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The Dink and DUPR announce joint venture

The Dink and DUPR announce joint venture

Slow is smooth and smooth is fast. Creeping closer to the top spot.

April 15, 2024

Scottie does it again. Scottie Scheffler is on a heater in 2024. He captured his second green jacket Sunday at the 88th Masters Tournament.

How does one celebrate a Masters win? You will probably find Scheffler on the pickleball court. He is an avid player and part owner of MLP’s Texas Ranchers.

With this type of success, don’t be surprised if the rest of the tour tries to copy Scheffler’s pickleball cross-training hobby.

What products do you use to optimize recovery after pickleball?

In This Issue:

🧠 Slow Motion
🎙️ Answers from Augie
🏆 Sweeps on Sunday

Time to become a Master.

Slow It Down

One of the big differences between pros and amateurs is the speed of the game. Not how fast the ball is moving, but the speed with which the players see the game.

More experience on the court leads to faster processing time. It allows you to anticipate what will happen next and prepare accordingly.

A piece of advice that any beginner can benefit from is to slow things down. Slow the game down to your speed until you develop control of the ball and start to anticipate what is coming next.

That starts with your swing.
You can’t just flail at the ball and hope it goes where you want it to. Pickleball requires such little force that a swing at 50 percent power is plenty enough to clear the net and even reach the backcourt.

Next is shot choice.
A drive is a great way to end a point fast. Either you force a mistake and end the point or make a mistake and end the point yourself. Favor the drop over the drive in the early days.

The same applies to speedups.
Don’t start a firefight unless you have a plan. You will start to see openings where your opponent is out of position or off balance and then you can take advantage.

A beautiful part about the game is that it can be won with power OR finesse. Favor finesse until you're able to handle the speed and power.

Rule the Court

Ever feel like your game starts strong but doesn't finish that way? It’s not just in your head — it might be your paddle.

Meet the Selkirk Vanguard Control Invikta, the paddle that ensures your gameplay remains sharp all match long. With its advanced QuadCarbon Face and solid PolyCore interior, this paddle delivers both power and finesse, keeping you in control from start to finish.

Explore the Vanguard Control Invikta now and maintain your edge, all game, every game.

Introducing The Dink Minor Leagues

Have you ever wanted to experience the rush of playing Major League Pickleball? To team up with your pickleball crew and take on the world? Feel your heart beat out of your chest on match point in a Dreambreaker?

Now is your chance.

Thanks to a new partnership between Minor League Pickleball and The Dink, The Dink Minor Leagues will extend the reach of MiLP to create more events and opportunities for amateur players in the United States and worldwide.

The MLPlay™ format allows teams of four to compete against similar DUPR-rated players for a chance to win money. The Dink Minor Leagues will host more than 200 events in the United States alone. A series of seven regional events will lead to the National Championships in December.

Find out how you can register to compete and get involved in The Dink Minor Leagues.

Jansen Returns to the Top of the Podium

Yesterday wrapped up week two of the four straight weeks of PPA tournaments this month. You can check out the full recap, highlights and results here.

Lea’s first gold of the year
Lea Jansen, who has been a top singles player on tour for years, finally ended her championship drought dating back to 2021. Hindered partly by Anna Leigh Waters’ dominance and a hiatus from singles, Jansen returned to the winner’s circle yesterday with a finals win over Samantha Parker.

Fed creeping closer to No. 1
Federico Staksrud captured his third title of the year and played in his seventh straight final of 2024. His consistency has helped close the gap between him and Ben Johns. Fed is now in striking distance of Johns, as he sits just 350 PPA tour points behind the leader.

Johns Bros on the clock
Time was of the essence for the Johns brothers yesterday. They didn’t waste a single serve in an 11-0, 11-2, 11-2 rout over Federico Staksrud/Pablo Tellez in the men’s doubles final.

The Wright fit
Etta Wright filled in for ALW as Ben Johns’ partner this week in mixed. The partner change did not alter the expected results. Johns/Wright cruised to a mixed-doubles title. Anticipate more strong results from silver medalists Tina Pisnik/Dekel Bar as well after another strong finish.

A clear No. 2
Anna Bright and Rachel Rohrabacher added another doubles title to their resume this weekend. The duo has a stronghold on No. 2. Could they make a run at the top spot in women’s doubles over the second half of the year?

The PPA Tour is running it back this week with a trip to So Cal. The LA Open begins this week at Los Cab in Fountain Valley, CA.

Special Delivery for Pickleball Players

Do you wish someone would send a box full of pickleball gear to your house every three months?

If only they’d curate some of the newest and best products on the market, pack them together, and send them to my door. Well, look no further. Pickleball’s #1 subscription box is here.

Sign up for The Essentials Box or The Pro Box and receive a ton of pickleball gear for nearly half the price. You can save even more this week with code DINK25.

Pickleball Fans Are the Best Kind of Fans

Florida pro sports teams are embracing pickleball fans. Both the Tampa Bay Rays and Florida Panthers held a “Pickleball Night” last week.

Both events were put on by All Florida Pickleball and featured a court outside the arena where fans could dink before the game.

In Tampa, 600 fans received a custom Rays Engage paddle. Engage owner Robert Elliot dished out the first pitch. The Rays were thrilled with the support of the pickleball community and have committed to another pickleball night next year.

At the Panthers game, fans received a custom Panthers Diadem paddle. Pro players Brendon Long, Bobbi Oshiro, Will Howells and Heather Nobler put on an exhibition before the game.

When you're looking for tickets to support your local team this spring, take a look at the promotions calendar and see if you can sync up with Pickleball Night near you.

Unique Pickleball Drills with Augie Ge

Augie Ge’s unique entry into pickleball had an unfortunate beginning but became a blessing in disguise. After losing his biostatistics job, Ge went all-in on pro pickleball.

His own brand of obscure drills and tennis/table tennis background has led him to a PPA Silver Medal, MLP Premier Level, and an Arizona Pickleball League title. Learn more about Augie on a new episode of PicklePod.