Anna Leigh Waters is, by and large, the most consistent player in the sport, with 50 women’s singles titles, 43 in women’s doubles, and 41 in mixed doubles.
At just 18 years old, the pickler is the current World No. 1 in women’s singles and already regarded as one of the finest players in the game.Her ability to strike the ball with sheer power and precision has captivated crowds, while her exceptional court coverage and swift, agile movement leave opponents scrambling for winners.But it is her serves that continue to captivate fans, coaches, and opponents alike. Her style of hitting the serve with a forehand-like motion and shifting weight into the ball generates power through body mechanics, aiming to disrupt opponents. And now, Anna Leigh and her mother-cum-coach, Leigh Waters, have deciphered the secret behind the perfect serves.
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“If you are in a tournament, definitely let the referee say the score,” began Leigh Waters. “Even though the rule says you can start your motion while the referee is speaking, as long as you make contact after they say the score. Anna Leigh likes to start her motion, but if the referee’s cadence is off just a little, Anna Leigh is hitching through the service motion.”Hitting the Forehand ServeAnna Leigh is fuelled by early enthusiasm, and she always craves points. She is quick, often starting before the referee can even pronounce the score. Her game is prone to break if the referee speaks up and interrupts her. For Anna Leigh, the ideal way to start is by waiting for the referee to finish saying the score.Anna Leigh is known for hitting the forehand. Explaining her style of serves and deciphering the difference between serves in pickleball and tennis, Anna Leigh said, “In tennis, the overhead serve is completely different. But in pickleball, the serve feels like you’re hitting a forehand, and I feel like a lot of players sometimes struggle with the serve, but then they have a great forehand. Think about hitting a forehand as your serve. That has helped me a lot.”
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To achieve perfection, Leigh suggested her daughter adapt to target practice. “Before you serve, pick your target, look at it, and then go. Because there’s so many things you can be thinking about, it’s just you with the ball, everybody’s waiting, and your mind can be going in a thousand places. But the easiest way to reset and get focused is pick a target and go,” said Leigh.Beating the Monotony But things can be monotonous. However, Leigh is always brimming with ideas to make the training exciting for Anna Leigh.”For people who are practicing their serves, it can be a little boring and monotonous. The best way is to get some targets out and place some targets and play a little game with yourself. Or, if you have a practice partner, play little games against each other to hit targets. That’s what we do, and it’s really the best way to stay focused,” she recommended.”And then when you get into your match play, you can see the targets you hit in practice,” Leigh added.There was also an occasion when Anna Leigh fully focused on playing serve in a match just to achieve precision and perfection. And such hell-bent dedication in training has rewarded her profusely, making her the youngest World No. 1 and earning her the tag of being one of pickleball’s earliest superstars.