Anna Leigh’s Secret Serve, Kitchen Tips & More
Hello, FUN Family!
Welcome to the first edition of the FUN Pickleball Newsletter! We are so excited you have given us your trust by subscribing. Thank you for your support and we promise we will never take your inbox for granted. Our goal for each and every edition of this newsletter is to bring you something that informs, educates, entertains and/or inspires you.
Instructional Content COMING SOON
Getting better at pickleball is FUN! We’ve got some instructional content in the works and we can’t wait to share it with you.
Here’s a tip of the week to kick us off: The Kitchen Always Works
One of the questions we are asked most often when running clinics is “Where should I hit this shot?” While there may be an optimal shot at times (say, into a corner when your opponent is out of position, or down the line if they’re covering the middle of the net), dropping the ball into the kitchen is ALWAYS the correct play. A ball placed in the kitchen, generally, cannot be attacked effectively by your opponent, and it’s typically not going to be a ball that you’re going to hit out.
Don’t try to do too much with your shot. It doesn’t require a lot of thinking. Just drop the ball in the kitchen, shallow enough and low enough that it cannot be effectively attacked by your opponent, and you’re ready to play the next ball in the point.
Yes, as we alluded to above, there may be more “optimal” shots to hit. But a ball placed in the kitchen is NEVER WRONG in pickleball – so keep that in mind the next time you’re uncertain about where to hit the ball.
The Anna Leigh Waters LOB SERVE
Last week at PPA Newport, Mary played Anna Leigh Waters in singles. Mary has played Anna Leigh multiple times and has even taken games off of her. But this time, Mary faced something she had never seen before: The Lob Serve.
We are not kidding when we say Anna Leigh hit the lob serve on every point. At first you almost think she is toying with you, but there is real strategy behind it. We wouldn’t expect anything less from the GOAT.
The lob serve is effective because it pushes your opponent back and forces them to hit their return high on their body. People also tend to be afraid to hit the return hard because they don’t want to miss the shot. This gives Anna Leigh a weak ball she can attack on the third shot and crash the net.
Try incorporating the lob serve in your game this week and see if it creates better third shot opportunities!
FUN Community Spotlight
This week we are highlighting Eitan Weisner out of Costa Mesa, California. Here is Eitan sporting a FUN hat with his bronze medal at the PPA Newport tournament this past weekend.
Eitan started playing pickleball way back in 2013! He is a true SoCal OG. He told Mary that his goal for 2026 is to play more singles. He loves the challenge of singles and is excited to test his skills in the months ahead. He even got a bronze medal at the PPA Tour event in Newport Beach last week. Let’s go Eitan! Eitan truly embodies the spirit of “FUN” on and off the court. If you’ve ever thought about trying singles, this is your sign! Singles is a good workout and has different elements than doubles. Playing singles can even improve your doubles game.
Thanks for reading.
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Until next time, KEEP IT FUN!
– Maggie, Mary, Nick, & Vinnie (The Fun Pickleball Crew)
