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Pro pickleball has a screaming problem. Or does it? A pundit’s proposed rule to crack down on excessive yelling has ignited a full-blown shouting match, with Anna Bright, Kate Fahey, and a host of other pros weighing in.

Is screaming part of what makes the sport entertaining, or has it gone too far? One thing's certain: Nobody's staying quiet about it.

In This Issue:
— Are paddles too powerful again?
— UPA-A prez calls for unification
— The pickleball facility paradox

Turn up the volume.

While paddle brands race to develop the next big thing in spin technology, Volair just took a shortcut. A pretty smart one, actually. The company is licensing 11SIX24's HexGrit technology for its new CMD paddle, with plans to roll it out across its entire performance lineup. Get the full scoop.

Pickleball clubs are closing. The Picklr just filed for bankruptcy. And yet, the biggest chains keep opening new locations like there's no tomorrow. Across six major brands, the number of clubs jumped 37% in just nine months, from 145 to 199. Meanwhile, indoor court growth is slowing, and some struggling facilities are slashing their asking prices. So is pickleball booming or heading for a reckoning? Turns out, both might be true. The latest numbers tell a fascinating story.

Two governing bodies. Two paddle certification standards. One big headache. UPA-A President Jason Aspes is calling for a unified system with USA Pickleball, including independent oversight and one approved paddle list everyone can trust. Sounds simple enough. But getting both sides to surrender control? That's where things get interesting. Here's what he's proposing.

Is pickleball getting too loud for its own good? A proposed rule to crack down on screaming and taunting has sparked a full-blown shouting match among the pros. Anna Bright says anyone who wants to eliminate screaming should go watch paint dry. Kate Fahey called out the double standard of criticizing women for yelling while men openly trash-talk at the net. Others argue there's a fine line between firing yourself up and disrespecting your opponent. So where does passion end and poor sportsmanship begin? The debate is getting heated. See who's saying what.

The difference between a 4.0 and a 5.0 player isn't some magical new shot. It's the little things they do right, over and over again. And chances are, you're getting a few of them wrong.

Here are three simple fixes that can make a big difference, according to top APP pro Tanner Tomassi:

✅ Block, don't swing: When a hard drive comes screaming at your chest, keep your paddle out in front of you. Let the ball hit the paddle face instead of taking a big swing. Less movement, fewer mistakes.

✅ When you pop it up, back it up: Hit a meatball? Don't stand at the kitchen line waiting to get tattooed. Retreat immediately to buy yourself precious reaction time against the inevitable smash.

✅ Channel your inner crab: After your third-shot drop, approach the kitchen low and wide, knees bent and paddle ready. Standing tall leaves you scrambling when the next ball comes at your feet.

None of these require superhuman reflexes or a $300 paddle. Just smarter habits.

➡️ Steal all 7 habits from the 5.0 playbook.

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Remember when USA Pickleball introduced new testing standards to put the brakes on increasingly powerful paddles?

Yeah, about that.

New data from Pickleball Effect suggests paddle manufacturers have found a way to keep the power party going. And technically, nobody's breaking the rules. Manufacturers might not even realize how powerful their paddles have become (though we're guessing they're not complaining).

Compare the Ronbus Ripple Beta, one of the first paddles to fail under the new PBCoR standard in early 2025, with the Mark UnMarked 2026, one of today's hardest-hitting approved paddles.

Say what now?

And there’s more where that came from. Average measured paddle power has jumped roughly 6% since 2022. And at least 19 approved paddles now match or exceed the power of the Ronbus Ripple Beta.

So what's going on? Turns out, there's a potentially significant gap between what the testing standards measure and how hard a paddle can actually hit.

And manufacturers may have figured out how to exploit it.

➡️ Is pickleball's paddle arms race secretly back on?

Anna Bright and Kate Fahey have a new podcast, Let Her Cook. And if episode one is any indication, these two were made for the mic.

An hour of tour gossip, friendly roasting, and some truly unhinged revelations. A few highlights:

And that's just the appetizer. We've got seven more gems, including a bathroom haircut and a very questionable paddle decision.

➡️ All 10 wild takeaways from their debut episode

Most doubles players think where they stand is the whole story. It isn’t.

Two players made 8 small changes and went from easy to push around to a nightmare to play against. Suddenly, it looked like they were playing 2-on-1.

None required elite athleticism. Most players skip them because they seem too basic.

One fix takes a single word.

See what they changed.

It's been more than a year since Selkirk dropped its $333 Boomstik. In paddle years, that's practically ancient history.

Yet somehow, it's still everywhere.

Cheaper competitors have caught up. New technology keeps pushing the envelope. And the Boomstik? Still booming.

So what's the secret? A ridiculous sweet spot, serious firepower, Selkirk's rock-solid reputation, and a little something called the bandwagon effect.

Turns out, when everyone at open play owns one, $333 starts feeling almost reasonable.

It’s earned its place on the Mount Rushmore of pickleball paddle popular opinion.

➡️ We break down why in more detail

A review from the Dink Fam...

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