Hey Team!

The APP Chicago tournament was a blast. We were 2 points away from making it to the semi-finals again! 😳

We came out of a timeout at 9-8-2 to win the match...but, unfortunately, we couldn’t finish it off. Lessons were learned. 🧠 

Now, I know how to handle myself strategy-wise in a situation like that. 💪

Later in this email, I’ll recap the match more for you.

Now, let’s get to your Week 13 video!

In today’s email:

• 🤫 EXCLUSIVE VIDEO: What to Think When Dinking Crosscourt

• ⏱️ Get your 60-second fix

• 👀 A recap of APP Chicago

What You Should Think When Crosscourt Dinking 🧠

Many of you have requested this video, and I’m so glad to finally bring it your way! The week 13 exclusive video covers exactly what you should think when crosscourt dinking.

🕺 “How can I move my opponent around?”

When they dink, most people are too worried about simply getting the ball over the net. At the kitchen line, you should think, “How can I move my opponent around?” You can go wide, middle, or even at them to get a pop-up!

By moving them around, you’re forcing them to be uncomfortable, which can easily result in a pop-up you’ll be waiting to pounce on!

🐅 “How can I take advantage of being aggressive?”

When you hit a dink wide, most players will just stay where they are. This is a mistake! 👎 Instead, you should shift over and have your paddle ready to strike the next ball if they leave it up slightly.

You can see me do this in the video.

🎯 “How can I get a pop-up to attack?”

Your main focus should be to make your opponents hit awkward shots.

This means hitting dinks that force them to step off the line, backward, and side-to-side. 👈 👇 👉

The next time you play a match, look for your opponent’s weaknesses when dinking to learn where to hit your shots against them.

🔔 Practice

Grab your drilling partner and practice moving them around at the kitchen. See if you can identify where they are weakest and how to take advantage of them.

When a ball is left up – attack! Encourage them to do the same to you so you can learn your own weaknesses and both of you become 5.0-level dinkers!

If I Could Go Back In Time…Here’s How I’d Improve ⏰💪

When we first start playing pickleball, we aren’t thinking a whole lot. As we progress, we need to play smarter. Here’s how I’d improve my game quicker if I had to start all over…

IN UNDER 60 SECONDS 👈

A Recap of APP Chicago

Kyle “ThatPickleballGuy” Koszuta and I played against William Sobek and Jason Bock (two respectable players above 6.0 DUPR) in the Quarterfinals.

We won the first game easily and convincingly, 11-2.

Game two was a dogfight that went back and forth. We ended up being up 9-8-2, and they called a timeout.

When we came out of the timeout, we had the mindset of “let's grind them down until they miss.” When it should have been, “Let’s go take it from them with aggression.”

Out of the timeout, we hit a third-shot drop that was a little high due to nerves, then missed a tough reset. They scored three straight to win it. 😔 

If I could go back in time, I would listen to my own advice and hit a third-shot drive at 70% power with the intent to get an easier next ball!

It's all good. I'm glad that happened because if it hadn’t, I would have never analyzed the situation. 🤨

Until next week! ✌️

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