22), winner contacted Tuesday (1/23))

→ Be sure to check back in each week for future giveaways.

Snap Shots 📸 of the Week

No pickle left unturned 🥳

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Until next time, picklers.

Jonathan W.