Editor’s Note: Liz Truluck, currently ranked 37th in Women’s Doubles, 32nd in Mixed Doubles and 18th 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.
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…
