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A famous Bond villain from the 80s has a new enemy: Pickleball.

Specifically, noisy courts invading his peaceful, oceanside Florida enclave. Now the “License to Kill” star is taking the fight to the HOA.

In This Issue:
— The pro pickleball paddle police
— ‘Care less’ and other mental tips
— Full predictions: PPA Cincinnati

“You could have had everything.”

Pro pickleball’s paddle police, the UPA-A, has released its highly anticipated list of approved paddles. We’re told some models are still in testing (looking at you, Proton), but from now on, if a paddle isn’t on this list, a pro isn’t using it.

Shayne Boyle has garnered millions of followers on social media, mostly for his trick-shot hijinks and claiming he’s got “the best mouth on the internet.” His latest video switches marshmallows for pickleballs. “You hit like a tennis player.”

Last year’s Pickleball World Cup was electric. This year, it’s back, bigger, and coming stateside to Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Dozens of international teams will compete across all disciplines. The action begins Oct. 28 — learn more.

PPA Cincinnati hits the Lindner Family Tennis Center this week (more on this below). In addition to all the pro action, PickleballTV will be streaming a designated “Juniors Court” throughout the weekend. Is the next Anna Leigh Waters on the rise? Get the full schedule here.

Think back on your last competitive pickleball session. Were you perfect? Was your unforced error count zero? Did you leave the court thinking there wasn’t a single thing that could have gone better?

Of course not.

Drilling is important, but so much of pickleball is mental. Get your mind right and the rest will follow. Just ask APP Tour pro Tanner Tomassi, who’s coming off his second gold medal.

Here, he joins Brodie from CRBN (a 5.5 in his own right) to talk through some of the mental strategies that got him there.

✅ Check your ego at the door. If you get bodybagged, don’t dump the next handful of points seeking retribution. Forget bad points just as soon as they happen and play the next like it’s the game-winner, every time.

✅ Every point matters. And every shot is important to get you there. Pickleball is a game of momentum. And runs can come in quick bursts. When things are humming, put the pedal down. When you’re getting beat, go towel off or take an extra gulp or two of water.

✅ Care less. Compete your hardest. Fight like hell for that next point. Relish every win. But never lose sight of the fact that this is just a sport and we’re all lucky to exist at a time when pickleball is so popular. Losing isn’t fun. But life will go on.

➡️ More tips from the guys.

You’ve probably heard Zane on the PicklePod talk about Momentous and yeah, he wasn’t kidding.

Creatine is one of the most studied nutrients out there. Strength, recovery, even sharper thinking. It all connects back to creatine. The problem is, not all creatine is created equal, and most people fall off of it because theirs is ineffective, messy or bland.

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It’s NSF Certified for Sport®, so it’s trusted by pros, Olympians, and now, pickleball players who just want to feel sharper and recover better.

➡️ Try it at livemomentous.com with code THEDINK for up to 35% off your first order.

Actor Robert Davi has faced his share of on-screen foes, notably as villain Franz Sanchez opposite Timothy Dalton’s James Bond in 1989’s “License to Kill.”

But he finds himself mired in a new fight these days, this time with the homeowners association of his neighborhood, Apollo Beach, Florida, where he’s filed a lawsuit to combat their planned conversion of tennis courts into a pickleball facility.

Davi, who’s outspoken on the issue to his 280,000 X followers, appeared before the Hillsborough County Commission to plead his case, mimicking the familiar "pong, pong, pong" of a ball hitting a paddle:

“I could spend three minutes doing that. Would you like that next to your community?”

James Bond has never met a villain he hasn’t bested. Perhaps, this time, Davi is due for a win?

➡️ Read the article.

There’s a house for sale (we think) in Minnetonka, Minnesota, that looks unassuming enough from the front, but is hiding a massive secret around back: a full-sized “Picklebarn.”

The property is listed on Zillow and first crossed our desk by way of Reddit.

We won’t profess to know anything about the neighborhood or the school district or even Minnesota, if we’re being honest. We won’t even presume to know if this house is real or not, since this court photo is giving serious AI vibes.

Still, the home’s attached, full-sized, all-weather pickleball court is pretty sweet.

✅ Is this a nice place to live? No idea.
✅ Does this place actually exist? Also not sure.
✅ Were green walls a good choice? Definitely not.

All that said, is it worth a starting price of $650,000?

Yes. Happiness is priceless.

Court-ready before you even show up.

The NOBULL Allday isn’t your “throw ‘em on and hope” sneaker. It’s built to move with you, from the walk to the courts to everything you’ve got lined up afterward.

Breathable, comfortable, and versatile enough to wear all day without thinking about swapping into something else. Dinner? Groceries? Travel? Covered.

➡️ And right now, your first pair’s 30% off with code WELCOME30.

The PPA returns to The Lindner Family Tennis Center in Mason, Ohio, after taking a year off for the facility to undergo an extensive $260 million renovation.

This one is a Slam, meaning it’s worth 2,000 PPA Points (double that of most PPA events) and could have big implications for end-of-year standings.

As always, our pro reporter, Erik Tice, has put his reputation on the line with full event predictions.

🏆 Women’s Singles: Anna Leigh Waters def. Kate Fahey
🏆 Men’s Singles: Ben Johns def. Grayson Goldin
🏆 Mixed Doubles: Anna Leigh Waters and Ben Johns def. Jorja and JW Johnson
🏆 Women’s Doubles: Anna Bright and Anna Leigh Waters def. Jorja Johnson and Tyra Black
🏆 Men’s Doubles: Ben Johns and Gabe Tardio def. Hayden Patriquin and Federico Staksrud

The action begins tomorrow, featuring a marquee round of 64 matchup between Ben Johns and recent No. 1 ranked APP transplant Chris Haworth.

➡️ Read our full event preview.

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