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Are you using the wrong paddle shape? RPM Founder James Ignatowich dug into his sales data and discovered a pretty shocking trend: far more rec players than we realized favor one specific profile. Would our games be better off if more of us switched? You be the judge below.

In This Issue:
— Clubs are struggling to find buyers
— Gary V defends pro pickleball
— Add stakes to your rec play

We’re all in this together.

Ben Johns and Gabe Tardio have now won gold in an incredible nine consecutive PPA Tour events they’ve participated in, establishing them as the clear team to beat. Does anyone else stand a chance?

Everyone warns you’ll never get better by targeting the weaker opponent in rec play. That’s largely true, but consider this: it could be a great opportunity to work on a shot or skill that still feels weak to you.

Over the past 10 weeks, nine pickleball facilities around the country listed for sale cut their asking prices. Not by a little. The typical reduction was 39%. Welcome to the great facility valuation reset.

It’s come to our attention that a shocking number of rec players are still opting for elongated shape paddles (more on this below). But we want to hear it from you:

Drilling. Filming yourself and watching it back. Reps on reps on reps…

There are several tried-and-true ways to get better every time you hit the pickleball court. But we all know open rec play is the most fun. That’s why we do it the most, by far.

The pros love it, too. But some of the best players in the game are adding a layer on top that ups the ante just enough to make it matter that much more.

Anna Bright preaches this to anyone who will listen. She loves adding stakes to her play sessions — whether that’s with her MLP teammates or other drilling partners. A friendly game of butts-up. Push-ups. The next team dinner tab…

When there’s something on the line for the losing team, all of a sudden everyone locks in a bit more. Shots are more dialed. Decisions more crisp. Even the trash-talk goes up a notch.

It’s all in fun. But it helps her stay locked in when the session is in its second or third hour. And yes, it could help you, too.

➡️ Try it for yourself. It could make all the difference.

The Ultré Power 2 from 11SIX24 has been flying off the shelves since it dropped.

And it's the paddle people keep chasing for a reason: a flat top shape that keeps the whole face in play, real spin off the HexGrit surface, and UPA Pro certification for tournament play.

There's a fresh batch available right now, and history says it won't sit for long. If you've been waiting for it to come back, now’s your time.

Grab the Ultré Power 2 before it’s gone (and don’t forget to use code THEDINK for $10 off at checkout)

Professional pickleball is no stranger to celebrity endorsements.

Tom Brady, LeBron James, Drake... the list is long and illustrious and seemingly growing by the day. Pickleball is exploding, and that means there's money to be made for those bold enough (and with pockets deep enough) to invest early and hold on for the ride.

But that doesn't mean there aren't detractors. For every major step the pro product takes forward, there's always some vocal minority shouting from an X handle or a comment section somewhere about why it'll never be as big or as important as other professional sports.

Well, media guru Gary Vaynerchuk has something to say about that. He's on the ownership team of the 2026 Major League Pickleball Champs New Jersey 5s, but he's far from just a figurehead: his media company is involved in repping the sport's brightest star, Anna Leigh Waters, and it's not uncommon to see him down at bench level for big matches, especially the MLP Finals in New York City.

Recently, Gary Vee took to X to put pickleball's current growth phase into a bit of perspective. The dude's 50, as he notes, and has lived at the nexus of sports and media more than pretty much anyone else on earth.

“Every sport that’s massive today was small and easy to dismiss at some point,” he said. “I think people dramatically underestimate how much room there is for more sports, pickleball… included.”

➡️ Read Gary’s full response.

PPA Asia hosted its sole event in September last week, the Kuala Lumpur Cup. A bunch of top-tier pros made the trip, and a few captured podium spots — and a nice cash prize for their efforts.

Here’s who came out on top:

🏆 Men’s Doubles: Gabe Tardio and Noe Khlif def. Augie Ge and Len Yang
🏆 Women’s Doubles: Jessie Irvine and Alex Truong def. Danni-Elle Townsend and Sahra Dennehy
🏆 Mixed Doubles: Gabe Tardio and Jessie Irvine def. Joey Wild and Danni-Elle Townsend
🏆 Men’s Singles: Tama Shimabukuro def. Noe Khlif
🏆 Women’s Singles: Kaitlyn Christian def. Brooke Buckner

Gabe is no stranger to medals, of course, but two golds is a stellar result for Jessie.

Next stop for PPA Asia: Hong Kong in mid-October.

➡️ More from Malaysia, here.

Pickleball footwear usually plays it safe. Function first, everything else an afterthought…

Stria didn't come out of pickleball. It came out of basketball, and it brought basketball's sneaker culture, athlete input, and the idea that a shoe should bring some swagger.

That's the thinking behind the G1 Pro, built with pro Gabe Tardio down to the ankle support that shows up in nearly every wear test.

The roster's growing, too. Rising pro Danni-Elle Townsend just signed on, and the G1 Pro just landed a new Glacier colorway to go with the expanded lineup.

Performance is still the foundation. Wide base, impact-absorbing foam, locked-in heel. Stria's just betting it doesn't have to be the only thing the shoe offers.

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

James Ignatowich says no.

The former top PPA pro and current founder of RPM Pickleball recently dug into his company’s sales numbers and found that a whopping 80 to 85 percent of its paddles sold are elongated — despite RPM also offering widebody, hybrid flat-top and hybrid curve-top shapes.

And, he surmises, other paddle brands are likely seeing similar sales trends.

He’s not buying it.

“I would be surprised if 80 to 85 percent of players were better suited with an elongated paddle,” he said.

There’s nothing wrong with the elongated profile. But now that widebodies and hybrids have advanced in their own right (look at the popularity of flat-top hybrids as an example), there should be more of a distinction between what you’ve always played with and the shape that’s actually best suited for your game.

James’ hypothetical breakdown of what the market should look like? Roughly 45–50 percent elongated, 25 percent hybrid and 25 percent widebody.

➡️ “I think a lot of people buy elongated just because their friend got one.”

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.