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In a surprise social post last week, PPA Tour CEO Connor Pardoe announced a new playing schedule for all future events that shifts competition hours well into the night.

Good for players, good for viewers? Zane and Nico discuss on this week’s PicklePod.

In This Issue:
— Show us your best overgrip
— How to beat stackers
— 10 options for MLP Commish

It’s go time.

If you’re guilty of offering unsolicited advice on the court (shame on you), consider this point from a recent Reddit post: “Let them LEARN from their mistake by losing the game. Experience will always be the best teacher.”

Pickleball’s new meta may be speed and aggression, but sometimes the best strategy is to bring your own game down a notch or two. Here’s how to regain momentum by purposefully playing boring.

Look good, feel good. Feel good, play good. And credit where credit’s due… this might be the cleanest overgrip application we’ve ever seen. Think you can do better? Prove it.

The pros get a week off before the tour rumbles on to the bright lights of Las Vegas. We’ll have a full preview of that soon, but for anyone dying to know what’s in store, here’s a little taste.

Stacking looks complicated, but get past all the fancy movement and it actually telegraphs exactly where your opponents are going.

Know what to look for, and there are a few predictable weaknesses you can exploit over and over again.

When the serving team is stacking, hit your return toward the vacating side, or the side your opponent is leaving. And when in doubt, put it deep, low, and right down the middle.

It’s exceptionally hard to hit a clean drive or drop while your feet aren’t planted under your body. Force them to hit in transition and you should be able to pounce on the next ball.

A few other pointers for dismantling a stack:

Just remember: Stacking is a tactic, not a magic bullet. Don’t let it lull you into bad decisions or trying shots you wouldn’t normally rely on. Exploit it when you can, but don’t let it dictate your own game.

➡️ The ultimate stacking defense.

Stria noticed the pattern before they understood it.

Customers in Utah, Austin, and Florida were all buying up the same basketball shoe, and none of them played basketball. They played pickleball.

Why? They wanted ankle support and a locked-in feel they couldn't find anywhere in pickleball footwear.

So, Stria built one on purpose. The G1 Pro takes the basketball DNA those players were after (internal heel cup, wide supportive base, foam midsole built to absorb impact) and tunes it for the sport that was already buying it up.

Gabe Tardio helped design it start to finish. And if you haven't tried a pair yet, you're behind the curve.

Lace up the G1 Pro and get 10% off with code THEDINK.

On this week’s PicklePod, Zane checks in from Spain while Nico is live in Mexico to discuss the ins and outs of PPA Arizona.

On the docket:

The guys also discuss the news that MLP Commissioner Samin Odhwani is leaving the league and introduce a new phrase to the pickleball lexicon: “clubby hands.”

➡️ Watch the full episode now.

After two years at the helm, MLP Commissioner Samin Odhwani is moving on, transitioning to a new role within Apollo Sports Capital and SC Holdings, overseeing the recent $225 million investment in the future of Pickleball Inc.

It’s a big new role, to be sure. But he can’t assume it until his current seat is filled. So, clock’s ticking.

There is no shortage of intriguing options for the next commissioner of Major League Pickleball. Some already work inside professional pickleball, while others bring the type of television, sponsorship and league-building experience MLP may need for its next stage.

Current MLP GM and The Dink’s pro expert, Eric Tice, put a short list together. These are all speculative, but each one brings something new to the table.

Some of those names you should recognize. Some you might not. Any could be heir to the MLP throne.

➡️ We go into each in depth, right here.

Three different doubles partners told her the same thing: your drive is too fast.

Not too weak. Too fast. The kind of fast that feels great off the paddle and loses you the point anyway.

Why?

The pace that feels powerful is usually the pace that gets punished. A pro hitting it "soft" doesn't look soft at all. And a hard drive is only the right call about 5% of the time.

Here's what's actually happening when you rip it.

We’ve told you the pickleball facility boom is likely over. Showed you examples of clubs that opened with high hopes, but are now struggling to find a buyer.

But it’s not all doom and gloom. Many facilities around the country are thriving. And while thoughtful programming and slick amenities are nice to have, it’s a sense of community that’s proven the common thread among the most successful options out there.

For one club in Utah, Premier Pickleball Club, that’s become their calling card. And they’re leaning on a small but prolific group of content creators to spread the word:

“The community gets built on the court. More and more, it gets found on the feed,” writes Ben Borton, Founder and CEO of PodPlay. “And the people doing the finding for you aren't just club marketing departments. They're local players with phones, a point of view, and a few thousand followers.”

Creators get free memberships, can shoot without clearing it in advance, get invited to grab B-roll at events, and get swag and unlimited replays.

In return, the club gets organic, authentic promotion from their happiest customers.

“You can pour concrete in ninety days,” says Borton. “You cannot pour belonging.”

➡️ Read the full story.

A review from the Dink Fam...

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