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There is a lot going on in the pickleball world right now. Andre Agassi is launching a World Series of Pickleball in Las Vegas. Two of the top female pros were just dropped by their MLP teams. And according to APP Tour CMO Tom Webb, the Sofia Sewing deal may not be what we all thought…

In This Issue:
— Introducing Your Paddle of the Year
— Focus on this to dominate singles
— Does pickleball need the Olympics?

And away we go…

The votes are in for The 120/Life Dink Awards Best Pickleball Facilities category — a regional roundup of where you love to play most. Did your local spot make the list? Find out now.

Andre Agassi has plans to launch a World Series of Pickleball, headquartered in Las Vegas, that would feature a marquee open tournament, global celebrity participants, and “substantial prize purses.” Go on… we’re listening.

A thread is popping off on Reddit asking what pickleball rules people often forget about or neglect entirely. One we see a lot: if your momentum takes you into the kitchen after making ball contact, even right after a point is over, it’s a fault. You lose. No discussion.

PPA Mesa is one of the biggest pro events of the season, drawing huge crowds and plenty of drama. It’s underway right now — and we’ve got a full preview, including storylines, intriguing matchups, and predictions. Check it out.

Singles pickleball is hard. It’s so much running, and sweating, and more running. When you’re all alone out there, the court feels massive and there’s nowhere to hide.

This challenge is exactly why it appeals to a select few. And ask anyone who plays singles regularly and they’ll tell you it absolutely hones critical skills in their doubles game, too.

Whether you’re a singles specialist or just considering dipping your toe in the water, here are a couple of quick but impactful tips to keep in mind, courtesy of pro Ryan Fu.

✅ There’s something about singles that most players get wrong: they obsess over pace. But Fu cuts right through this misconception immediately, emphasizing that depth matters infinitely more than speed. Keeping your opponent back, away from the net, is the name of the game.

✅ The best players in the world aren't swinging at full power on most of their drives. They're hitting around 50 to 60% pace instead. This does two crucial things for you at once: it improves your shot-making consistency and gives you more time to get in position for the return.

✅ It might sound counterintuitive, but in singles, returning down the middle is better than returning wide. "If you return wide,” says Fu, “you're actually giving them more angles to work with." Angles, in singles, are the kiss of death.

He’s got a few more singles tips where these came from, too.

➡️ Fu to the rescue.

We obsess over paddles… Spin rates. Core thickness. Face grit.

Meanwhile, the one thing touching the court every single point gets ignored. If your base feels unstable, everything above it compensates.

Selkirk’s CourtStrike shoes were built specifically for pickleball — not borrowed from tennis, not repurposed from running. Designed for the actual rhythm of the sport: quick stops, short bursts, side-to-side pressure.

When the foundation feels steady, your decisions feel cleaner.

Check out the CourtStrike series here and use code ADV-THEDINK for $20 in Selkirk Bonus Bucks.

It was a stacked field, bursting with some of the best pickleball paddles money can buy.

But in the the end, there can only be one.

It wasn’t JOOLA or CRBN. Not Selkirk or Franklin. Hot new brand RPM came close. But no. When all the votes were counted, the Bread and Butter Loco emerged as your Dink Awards Paddle of the Year winner.

That’s a big deal for a brand that’s long been a stunner in rec circles but never much of a heavy hitter with the more competitive set. Last year changed all that — your votes of confidence prove it.

For more on the Loco, plus a few discount codes to shop all your favorite Paddle of the Year nominees, check out our article.

The 2026 Major League Pickleball season just got very interesting.

On Sunday, every MLP team was required to submit its list of keepers — the players they would retain on their rosters heading into the new season. Those players not on the list are dropped… in the wind … ripe for the picking by any team with deep enough pockets to go after them.

If we’re being honest, there are a million rules that govern what team can draft what player and when — at times, it can be enough to make even our heads spin a bit.

But right now, here’s what you need to know: a handful of huge names were just dropped mere days before the free agency draft:

Now, just because a team drops a player now doesn’t mean they can’t re-acquire them down the line. That’s likely the plan in some of these cases, but it’s by no means a guarantee.

Jorja and Anna are the two most consequential players currently on the free market; any team they end up on instantly becomes a title contender. Imagine, as a hypothetical, if the New Jersey 5s snap up Anna Bright. That makes her new MLP women’s doubles partner none other than Anna Leigh Waters…

The drama! The intrigue! The suspense!

➡️ See all the keepers and dropped players right here.

Some weeks you feel great on court.
Other weeks? Slower. Not quite as sharp. Recovery takes a little longer than it used to.

Most people chalk it up to sleep. Or stress. Or “just getting older.”

But energy and recovery aren’t random.

Marek Health runs advanced lab testing, pairs you with a dedicated Health Coach, and has licensed medical providers review your results to build a personalized plan around your actual numbers.

Not guesswork. Not generic advice.

Just clarity about what’s going on under the hood so you can feel more consistent doing the thing you love.

If you’re on court regularly, this is worth looking into.

On this week’s PicklePod with Zane and Nico, the guys cover a range of hot topics, including the recent player drops in MLP and the possible ramifications across the league ahead of the free agency draft.

Settle in — this one has something for everyone.

➡️ Watch now.

A review from the Dink Fam...

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