Liz Truluck Checks In With The Dink Ahead of Her MLP Australia Debut

Editor's Note: Liz Truluck, currently ranked 36th in Women's Doubles and 19th in Women's Singles on the PPA Tour, is documenting her trip Down Under for The Dink playing for the Fast Fours in MLP Australia.

Welcome back to my journey at the MLP Australia Gold Coast!

The past two days have been a whirlwind of preparation and exploration on the beautiful Gold Coast. I started each of my mornings off with a refreshing long walk along the beach and surrounded by wildlife to ground myself and get ready for the day. 

On Wednesday, the Fast Fours (my team) and I practiced off-site under the glaring sun to adjust to the 85-degree heat. I met our coach, Ben Costin, who not only played with us but also worked with us afterwards on specific areas we needed to refine.

The event courts at RACV Royal Pines Resort.

A key focus of mine during practice was acclimating to the Dura Fast 40 ball used for the MLPA and PPA events this weekend. With the PPA in the United States now using the Vulcan Pro Flight in tournaments, getting extra reps with the new ball was helpful, as there is a slight difference in how the ball affects the speed of the game and ultimately strategy. 

On Thursday we had our designated practice slot on the event courts at RACV Royal Pines Resort. The courts, covered by a large white canopy, were bathed in a beautiful light as the sun peeked through. The backdrop of the stunning golf course added to the overall charm of the facility.

Jamie Wei, my teammate, had arrived in the afternoon, so we all gathered at 5pm to get our team uniforms, engage in team media, and get some practice in at the site. Unpacking the team gear evoked nostalgic memories of college tennis and reminded me of how much I love and miss participating in team sports. And everyone’s jersey had our last name on it – pretty sick! 

Practicing on the match courts was a great opportunity to get a better feel for the PickleRoll, the surface being used this weekend. We got plenty of mixed and gender doubles practice in, where we were able to feel out game styles, work on patterns, and continue developing our chemistry on court.

After practice there was a players’ party, where they provided tacos and we were able to hang out and get to know other MLPA players on other teams. We ended the night by taking a large group photo.

So far, one of the main things that has stuck out to me is the strong sense of community in Australian pickleball. Although we are all here to compete and want to win for our team, there’s a sense of a supportive nature and genuine camaraderie among players and teams. The warm welcome to me and other new players have made this experience even more enjoyable and excites me for the rest of this weekend!

Tomorrow, Friday at 3pm AEST (Friday, 1 am ET), catch me and the Fast Fours (George Wall, Lucas Pascoe and Jamie Wei) take on the Western Vipers (Andy Horridge, Ryan Henry, Shelby Bates, Emilia Schmidt) in a rally scoring format (Championship Court on Pickleball TV and Grandstand Court on PPA Tour Australia YouTube).

I'll check in and update you all on how it's going soon!