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Last night, the American League won their 10th MLB All-Star Game in the last 11 years. The Midsummer Classic marks a unique time in the pro sports calendar.

The days surrounding the All-Star Game are a blip in the year where there are no NBA, NFL, NHL, or MLB games. Outside of the WNBA, (including pickleball enthusiast Caitlin Clark, who plays today) the sports world goes quiet for a day or two.

So don’t be surprised if your courts are even more crowded than usual today.

In This Issue:

✊ A simple grip change can improve your serve
👨‍⚖️ Pickleball brought to the highest court in the land: Judge Harvey
🎧 Sound mitigation coming up short

Play ball.

Get a Better Grip on Your Serve

Today's Up Your Game tip is based on a recent video by Shea Underwood.

In his video “Stop Making These Serving Mistakes and You'll Win More Points,” he discusses how most pros, including Ben Johns, use a completely different grip when serving the ball versus when taking other shots on the court.

Yet, most amateurs just stick with one grip, usually a Continental grip, the entire match.

While this isn’t wrong, the Continental grip is a neutral grip that favors the backhand, which doesn’t provide any advantage when hitting a serve. Instead, two other grips are worth considering if you want to add extra spin and power to your serve.

Those grips are the Eastern forehand grip and the Semi-Western grip.

What is the Eastern forehand grip?

The Eastern forehand grip is when you place your knuckle on your index finger over the third bevel on the paddle handle. (See image)

What is a semi-Western grip?

A semi-Western grip is also known as a pancake or frying pan grip. You can accomplish this by laying your paddle flat on the ground and picking it straight up, leaving the paddle face downward. Your index knuckle should be over the fourth bevel.

The extra flatness of the paddle face in both of these grips, combined with an upward swing path, helps you maximize your topspin during your serve.

Why adding more topspin helps your serve

Topspin (when you make the top of the ball rotate away from you) causes the pickleball to arc high but then dip as it approaches your opponent. This allows you to keep a strong drive inside the baseline, and it causes the ball to hop quickly into your opponent after it bounces.

If the person returning isn't prepared for this sudden change of pace or has already started to advance toward the kitchen, they're in trouble and will have difficulty making a strong return, which sets you up for an easier third shot.

Which grip should YOU use?

To get maximum spin, try the semi-Western grip first. However, you may struggle since this is the more extreme of the two grips. If it’s not working, switch to the Eastern forehand and dial that in with a few dozen practice serves.

You’ll be happy you did.

Get To Know Your Shoes

Now that we’ve highlighted the need for true pickleball court shoes, let’s introduce a brand that really gets the game — K-Swiss.

Say hello to the Pickleball Supreme and Express Light Pickleball models. The Pickleball Supreme is perfect for competitive players who need stability and power for dynamic movements. Meanwhile, the Express Light Pickleball shoe is all about lightweight responsiveness and comfort, ideal for players who value speed and agility.

And style hasn’t been overlooked — K-Swiss ensures you’ll look as good as you play. The men’s versions are available in a striking electric blue and yellow, while the women’s models dazzle in vibrant turquoise and purple.

Lace up a pair of K-Swiss pickleball shoes and see how they can transform your game.

Judge Steve Harvey Rules on Pickleball Feud

All rise for the Honorable Steve Harvey. In case you didn’t know (we didn’t), Steve Harvey has his own courtroom show a la Judge Judy.

Last night’s episode featured two North Carolina pickleball players caught in a disagreement surrounding the game. Vance Remick accused Mesa Somer of defamation of character and fraud for allegedly spreading rumors about his ‘unethical’ behavior on-court.

In response, Somer was countersuing Remick for his ‘vicious’ style of play, which is ‘dangerous’ in a recreational setting. It’s clear that 2024 is the year of lawsuits in pickleball.

As expected, the whole thing was pretty hokey, as you can see for yourself. Anything to get the pickleball ‘craze’ into living rooms across America. Luckily Steve Harvey can deliver no matter the situation.

Apparently, this is not the first time pickleball was the subject of a Harvey case. Season One featured an episode where the game drove a wedge between a husband and wife (29:15).

In the end, Judge Harvey dismissed both suits. He left viewers with a lesson that some pickleballers need to be reminded of. If you’re a lower-level player facing a higher-level player, expect to get your butt whooped.

And this isn’t a bad thing. A great way to improve is to play better players. Losing matches will show you what you need to work on. But beware ‘bangers,’ you too could be the subject of a lawsuit because you hit the ball too hard.

Sound Mitigation Struggles Continue in One Mass. Town

The war between pickleball players and aggravated neighbors rages on in Braintree, Massachusetts. A recent attempt to mitigate the sound is proving to be an inadequate peace offering.

The town of Braintree and the 700+ member Braintree Pickleball Club forked up $20,000 to install a sound barrier on the fence. The barrier offers a 50 percent noise reduction according to Sound Seal Industrial Sales Manager Aaron Duncan.

Neighbors surrounding the courts claim that the barriers have made little difference in reducing the sound. According to them, the barriers are not tall enough and only cover one end of the eight-court park.

We recently discovered a Facebook group of people facing a similar plight. They’re determined to combat pickleball noise throughout the country.

That means preventing courts from being built and helping to outlaw the game on multi-use courts. The battle between pickleball and noise is not going anywhere anytime soon.

Winning Summer Starts Here

Got plans to hit the courts this summer? Let’s make sure you’re all set with the Pickleball Box. It’s your summer survival pack for the game.

Inside, you’ll find Tifosi's SWANK sports glasses to keep those harmful rays out of your eyes and help you spot the ball better under the glaring sun. You’ll also get a Dink-branded hat and T-shirt that aren’t only stylish but also save your skin from UV rays.

And because we know how games can get intense, there’s Jelly Belly Sports Beans to keep your energy up, and Jigsaw Health's Pickleball Cocktail to keep you hydrated — sip it chilled from the cool Ice Shaker we’ve thrown in. Oh, and for those scorcher days? There’s a MISSION cooling towel in there to bring the temp down a notch after a hot match.

Really, the Pickleball Box has got you covered for a perfect summer on the courts. Grab one today and keep the focus on your game, not on gathering gear.

A Step Closer Towards Gambling in Pickleball

The option to gamble on professional pickleball has been a work in progress for the last few years. It became a reality last year but has since been rolled back and limited in its offerings.

There is a lot that goes into getting the process right. Well, at least right for ‘the house’ to keep the odds in their favor. Another step towards gambling in the game came this week when the PPA Tour announced a partnership with Integrity Compliance 360 (IC360).

Introducing gambling into any sport presents challenges. Whether it’s cheating, players and officials potentially on the take or other influential factors that could impact an outcome for financial gain, any entity that wants to attract the gambling crowd to its sport needs to ensure that everything is “on the up and up” so to speak.

This partnership with IC360 indicates that the PPA Tour is getting closer to giving gambling another opportunity to take hold in professional pickleball.

Now, if they could just guarantee fair and accurate line calls, right Travis?

Headlines & Quick Hits

• You’ve seen them on the courts, now try one for yourself

• Tennis Prodigy Chris Haworth Now Singularly Focused

• The Skills Every Pickleball Newcomer Should Prioritize on Day 1

• The Dink Minor League Pickleball Events in August

• Time to binge gamers! Pickleball Video Game Drops Today

Highlights

• The return strategy that more people should be using🤔

• How Avatar learns to bend the ball🍃

• If you can’t handle me at 3.0, you don't deserve me at my 3.5 ❤️‍🩹

• A mistake-free point ☝️

Miss a recent issue? We've got you covered

• Pro: Target your opponent's strength

• Rettenmaier: "You're all culpable, all of you cheated"

• Djokovic: Pickleball placing tennis in danger

A review from the Dink Fam...

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