Today's edition is brought to you by Tifosi Optics — offering a wide selection of eyewear designed for clarity and comfort on pickleball courts.

Thrive AZUL— From Dennis Rodriguez

Hey friends!

So, I’ve been spending some time with the Thrive AZUL 16 lately, and I have to say—it’s been a bit of a love story from the first dink. I’m really impressed by the feel and balance, and it’s got just the right blend of power for my game. To break it down, I’d say this paddle leans more toward the power side of an all-court setup. When it comes to ripping drives and serves from the baseline, it delivers, but despite that power, it doesn’t sacrifice control. That balance puts it high in my all-court paddle rankings without it feeling like a typical “power paddle.”

First off, Thrive nailed the presentation—seriously, they even throw in some lead tape, a keychain, and exact paddle specs (like the actual weight and balance of your specific paddle, not just a range). I love when brands pay attention to those details. When I first held the Azul, I could immediately tell it’s well-balanced with a swing weight that felt perfect at 117.92.

Consistency & Accuracy

There’s almost zero learning curve with this paddle. From my first drop to my first dink, I felt locked in. The control is on point; wherever I aimed, the ball went there with the pace I expected. The grit lets you mix in different spins easily, and honestly, I felt like I could stop worrying about things like grip pressure and just focus on playing.

Power

I’ve tried my share of carbon/Kevlar paddles, and the Azul really stands out. The only one that’s matched it in power so far is the Maverix Havik 15-Pro. Serves and drives were effortless, and I was comfortably hitting speed-ups too. Contrary to what some folks have said, the pop was actually a bit less than I anticipated—though that worked in my favor when it came to control, especially during resets.

Spin

Spin is where this paddle shines. I was consistently getting around 2200 RPM and found myself putting more movement on the ball than usual. Whether I was dinking at the kitchen or hitting a backhand roll, the Azul gave me the confidence to really lean into those shots.

Defense to Offense

Once I adjusted to the slightly lower pop, transitioning from the baseline to the kitchen felt super smooth. My resets improved, and I noticed a bump in my soft game almost immediately. If you like mixing spins into your game, this paddle has you covered.

Feel & Feedback

It’s got a stiffer feel compared to other Kevlar paddles I’ve tried, which might make it easier for someone switching from a raw carbon surface. The shape provides a generous sweet spot, and you get great feedback on contact.

Overall Thoughts

The Thrive Azul plays like a pro-level paddle: well-balanced, easy to swing, great spin, and solid power. It’s not intimidating to pick up, and the transition from my current paddle was a breeze. It might be a bit much for beginners due to the added pop and power, but with some drill time, I think anyone could grow to appreciate it. At $199, it’s a solid investment if you’re exploring Kevlar paddles without wanting to compromise on power.

View at Thrive

How to Surprise with Deception— From Mike Branon

In pickleball, when a ball is hit low to you up at the non-volley zone, the standard play is usually a return dink or maybe a low volley. These are high-percentage plays, but sometimes you can mix in some deceptive or aggressive shots to surprise your opponents when they’re at the kitchen. These shots require more skill than your regular dinks, volleys, and groundstrokes. You’ll need to put in some practice time not only to perfect your technique but also to disguise your intentions. So, let’s take a look at how you can mix up your game and keep those other guys guessing.

Dead Dink

First, keep in mind that you need to find the right ball to attack—namely, what I call a dead dink. This is when the ball is hit medium depth in the kitchen with a nice bounce, so it sits up a bit in front of you (Figure 1).

When this happens, try to contain your excitement and make your shot look like a dink until the last second. Your goal is to disguise and surprise. When attacking a low ball with both teams at the kitchen, it’s best to go after the player in front of you or split your opponents with an aggressive shot. These shots are the flick, the drive, and the roll or rollover.

Flick

The flick uses almost no backswing as you flick the paddle with a short snapping motion, sending the ball at the upper body of your counterpart. Yes, you’re often trying to hit the other player, and this is perfectly acceptable in competitive or tournament pickleball (Figure 2). Just make sure it’s okay with the rest of your group when playing for fun—you don’t want Gretchen keying your car in the parking lot afterward.

This ball isn’t hit too hard, so even if you hit your buddy up high, they should survive the experience. However, this is one more reason to wear protective eyewear when you play.

The Drive

You can also drive the ball into your opponent’s body with an aggressive stroke designed to beat their reaction time. You’re not necessarily trying to keep the ball on the court; you’re just trying to catch a piece of their paddle or body. The best place to aim your attack is the hip and armpit area of their dominant side, forcing them to chicken wing with their backhand or awkwardly flip their paddle to their forehand. Be careful when driving the ball directly at their paddle, or you may get counter-attacked by a skilled opponent.

The Rollover

If you’re a kinder, gentler soul and prefer your winners with a minimum of pickleballs bouncing off your friends, then you can use the rollover shot. This shot is usually played down the middle and must be hit with a low to high paddle path that imparts topspin so the ball can be hit firmly enough to split your opponents but with enough overspin to bring it down into the court (Figure 3).

Don’t try to physically roll your wrist over too much, or you won’t make solid forward contact. The low to high swing path with a short to long follow-through will do the trick.

Swing Path

My wrist pushes forward right before contact and stays in that position through impact. This adds power and drives the ball low as I brush over the top of it. Also, my paddle doesn’t start much further back than the kitchen line or my hip. A bigger backswing telegraphs your intentions—for younger players, I assume it would instant message your intentions, I don’t know. One way to set up this shot is with a cross-court dink wide to the backhand that opens up the middle. Sometimes you may need to take a step back or to the side to give yourself room to execute the shot. This may reveal your intentions, but getting in good position may allow you to hit a good enough shot that it just doesn’t matter.

Drop Shot

The shots you’ve just seen are played when both teams are at the kitchen, but there’s also a deceptive shot you can play when the other team is back on the court: the drop shot.

There are two situations that suit this shot well. One is when your opponent hits a hard drive from back on the court. Your goal is to take their pace and deaden the ball into the kitchen (Figure 4).

You can angle the ball off the court or drop it low with a little side spin or underspin. You want to keep your grip soft and feel like you’re almost catching the ball with your paddle. Another good time for a drop shot is when you receive a high ball that looks like it will be slammed. Show that paddle like you’re going to crush it, put on your “I’m going to pound this sucker” face, and then drop it into the kitchen like laying a baby into its crib.

To Wrap Things Up

There are other tricky moves, such as attacking with a no-look shot or twisting your paddle face at the last second to change direction. Feel free to play around with these and other fun shots. You can play with Erne’s, go around the post, and you can look for those online to see techniques on how to do them. Just remember: don’t get too tricky and take unnecessary chances, losing points by getting caught up in hitting highlight-reel shots when really, good old basic shots are going to get it done. Deception and aggression at the kitchen add a lot of spice to your game. They keep your opponents guessing. Play the percentages, but have a little fun too because that’s what we’re all out here to do. Enjoy these shots, and I’ll see you on the courts.

Support for Children’s Respite Care— From Monica Butler

For lovers of the game, there is a whole new reason to celebrate. This past July, state of the art pickleball facility Pints and Paddle in Maple Grove, Minnesota, hosted a fundraiser for a children’s respite care center. Crescent Cove, the first of its kind in the Midwest, “provides care and support to children with shortened life expectancies and to their families who love them,” says Jenny Floria, Engagement and Communications Manager of the respite center.  “We don’t focus on the diagnosis, we focus on what the child needs. Our nursing motto is to make every day the best day ever for every child.”

Kids who have a respite stay at Crescent Cove enjoy rides on a pontoon, pet therapy, arts and crafts, in addition to their daily medical care. Parents and caretakers can rest easy, knowing their kids are in the hands of professionals. “These children are receiving advanced nursing care 24 hours a day. They have a great time and their parents get to finally take a break.” says Jenny.

Tammy Skaja, co-founder and owner of Pints and Paddle, was happy to donate the space for the fundraiser. The inspiration behind Pints and Paddle was simple: “We have long winters and hot humid summers and we felt like this would be a great addition to our community.” What’s more, Pints and Paddle Taproom Restaurant is not your average bar. The menu features ahi tuna bowls, steak sandwiches and more than two dozen self-serve beers on tap as well as cider, seltzer and a variety of wine.

“Because pickleball is so social, we felt it was really important to have a gathering space,” Tammy says. The genius of the space isn’t just that its high ceilings are professional grade or that its 10 indoor courts afford you the opportunity to play year round, but also that the space can be used to support a great cause like Crescent Cove. 

Players of all skill levels enjoyed friendly competition and even professional instruction during the fundraiser. Matt Haugdahl, professional pickleball player and director of operations at Pints and Paddle is thrilled to be on board. “Pretty much since birth I always had a ball in my hand. I always wanted a career in sports. It’s a dream come true, hands down.” Although he is relatively new to the game – like many others who caught on during the Pickleball boom of 2020, Haugdahl plays professionally and is sponsored by Selkirk. Meanwhile, he instructs and runs operations at Pint and Paddle. “It’s unbelievable, It still hasn’t hit me yet because I’ve been so busy. I love it here, I plan to stay here for a very long time.”

The same energy radiated from all those in attendance, augmented by the love of the game and the support of a worthwhile cause. At Crescent Cove, “we focus on making it a place of light and joy,” says Jenny. What could be a more winning combination than that?

Event Spaces

For more information on Pints and Paddle, go to https://pintsandpaddle.com/

For more information on Crescent Cove or to donate, go to https://crescentcove.org/

See everyone next time!