Danni Elle Townsend didn’t plan on becoming a pro pickleball player…

Now she’s the #3 overall pick in MLP, playing for the defending champion Columbus Sliders.

We sat down with Danni LIVE at the Atlanta National Pickleball Club to talk about her journey from Australia to the biggest stage in pickleball—and what it’s actually like stepping into Major League Pickleball as a rookie.

In this episode, we get into:

How Danni went from casually playing to going pro

Making the move from Australia to the U.S.

Getting drafted to the Columbus Sliders

The pressure of joining a championship team

What surprised her most about MLP

Rookie life, team dynamics, and behind-the-scenes moments

Plus plenty of classic PicklePod chaos

If you want to understand where the next wave of pro talent is coming from—this is the episode.

Be the first to try Zane's new course here: https://tzpickleball.com/

Check out Zane's Pro Pickleball Talk channel on Discord: https://discord.gg/wzNVADmZb

#Pickleball #PPATour #PickleballPodcast

Leave your voicemail for the PicklePod at (512) 200 - 4299

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0:00 Intro

1:12 Australian roots

4:42 An illustrious table tennis career

9:05 Training for table tennis in Japan

12:59 How does table tennis convert to pickleball

23:04 Pro pickleball decathlon

27:52 Players in Asia living on moneyball tournaments

31:16 Does pickleball require more skill or athleticism?

35:47 Should blowing the ball be legal?

39:33 Danni + Zane challenge the rules

43:19 Known for playing loud and trash-talking

47:42 How Danni deals with pressure

45:10 Working with a coach

1:01:27 Nerding out on Star Wars

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She Thought Pickleball Was a Drinking Game Now She's a Top Pro