Listen up, pickle nerds. MLP’s 2026 season kicks off today in Dallas. If you’re already a fan of pro pickleball’s team format, good on you. If you’re not, here are three reasons to tune in and give it a try:
A new league format means every game matters (translation: heated rivalries just got even more intense)
The St. Louis Shock paid the league more than $1 million to re-draft Anna Bright (think she’s feeling the pressure?)
Where else can you watch Anna Leigh Waters and Jorja Johnson play together? (spoiler: nowhere)
In This Issue:
— All things MLP
— Selkirk debuts Omni paddle
— How to hit a forehand slap
Friday vibes through the roof.
Our Picks 👆
🚦 Now Entering: MLP’s New Era
Major League Pickleball is still a new professional sports league. Entering this season, they’ve held just 30 total events. But this year everything changes: 20 total teams, a deeper pool of talent, and higher stakes for every event. We caught up with commissioner Samin Odhwani to get the inside scoop before today’s season opener.
✅ This Is New: Square Top. Round Hole. No Regrets?
We know we’ve said this before, but this might actually be the wackiest paddle ever approved by USAP. It comes from a brand called DadGum and features an odd rectangle shape with a small, round throat hole. Oh, and 1-gram removable weights all around the perimeter. Not sure we’re feeling this…
🚨 New Pro Rules: Now in Effect
The UPA’s new rulebook officially goes into effect today with the advent of the 2026 MLP season. Stricter serve rules, penalties for poor sportsmanship, actual accountability for bad line calls. If you’re a true fan, brush up on what’s new.
🔥 Trickshot: Christian Alshon x Dude Perfect
The guys from Dude Perfect might be aces with a football, but when it came time to nail an “impossible” pickleball trickshot, they enlisted the help of pro Christian Alshon. He got it eventually, but it took him over 1,000 attempts…
You Probably Haven't Heard of the Forehand ‘Slap.’ Let's Change That...
There comes a time in every game when you just need to put the ball away for good.
Maybe the game is tight and you need a momentum shift. Maybe you’re the underdog and can’t afford to give up easy points. Maybe you’re tired and just need the point to end.
Whatever the case, there’s a time and a place for the forehand slap shot.
💡 Unlike an overhead smash, the forehand slap is a compact, violent putaway motion used on balls hanging just above shoulder level.
Here’s how to pull it off:
✅ First, recognize the right ball. Contact should be made around shoulder height, with the ball out in front of your body. Again, this isn’t an overhead or a counter or a punch.
✅ Next, think of the swing motion like cracking a whip. No big loopy backswing. You’re not swinging high to low, either. Your swing path should be more horizontal than vertical. You’re aiming out toward the opposing baseline not down at the net.
✅ Finally, power is generated from your legs, through your core and shoulder rotation, and should explode out through a loose arm. Finish with your chest pointing at your intended target.
This whole motion is fast and nasty. Aim at your opponents’ feet or the baseline. Angle it out wide when you can. The entire purpose of the forehand slap is power and precision. Done correctly, it’s not coming back.
This New Full-Foam Paddle Is Going a Different Direction
A lot of the new Gen 4 paddles feel like they were designed by someone who only speeds balls up.
Great for highlights. Tougher for resets.
Warping Point’s brand new Sophon goes a different direction.
Instead of chasing maximum pop, they built a full-foam paddle focused on touch, dwell, forgiveness, and consistency — the stuff most players actually notice once the game speeds up.
Drops feel more connected. Resets stay calmer. Mishits don’t instantly punish you.
You still get enough power to finish points, but without feeling like every ball might accidentally launch into the next court.
The Sophon officially launches today at $149.99 — noticeably lower than a lot of the Gen 4/full-foam market right now.
A Boomstik With a Soft Side?
You know the Boomstik. You either love or loathe it, depending on whether you play with one or against one.
On June 2, Selkirk will launch its successor, an all-court, full-foam paddle called Omni that dials the power output down a bit in favor of more control.
Omni will debut in a range of shapes and colors for $300, and retain Selkirk's InfiniGrit surface.
We can't give you all the details just yet, but we can say there's one key technical innovation involved that’s bound to spark some debate.
Fresh Faces, New Matchups: Mapping All 20 MLP Rosters
The 2026 Major League Pickleball season is here. And this year, things will look a little different.
There's a new pool format, with winners crowned at each event
Each team carries six players, with everyone eligible to play every event
Challenger Level is gone – this year it's just 20 teams total, that's it
Speaking of those 20 teams, there's been a lot of shuffling around since last season, and an influx of new, young talent.
Ben Johns has a new men's doubles teammate. Young gun Tama Shimabukuro will get serious time on Utah. Jorja and JW aren't playing together for the first time in forever. (Jorja's new women’s teammate? That would be Miss Anna Leigh Waters.)
Oh, and top team the St. Louis Shock are fully intact once again, thanks to some deep pockets that made Anna Bright the league's first-ever million-dollar draft pick.
We laid out all the rosters, above, plus a handful of helpful resources to get you primed for this weekend’s MLP season opener.
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9 New Paddles We Have Our Eye On
So many paddles, so little time.
Loads of brands big and small are making great paddles right now. So how do you find the one that's best for you?
It could be the one you're playing with. But more and more, odds are there's a better core material, or shape, or surface grit that might suit your game even better.
Fear not, we've got you covered.
Here are nine paddles worth a second look. Some have been around for a minute but just debuted a new shape. Others have added new durable grit materials. A handful are brand-spanking new. (Plus a bonus sneak peek that’s not even out yet.)
Headlines & Quick Hits
How to Stay on the Pickleball Court Longer
Parris Todd Can’t Play MLP Dallas — Here’s Why
Advanced Pickleball: How to Hit a 3rd Shot Roll Drop
Highlights
Epic diving get, terrible chest-bump
Gabe Tardio’s trick for faster hands
Barstool Sports hypes MLP
Missed a recent issue? We've got you covered
A review from the Dink Fam...
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