New Jersey 5s Sweep Their Way to MLP Columbus Title
Pickleball.com staff report the New Jersey 5s closed out Super Sunday in Columbus with a dominant performance to win the 2026 MLP Columbus event, with Anna Leigh Waters leading a 5s lineup that finished the weekend unbeaten on the Pickle and Chill courts. The win flips New Jersey to the top of the season standings after the Los Angeles Mad Drops grabbed first place at MLP Dallas the week before, setting up a Mad Drops vs. 5s rivalry as the league heads to MLP St. Louis June 4 to 7.
Read at Pickleball.com →How to Use the Transition Zone to Attack Before Reaching the Kitchen
The Dink Media Team lays out a framework for using the transition zone as an offensive launching pad rather than a no-mans-land players try to sprint through, focusing on reading short balls early and choosing between a controlled drive and an aggressive roll volley before the opponents reset. The guide breaks down footwork patterns, paddle position, and the specific shot heights that justify going on offense from mid-court instead of defaulting to another third-shot drop.
Read at The Dink →Tama Shimabukuro Has Another Chance To Show He Is More Than Pickleballs Next Big Thing
World Pickleball Magazine analysis frames the PPA Asia Macao Open as the next test for 15-year-old Tama Shimabukuro after a breakout month of results in Asia and a strong showing at the Veolia Atlanta Pickleball Championships in the US, where his ceiling as a singles and doubles threat moved from prospect to live contender. The piece argues Macao is where Shimabukuro stops being framed as the next big thing and starts being judged like a top current pro, with the No. 1 seed in men's doubles and No. 2 in men's singles raising the floor of what counts as a successful week.
Read at World Pickleball Magazine →
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