Mornin’. Ever heard of Teqball? It's like table tennis meets volleyball, played with a soccer ball:

Some people believe that Teqball is the fastest growing sport in the world. After only ten years since its inception, the sport has national associations in over 100 countries.

That makes us wonder: what sport/hobby could overtake pickleball as the ‘fastest growing’? Let us know here.

Go electric. ⚡️ The Summer of Pickleball Giveaway includes an eBike, a new paddle, and a closet full of free gear. See more here.

In This Issue:

🧠 The correct mindset
🏆 Pro pickleball doubleheader
🤠 Ranchers expand the family

The Number One Rule on Defense

Earlier this month, we shared John Cincola’s video that explained the three states of pickleball: offense, defense, and neutral.

That video laid the groundwork for a masterpiece point breakdown from Cincola.

In the breakdown, you can see both teams actively moving through all three states. You can see the decisions, good and bad, that they make along the way.

• Cincola emphasizes his number 1 rule when on defense: make the next ball bounce.

• You can see multiple times in the point how this rule gets a team from defense back to neutral.

Another takeaway from the video is the importance of patience. Most points are won by a series of good shots, not one great one.

While trying to piece together three offensive shots, Andrei Daescu gets stymied and has to start the process again. His patience pays off, and he ends the point with a ferocious overhead.

Go ahead and save this breakdown for future reference. Watch it today, watch it tomorrow, and again next week. It is a great reminder of what mindset you should be in throughout a point.

The Airbnb of Pickleball Courts

As if you need another reason to add a homecourt to your backyard, now you can share your court with local players when you aren’t using it.

Swimply allows court owners the chance to rent out homecourts and players the opportunity to reserve a private court for their game.

Ranchers’ Impressive New Owner List

Major League Pickleball's Texas Ranchers team announced a new slate of owners yesterday, and the sheer size and diversity of the list is astounding.

Their press release cites over 30 investors, with highlights ranging from a high-end jewelry designer to the founder of Raising Cane’s.

Some recognizable names include:

• #1 ranked golfer in the world Scottie Scheffler

• Award-winning country music star Zach Bryan

• Dallas Cowboys linebacker Micah Parsons

• Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud

• Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett

• Atlanta Falcons running back Bijan Robinson

Zach Bryan is a Navy veteran whose music initially went viral on YouTube. He joins fellow country music stars Dierks Bentley and Brett Eldredge in his appreciation for pickleball.

Ajay Nwosu, CEO of Teqball, also threw his hat in the ring. Ajay's involvement marks a milestone in Major League Pickleball investment: the first of its kind, from a figure in another rapidly-growing niche sport.

See all the highlights of the new ownership here.

Weekend Doubleheader

The weekend doubleheader starts in Kansas, where the PPA Tour will host their first-ever Kansas City Open. The event will be streamed on Amazon Prime this weekend, so make sure you cut your check to Bezos before Thursday.

Ben Johns and Anna Leigh Waters return to action this week and will look to reclaim their crowns. They will be hungry to return in a big way after both missed out on singles titles at the Takeya Showcase.

• Collin Johns will miss the event due to injury, and Matt Wright will fill his shoes in men's doubles.

The biggest beneficiaries of the Wright/Newman split might be JW Johnson and Dylan Frazier. They will have the two-seed heading into the weekend. Riley Newman and Julian Arnold will look to find their stride together.

Temps will hit the triple digits this week. If you smell smoke tomorrow, it’s not the KC BBQ. It's the brave singles competitors taking the court in the 100+ degree heat.

The broadcast starts at 11 am ET tomorrow on Prime.

The Philly Special

Over on the East Coast, the APP Tour will make its second annual stop in Philly, PA. Expect weather delays as rain is expected tomorrow and Friday.

• Dominique Schaefer will defend her newly acquired crown in a crowded women's singles field.

• Hunter Johnson will also look to go back-to-back as singles champion.

After an impressive performance last week, Tina Pisnik might have a few more spectators dropping by her court. Look for her to find a podium again this weekend.

• Vivian Glozman is teamed up with Alix Truong. The duo will aim to shake up the women's doubles field.

Players will have a little more to play for in this one, as the recap will be shown for the first time in China. Catch the broadcast on ESPN+ starting at noon ET on Saturday.

Did You Get Free Balls Last Week?

Based on the success from last week, PCKL is back with a deal!

For $135.99 you can get one of their latest carbon face paddles in 13mm or 16mm AND they're throwing in a pack of Elite 40s for FREE.

Use this link exclusive to Dink readers to take advantage of the deal!

Rattled, But Not Discouraged

First, the gator who stole a pickleball…then, the squirrel who followed suit…

It’s a zoo on the courts recently. The latest animal disruption? Well, look away if you don’t like snakes:

Player Valerie Stuart took this image of a rattlesnake (no, not Travis Rettenmaier) in Colorado after it slithered uninvited onto the far end of her local court.

She called Animal Control, only to learn they were already dealing with a different snake. So what does she and her picklesquad do? Keep playing.

"We like to get two hours of pickleball in, so we just kept playing with our eye over there," she told 9News. "You know, it was one of those things."

Since this seems to be a pattern lately, Valerie’s local Parks and Wildlife would like to remind everyone:

• never provoke a snake — you’re not gonna win

• if you hear a rattle, freeze until you establish a visual

• put at least five feet of distance between you and a snake

Raising the Barrier of Entry

James Ignatowich joins the pod from a parking lot in Kansas City. He breaks down his match-of-the-year contender from TOC and explains why he wasn’t a candidate in the Riley Newman partner search.

Zane and Thomas cover Zane’s injury and recap their surprising head-to-head results from last week.

Catch the premiere here or listen here.

Headlines & Quick Hits

• Chicken N Pickle will double its locations over the next year and a half

• The pickleball industry's first convention: PickleCon 2024

• ICYMI: Putting more power in your pickleball shots

Highlights

• This is what the top feels like

• Leigh’s the ultimate hype woman 🙌

• Never seen him do THAT before

• Ugh, not this old take again😤

A review from the Dink Fam...