🎯 ALW’s Paddle Deal — contract drama, Nike rumors, & why this matters for the sport
🌪️ Backhand Angled Roll — deceptive, nasty, and officially next on the drill list
✋ Backhand Flick Breakthrough — the “throwing a card” cue that finally clicked
🚫 Public Confession — I hit three out balls (yes, really) + the drill to fix it
🧠 Playing With Pros Changes Everything — patience, placement, and why drops beat drives

Let’s get to it!

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If you missed it: Anna Leigh Waters’ paddle contract with Paddletek expired a few days ago (December 31, 2025, to be exact). She’s already been scrubbed from their site — which is usually the loudest quiet signal in sports.

So the question everyone’s asking is simple:

Where does the face of pickleball go next?

Zane did a great breakdown of the likely contenders — Joola, Selkirk, Franklin Sports, Adidas, Wilson, Vulcan — and why most of them run into real issues around priority, prestige, or paddle readiness.

And after watching it all, here’s my take:

I hope it’s Nike.

Now, I know Nike doesn’t currently have paddle tech worthy of the GOAT — but Nike has a long history of solving that exact problem through partnerships. Think Nike × Skims.

Nike brings the brand, design, and cultural gravity; the partner brings category expertise.

Which is why my dream scenario is Nike × Selkirk.

It makes sense. ALW already moved on from her apparel deal, which gives her a clean slate. Nike could fully outfit her — shoes, apparel, the whole thing — and a Selkirk collab would instantly solve the paddle piece.

And let’s be honest… how cool would it be to see Nike further legitimize our favorite pastime?
(Also, if they want to sponsor Five Dink Friday, I am very available.)

If I were ALW’s agent, I’d be pushing her toward something bigger than pickleball-only brands. This feels less about “who has the best paddle right now” and more about who can build something larger around her.

Nike would allow her to break out of the endemic pickleball bubble and elevate her into true mainstream athlete territory.

That’s how you build a personal brand.
That’s how you build an empire.

Wherever she lands, this will be a monster deal. Eight figures wouldn’t shock me — not for one year, but for a multi-year, category-defining partnership.

And yes, I slid into Tom Barnes’ LinkedIn DMs to tell him I’m rooting for a Nike collab. If I hear anything back, you’ll be the first to know.

Vote. Speculate wildly.
And feel free to hit reply if you’ve got a conspiracy theory I should hear. 👀

I love deceptive shots — anything that moves my opponents and makes them guess.

That’s exactly why I saved this Instagram tutorial.

Lately, I’ve been leaning hard into short shots:

It’s taken my game to the next level, and it’s super fun.

So when I saw this backhand angled roll, I knew I needed to master it next.

I think the best time to use this is

This is one you have to watch performed first — the visuals matter.
But once you do, keep these execution cues in mind when you go drill it:

I’m not great at this shot yet.

My backhand flick is currently a solid 50/50 — sometimes it’s money, sometimes it floats… and sometimes it sails way out. So yeah, it’s been living rent-free in my head.

That’s why this tutorial immediately grabbed me.

The way he explains the backhand flick — like throwing a card — was a total lightbulb moment. Suddenly, the mechanics made sense, especially what shouldn’t be moving.

The tutorial itself is excellent… and honestly, the coaching tips in the comments are just as good. His replies helped me better understand what was breaking down in my own execution, so don’t skip those.

👉 Watch the tutorial here:

And because I needed a quick reminder I could take straight to the courts, here are the notes I’m working from:

Now time to go drill…
And if your flick suddenly starts snapping instead of floating… you’re welcome 😉

I need to publicly confess something.

I pride myself on not hitting out balls.
I’m not perfect — but I’m usually like 93.4% solid at letting balls go and knowing what’s flying long or wide.

But Wednesday?

Oh boy.

I hit three out balls in two hours of play.
Not close ones.
Not “maybe clipped the line” ones.

Full-send drives that were so out they practically needed a passport.

So yes — this section is just public humiliation.
A little self-flagellation.
A written confession in hopes that shame will correct my future behavior.

Because if I’m going to preach “leave the out balls,” I can’t be out here swinging like a hypocrite.

Which brings me to this genius drill for training yourself (or a very special partner 👀) to stop hitting out balls. It’s simple, slightly humiliating, and apparently highly effective.

I stumbled on a Reddit thread this week asking what people learned from playing with pros — and the comments were full of familiar themes:

Middle dominance.
Insane anticipation.
Unforced errors disappearing.
Placement over power.
Patience.

Reading it, I realized… this is exactly what I see every Sunday.

I’m lucky enough to play almost weekly with Jon, a 5.0+ player — and he doesn’t know this, but he’s completely changed how I play.

He doesn’t do stupid stuff.
And he’s taught me to slow it down.

I used to drive and attack way more than I should. Not full banger mode — but I didn’t truly understand how powerful patience is.

The cat-and-mouse.
The pressure without rushing.
The art of forcing pop-ups instead of trying to create winners.

Then last Sunday, another PB mentor (Brent) gave me a perfectly timed lesson.

We had an open invitation to the kitchen — and instead of dropping, I drove the ball.
Worse… straight at the 5.0+ player.

Instant counter.
Ball at our feet.
Side out.

Stupid move.
But a huge lightbulb moment.

That single point finally made it click: against higher-level players, a good drop is offensive. A hard drive just hands them control.

Since then, I’ve been dropping more.
Resetting more.
Moving people instead of trying to overpower them.

When I hit an unattackable drop, I rush the net — because I know I’ve either won the kitchen or forced a pop-up I can finish.

I still drive when it makes sense:

But now it’s intentional.

Same goes for speed-ups.

Watching partners speed up balls when they’re off-balance, late, or below the net makes me twitch. It’s the fastest way to lose momentum — and usually the point.

I love pickleball that feels like a dance.
A symphony.
Pressure, restraint, timing.

And once you start playing that way?

It’s really hard to enjoy pickleball any other way.

So yeah — thanks Reddit.
Thanks Jon.
Thanks Brent.
And thanks to every better player who’s quietly made me more patient, more calculated, and a little harder to beat.

TED Talk over. 🏓

If this had you rethinking when to attack or geeking out over the ALW paddle rumors, send it to someone who’d enjoy it — or at the very least could benefit from the out-ball training drill.

If this landed in your inbox via a friend, hit subscribe so you don’t miss next week’s drop.

Until next week…
may your flicks stay low and your 2026 pickleball calendar stay full.

—Janelle 🏓✨

P.S. We’re ringing in the New Year in Miami and the Florida Keys — and yes, we packed the paddles. We plan to play pickleball every single day, and I’ll be reporting back on the Florida scene.

If you’re in the Miami area, hit reply and let’s play.
If you know the best courts or open play spots, send them my way.