^{Advertise | The Dink Home | Shop Gear | Subscribe}

Your DUPR Rating is about to get smarter and more accurate, thanks to AI-powered video analysis coming to the platform next month. The news just broke today. We’ve got the exclusive scoop below.

In This Issue:
— Why your drive matters more than ever
— Should pros be allowed to wear bucket hats?
— Pro sues former paddle sponsor for ‘fraud’

In it to win it.

A debate has picked up steam since Aussie Joey Wild rocked a bucket hat during an MLP match: does that make pro pickleball look… less professional? Now pundits, pros, and armchair experts are choosing sides. What do you think… free the bucket hat?

Former Proton-sponsored athlete Kaitlyn Christian has sued the company for alleged breach of contract and fraud, seeking nearly $400,000 in damages. We dug into some of the details alongside Zane Navratil — let’s break it down.

It’s human instinct to aim attacks directly at your opponent’s chest. But that’s not good enough anymore. Instead, says pro Jack Sock, send those speed-ups at the hip or shoulder instead. If the ball comes back, it’ll likely be weak and easy to put away.

You all voted the Bread & Butter Loco as your 2025 Paddle of the Year in The Dink Awards. And with good reason. Well, now that B&B has merged with Selkirk, a new, grittier Loco is on the way. That means the original is dropping all the way down to $135, beginning Tuesday, 7/28. See the hype, then mark your calendars.

Here at The Dink, we know a lot about pickleball strategy and technique. We live this sport, after all — studying it, watching it, playing it religiously ourselves.

But few people on earth know more about the intricacies of advanced pickleball than multi-time PPA Tour medalist, MLP champion, and living legend Andrei Daescu.

We can study game film until our eyes bleed, but we decided to ask Andrei the Giant himself what he feels is the most important shot or skill right now.

“If you asked me what one shot has changed pro pickleball the most over the last year or so, my answer is pretty simple: The drive,” he told us.

A few years ago, the third-shot drive was weaponized as a finishing shot. A dagger. You pulled the trigger because you thought you could win the point outright or force a weak return.

“That's no longer the primary goal,” Andrei explained.

“Today, the best players often drive to earn a better drop. That might sound backwards, but it's become one of the biggest strategic shifts in the game.”

As for where to aim your set-up drive? Take 20% power off and put it somewhere they’re not. Forcing your opponent to take even one step before defending a low, topspin-heavy drive makes generating offense for them nearly impossible.

“In today's ultra-fast-paced game,” said Andrei, “that matters more than ever.”

➡️ Andrei wrote a whole post on this, just for The Dink. Check it out here.

Have a strategy question you want answered by a pro? Send it our way: [email protected]

There have never been more high-quality pickleball paddles, which sounds great until you're nine tabs deep and no closer to buying one…

Here's a shortcut: let the deal decide.

JustPaddles marked down paddles from Engage, Franklin, Friday, Six Zero, ProXR, and more, anywhere from 10% off to (a frankly insane) 70% off.

Plus, their picks are already pulled (the Franklin C45 Dynasty, the Friday Aura Pro, the Six Zero Coral), so you're choosing between winners, not guessing.

But they move fast at those prices.

Shop the deals here and use code THEDINK at checkout.

Beginning this August, AI-powered video analysis will become part of your DUPR Rating, adding another layer of insight to help you understand your game on a deeper, more intuitive level.

That means your DUPR Rating will be enhanced by AI-powered video analysis provided by one of their many technology partners, including PlaySight, PB Vision, Swing Vision, Volley, Track Tennis, Save My Play, and more.

If you’ve ever wondered what shot led to the most unforced errors or who contributed more winners, you or your partner, DUPR is on it. And AI-powered analysis is the engine behind the advancement, providing:

It’s a brave new world out there. And DUPR promises this is just the beginning.

➡️ Read more from the DUPR team.

Bonnie and Ky have been retired for about 10 years. But instead of simply joining a book club or working in their garden, they chose a slightly more ambitious path.

The couple has played on more than 550 pickleball courts across 30 different countries.

“What began as a fun way to stay active quickly became something much larger,” says Bonnie. “As full-time travelers, we discovered that pickleball offered something rare: an instant sense of community almost anywhere in the world.”

Some of their favorite stops include Papaya Pickleball in Bangkok, Thailand, Tumbleweed Park in Chandler, Arizona, and the courts of Vienna, Austria, scenically placed on the doorstep of the United Nations building.

During one two-and-a-half-month trip through Asia, they hit the courts in Taiwan, Hong Kong, Thailand, Vietnam, and South Korea.

“Everywhere we went we found players deeply committed to growing the game,” says Bonnie.

➡️ Read more about their incredible pickleball journey, including photos from their travels.

Here's a small thing that quietly costs rec players points: you practice all week on whatever ball is rolling around the bag, then show up to a tournament that plays a completely different one. 

The bounce is off. The speed is off. You spend your first two games adjusting instead of winning.

Easy fix: play the ball you'll compete with. Almost every sanctioned event runs the Franklin X-40, from your local APP stop to the US Open.

It earned that spot. 40 machine-drilled holes for a true, repeatable flight, and a seamless one-piece build that holds up on outdoor courts instead of cracking after a week.

Restock with a pack of X-40s and practice how you play.

Pickleball Inc. and the Pickleball World Cup today have officially joined forces in an effort to “accelerate the global growth of pickleball through expanded international competition.”

That means, beginning in 2027, PPA pros for the first time will have the opportunity to compete for their countries as part of the global competition.

Currently, PPA Tour athletes in the Top 20 across disciplines (singles, doubles and mixed doubles) represent 18 different countries, including some of the biggest names in the sport: Gabe Tardio, Federico Staksrud, Eric Oncins, Catherine Parenteau, Andrei Daescu, Tina Pisnik, and more.

➡️ Learn more.

A review from the Dink Fam...

If your company is interested in reaching an audience of active pickleballers, you may want to give us a shout.