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Hey Pickleballers!

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Tournament season is in full swing, and we'll be bringing you weekly winner predictions for every Pro tournament across the globe.

This weekend is a packed one, with two tournaments occurring simultaneously - the PPA Ororo Minnesota Indoor Open and the APP Punta Gorda Open.

A few notable details...

...at least two players are traveling to Minnesota for singles and then back to Florida for singles on Sunday. (Only one made our top 6 picks). Now that's dedication, Ryan Sherry and Frank Anthony Davis.

...Dekel Bar (APP) and Ben Johns (PPA) both opted out of singles this week.

...Alix Truong made our Top 100-18 & Under List. Good luck to all our rising stars.

Who are you rooting for?

The biggest misconception? That slice comes from the wrist.

It doesn't. Not from the backhand side, not from the forehand side. Nowhere.

Backspin is generated by two things: a slightly open paddle face and hitting through the ball. That's it. Your wrist stays locked. You're not flicking or rolling or snapping anything. You're cutting through the ball with a steady hand and an open face.

You can technically produce spin by whipping your wrist, and yes, the ball will spin backwards. 

But that's not a controlled shot. That's a gamble. What Mari does is different. She hits through the ball with a firm wrist and lets the paddle angle do the work.

Want more slice? Open the paddle face a little more. Want a flatter ball? Close it slightly. The wrist never changes. Only the angle does.

One warning: if you open the face too much, the ball goes too high. Find your range and stay in it.

Find your contact sweet spot

Here's the second thing players get wrong. They slice too far out in front of their body or too close in, and neither works well.

You want that middle zone where your shoulder and elbow feel comfortable and organized. For Mari, that's slightly in front of her body. Not extended out like a topspin shot, and not cramped tight against her side.

This is going to be slightly different for everyone. The key is finding where your arm feels relaxed and in control, then making contact there consistently.

Grip: close, but not exact

Mari holds a near-continental grip for almost all her slices, with a slight turn toward eastern. Why? Because paddle face angle is everything with this shot, and the continental family of grips makes it easier to get that face open naturally.

That said, she's the first to tell you it doesn't have to be exactly what she does. If someone tells you a grip has to be a specific way, that's usually not true. Find what lets you get that face open comfortably and go from there.

The four slice shots, broken down

Slice serve

The serve is the one shot you have full control over, which makes it a great place to practice your slice. Mari hits it close to her body and tosses the ball directly to her slice contact zone. No guessing, no adjusting mid-swing. Toss to where you want to make contact, and cut through it.

Slice return

Unlike a topspin return, there's no big backswing here. You're coming into the ball and pushing forward. The benefit? Your body weight transfers forward naturally, which makes it easier to get up to the kitchen line right after contact. Give yourself space to come into the ball, make contact slightly out in front, and let that momentum carry you up.

Slice reset

This is one of Mari's favorite reset options. Elbow tucked, shoulders organized, wrist locked. She's not swinging. She's pushing the ball forward with that open face, and it lands soft in the kitchen. Hold the paddle firm, push out in front of you, and trust that a little contact is enough. No wrist needed.

Slice dink

This is the one Mari loves most. The wrist is completely locked. The swing is compact. And she can be aggressive with it, going down the line or crosscourt, all with that same controlled cut.

If you're missing into the net, open the paddle face a bit more. If the ball is floating too high, you've opened it too much. Adjust the angle, not the swing.

You don't have to slice everything

Mari loves to slice, but you do not have to slice everything. 

The point isn't to copy her shot selection. The point is to have the option. Some players hate playing against slice. Some love it. Either way, if you can't produce it reliably, you're missing a tool. Add it to your game, get comfortable with it, and then decide when to use it.

Give it a try. Your opponents might not love it, but that's kind of the point.

Ready to test your slice in a rated match? Find a DUPR-rated event near you and see how it holds up.

Want to learn more from Mari? Subscribe to Mari on YouTube for more lessons, strategy breakdowns, and on-court tips.

AUSTIN, Texas (July 23, 2024) – The Dink Minor League Pickleball (MiLP), powered by DUPR, the organization dedicated to creating more events and opportunities for amateur players in the US and worldwide, is excited to announce that Pickleball World Rankings has been named the 2024 Title Sponsor.

Since its inception, The Dink Minor League Pickleball has hosted over 125 events involving over 11,000 participants, thanks to its exciting format and electrifying atmosphere.

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This strategic partnership means players can now accumulate points by participating in both MiLP events and the PWR World Tour, with all match results counting towards a player's DUPR (Dynamic Universal Pickleball Rating).

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These points can be used to compete in the MiLP National Championship and the PWR World Series.

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This collaboration builds a foundation for The Dink Minor League Pickleball powered by DUPR to become the largest worldwide platform for amateur pickleball players to participate and compete in local, regional, national, and international tournaments.

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"We are excited to partner with The Dink Minor League Pickleball as the title sponsors," said Pranav Kohli, known across the pickleball community as the CEO of Pickleball United, the innovative rollout court solution.

• Looking to organize a Minor League Pickleball event in your area? Click here for more details and information
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"It gives us immense pleasure to announce that players in The Dink Minor League Pickleball events will be able to earn PWR points, and the top male and female athletes will be given an all-expenses-paid trip to play in the PWR World Series."

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"PWR is the perfect partner for The Dink Minor League Pickleball," said Thomas Shields, Founder of The Dink. "We're looking forward to bringing our players new and innovative ways of interacting with the sport they love."

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“We’re committed to creating more competitive opportunities for players everywhere in the world to play pickleball,” said Tito Machado, CEO of DUPR. “Aligning The Dink Minor Leagues with Pickleball World Rankings gives us the ability to bring more people into the game with exciting opportunities to compete, win prize money and support the global growth of the sport.”

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About Pickleball World Rankings

Pickleball World Rankings (PWR) is a composite global ranking system that allows pickleball players worldwide to earn points and improve their rankings. The PWR World Series consists of six major events held at iconic venues across the globe. The goal is to establish these events as the "Grand Slams" of pickleball.

You can find PWR on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

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About The Dink Minor League Pickleball

The Dink Minor League Pickleball is the future of pickleball. It offers an innovative team competition where teams of four players (2 women and 2 men) compete against each other in a novel and engaging format, with twists on traditional match-ups and scoring for games, matches, and tiebreakers.

Sign up today to compete in The Dink Minor League Pickleball events near you!

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About DUPR

DUPR (Dynamic Universal Pickleball Rating) is the premier global pickleball rating system and technology platform, trusted by the world's leading clubs, tournaments, leagues and players. DUPR's dynamic rating system unifies pickleball across age, gender and location by analyzing match results to accurately evaluate all players across a 2.000 - 8.000 scale.

Players and operators can visit www.dupr.com to sign up and learn more.

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About The Dink

The Dink is pickleball’s #1 media and news source, offering a range of content via its newsletters, website, podcast network and social media channels. The Dink reaches over 1 million pickleball players of all levels, covering news, stories, providing tips and strategy, product reviews, pro analysis and basic information about the sport. The Dink is also the creator of The Pickleball Box, a pickleball subscription box, and hosts a number of pro, amateur and celebrity events throughout the year.

Visit thedinkpickleball.com to learn more.

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