Guys, I’m gonna be honest. I’ve been feeling TIRED. My content game? Slacking. My newsletter writing? Not in the room with us. My YouTube production? Minimal. But… my pickleball? BETTER THAN EVER BABY. Let’s talk about it, and about everything else that’s been happening in the first three weeks of the MLP Regular Season. #GoShock️

WINNER: Parity at the TOP

A huge winner so far to me is new regular season format that combines the standalone tournament events of old with the season-long points totals we’ve used the previous two years. This format makes it feel like you’re playing for so much more every weekend while as a player you are still able to keep the bigger picture (and championship goal) in mind. Having “winners” of each event provides far better storylines and makes the Sunday matches feel way more special.

The top 5 teams in the league are the Shock, 5s, Mad Drops, Brooklyn, and Columbus. No team has really separated from the others yet (and Brooklyn has only played one event in which they largely were without Riley Newman), and there’s a real feeling that any team of these five could win, which is so exciting. Currently, I’d argue Brooklyn and Columbus are a small step below the teams that have each won an event this season, but the margins are very close, and whoever peaks in the playoffs will come away with the title. We are basically playing for seeding right now. I am very excited for the first 5s v Mad Drops matchup (and hopefully for Ben vs AL in mixed of course!!!).

LOSER: Rollout Courts and Bad Bounces

The commentators were clearly instructed not to discuss the terrible bounces we experienced this week, and often the lack of commentary and ensuing awkward silence when something completely unplayable happened was hilarious. I’d be lying if I said that playing on rollout courts generally feels unprofessional to me at this stage of professional pickleball. Playing in an arena is cool enough and professional enough that I am fine with playing on such courts at Chaifetz, and I think the bad bounces and subpar courts are worth it to play at this particular venue, but generally, I am not a fan.

Rollout courts are not good for a few reasons.

Again, I think to play in Chaifetz these things are worth it, but having to play in Columbus on rollout courts was disappointing as that’s a racket facility and the courts were resurfaced when we played there a few years ago when I was on the Ranchers in 2022 (I bet a lot of you don’t know I was ever on the Ranchers!). I think the sport should be moving away from rollouts as much as possible, ESPECIALLY at venues that are not iconic enough to warrant their unavoidable downsides.

WINNER: Dreambreaker Parity

This could be viewed as a winner or loser depending on your view (it is fun to watch someone who is terrible at singles fight their heart out on occasion), but this year the move to allowing for bench players to play in singles has been super positive and has made pretty much every team dangerous and competitive in a dreambreaker. Last year there were teams you felt very safe going 2-2 with, but this year, I don’t feel safe going 2-2 with anyone.

I’m sure MLP wishes more dreambreakers were occurring, but it’s quite cool to now have singles players so good that other very competent singles players are now sitting. Gabe Tardio and Max Freeman come to mind as they are now sitting for John Lucian Goins and Gabe Joseph respectively despite being very competent in dreambreakers last year. In all honesty, I’m not yet completely sold on the singles specialist thing when you do have a doubles player that’s competent as there’s just something to be said about being both warm and having DB experience (we saw Keilly Ulery struggle with this pressure yesterday against Etta Wright, who she would probably beat handily in a PPA), but I think this is a really cool development for the league and allows teams more flexibility to evaluate singles and doubles talent more separately.

LOSER: Brooklyn Cannot Get Healthy

Brooklyn had a great first event of their season, managing to secure third place even without Riley Newman after their first day of competition. It’s my understanding he developed some kind of bone bruise/tendinitis in one of his feet. Chris Haworth played admirably, and I would definitely put his performance in the “win” category, but you can’t deny Brooklyn has really been hit hard the last two years and I hope their luck changes.

To make a deep push come the playoffs, they will need to be healthier and firing on all cylinders, but I’d still argue the week was generally very positive for them. Rachel went 11/12 and her only loss was to Ben/Jade. Jackie played great and Chris Haworth looked like he might even threaten for Riley’s spot by the end of the season… if I were Riley I’d be in a rush to get healthy for sure. You can’t teach the kind of power Chris has, and he already had a 50% win rate (including a clutch clinch against the Squeeze!) while looking VERY raw and even a bit lost on occasion.

WINNER: Left Side Anna

I would be lying if I told you guys I wasn’t very nervous about making a big return to the left side after almost exclusively playing the right for the last 8 months. Even when I have played the left, playing the left with Anna Leigh is very different from playing it with anyone else as with her I am still not taking the middle (which I am FINE with), but it’s very different.

Happy to report that I’VE STILL GOT IT !!! I actually don’t think I’ve ever played a better left side which is super encouraging and I’m excited at all the things I have added and am continuing to add. My forehand out of the air from the left has never been better and I think its progression is largely attributable to the work I’ve done to improve this shot from the right. I’m proud of how hard I work, and it’s so rewarding to see that work manifest in the heat of competition. Of course, none of my play would be possible without Kate also finding a new level - she was more offensive in this event than I’ve ever seen her, and we just might be a problem for the community (this is my current favorite saying). Excited for our next test against Anna Leigh and Jorja (our only losses all season).

LOSER: Passive Play

I have become increasingly convinced that aggression, momentum, and energy are king at MLP. Of course these things matter at PPAs as well, but in MLP it’s just different. Playing one game to 11 versus 2/3 inherently makes things more volatile, and volatility favors psycho play. I think this effect is only further emphasized in women’s doubles, and Kate and I came into this event really wanting to up our aggression and intentionality, and it definitely paid off.

Catherine and Jade struggled a bit this event, going 2-4, and I think their more solid, passive style of play is partially the cause. They played against teams that have more of an ability to “get hot” than they inherently do (including Liz Truluck/Callie Smith who were on a heater). In the PPA Finals, this team nearly made the final, but in the craze of Chaifetz Arena they had some surprising results. I wouldn’t panic if I were LA by any means, but I just think it’s interesting and wonder if Jade and Catherine will come out firing more in their next event.

WINNER: Hayden Patriquin

Hayden hasn’t been playing to his potential towards the end of the PPA season and in the first few events of the regular season, but he seems to be all the way back.

Him and Gabe made some adjustments in men’s and him and I talked about adjustments for mixed and we definitely found our flow again. Hayden was seeking out practice this week more than I’ve ever seen him do, and generally took everything way more seriously and it showed in his play. He dominated the player standings and the court, and I want to say a personal thank you to everyone who lit a fire under him as we cannot win it all without Big H being Big H (@Zane, your YouTube video in particular probably did the trick LOL).

I could write about all of this ad nauseam, but there are other things I need to get to. Excited for a week at home, but MLP will be back in action this week in Austin, Texas!

SLAMIT FOCUS !!! My Signature Flavor is HERE! 

As a parting thought - you guys know I’m a HUGE fan of SLAMIT, and my signature flavor Cherry Limeade FOCUS has finally launched! You can use my code ANNA30 for 30% off - I take this stuff every morning and took it about half an hour before the match vs the Drops yesterday and you guys saw how possessed I was. 

It’s nine supplements in one and has brain vitamins, 90 minerals, electrolytes, coconut water, and all the benefits of caffeine without the negatives (so you can still have your coffee, which I do LOL). If you give it a try let me know how you like it (:

That’s all for this edition folks - much love, ALWAYS!

XOXO, Your Internet Bestie, Anna