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Happy Friday, Dink fam. Here’s all the pickleball news that’s fit to dink…

A Florida rec game turned bloody after an on-court argument reportedly resorted to violence. A sports performance specialist gives 7 tips for fighting through high-pressure pickleball moments. And a raucous new feature-length sports comedy called ‘Pickleball’ is now streaming across platforms.

In This Issue:
— Stop jumping off the kitchen line
— Why women don’t bodybag women
— One guy learns to ‘read the room’

Away we go.

If you need a little down-time between matches this weekend, we’ve got just the thing. “Pickleball” is a new sports comedy movie starring Kevin Farley, brother of late legend Chris. It’s light, entertaining, and honestly pretty hilarious. Now streaming on Amazon and other platforms. Watch it now.

A woman is facing possible felony charges after allegedly hitting a pickleball opponent in the head “multiple times” with her paddle after tensions ran high on the court. Can’t we all just get along?

Tomorrow at 3 p.m., all eyes will be on Championship Court as the Shock take on the Sliders, two teams vying for the MLP title. The women’s match should be electric: Parris Todd and newly acquired Tyra Black (Columbus) vs. Kate Fahey and Anna Bright (STL). That one could get heated and go either way. Don’t miss it.

Mental performance specialist Jeff Troesch has worked with NBA stars and top Olympians. Now he’s helping pickleball pros navigate the mental challenges of high-pressure situations on court. He can help you, too. Pull up a chair.

What happens when a really good pickleball player gets on the court with a great one?

For a recent video, Brian Lim (the creator behind YouTube channel Building Pickleball) enlisted the help of pro Blaine Hovenier for some advanced tips and techniques for faster, more consistent hands at the kitchen line.

Much of the resulting wisdom we’ve told you about before — punching the ball instead of taking a full swing; keeping a locked wrist and firm grip; the importance of recovering your paddle position after ball contact — but one little tidbit really stood out.

Stop jumping off the kitchen line.

It’s a natural instinct to back up when something fast is speeding at your chest. But leaving your feet removes your base of power and kills your ability to adapt to shot placement.

You need to actively fight this urge and stay locked in and present when things get heated in the kitchen.

Jumping off the line shows weakness. It says you don’t want any of their smoke, which means they’re more and more likely to keep sending it your way.

Instead, prioritize your footwork and trust your hands. When the ball is sped up your way, lean in and punch it back even harder.

➡️ Watch Blaine demonstrate.

You know the Boomstik. And you’ll recognize the DNA in the new Selkirk OMNI. Same deep sound, but the twist is in the weights.

The OMNI's MOI weights pop on and off, so you can set the paddle up the way you want.

Slide them down for control, up for power, or leave them centered for a bit of both. Notch marks on the face show you where they go.

One paddle, a few different personalities.

It's still unmistakably a Selkirk: loud, lively, and a genuine head-turner in a color scheme that breaks from the black-red-white.

Shop the OMNI and use code ADV-THEDINK to earn $40 in Selkirk Bonus Bucks.

Super-aggressive, intentional bodybags are becoming a larger part of the pro pickleball strategy playbook.

Think of it like a brush-back pitch in baseball: once a fastball gets close enough, the rest of the at-bat feels on-edge and uncomfortable.

It’s the same premise in pickleball (with the added bonus of scoring the aggressor a point in the process). But up to this point, it’s always men doing the instigating.

There’s a reason for this, according to pro Zoey Weil.

Yes, women tend to make smaller targets. But it’s actually more about court positioning: women often set up a step or two behind the kitchen line whereas men typically crowd it and lean in on every shot. They’re effectively sitting ducks.

Will there come a day when we see females hitting full-send nukes at opponents’ chests the way select guys are now (looking at you, Jay Devilliers, Pablo Tellez, Hayden Patriquin, and Christian Alshon…)?

We’re not banking on it. But if there’s one thing pro pickleball has taught us, it’s to expect the unexpected.

➡️ Hear Zoey explain.

Major League Pickleball heads to Randall’s Island, NY, next week. But you don’t have to be just a spectator to get in on the fun.

The Dink Minor League Pickleball gives players just like you the opportunity to compete in the MiLP team format alongside the sport’s premier league, experiencing the same electric atmosphere, team camaraderie, and high-stakes moments that define pro pickleball.

If you know, you know. If you’re new here, this is a whole new way to compete, make friends, and elevate your game.

The action gets underway June 26-28. Here’s what you need to know.

✅ Open to all ages and skill levels, with players placed into divisions based on their DUPR rating

✅ Teams may compete independently or under an affiliated MLP Minor League team umbrella

✅ Division winners earn a “Dream Ticket” — an automatic qualification to the Minor League Pickleball Championships in early 2027 (date TBA)

✅ Every match contributes toward the MiLP National Leaderboard, fueling season-long competition and rankings

✅ All players will earn double points based on their team’s event placement

Go ahead, you know you want to — code “thedink” even gets you $15 off at checkout.

➡️ Register now.

If you've hit a ball at an outdoor court, an APP event, or the US Open, odds are it was a Franklin X-40.

It's the official ball of USA Pickleball, the APP Tour, and the US Open – and the one most rec players reach for without even thinking about it.

There's a reason it became the default. Those 40 machine-drilled holes give it a true, predictable flight, so the ball does the same thing every time you hit it.

And it's one solid piece, so it doesn't crack or go soft after a few weeks of outdoor play. It survives the parking-lot courts.

Grab a fresh pack of X-40s.

A male player described a recent scenario with a female player that’s garnered nearly 1,000 comments on Facebook and counting.

Here’s what went down:

“Something interesting happened to me yesterday during open play at our local gym. After completing a victory [against] a female partner whom I’ve been playing with for over a year, she approached me and told me that I’m a really nice guy but she won’t be competing against me anymore due to the fact that I slam the ball too much. She said that it makes her nervous and she spends all her time trying to protect herself.”

The guy said he hit several overheads on high balls, but always directed them down at his opponents’ feet.

At first blush, it seems like he was playing well within the rules and social norms for an open play environment, but she didn’t feel comfortable with it. So she spoke up. Now it’s on her to find other games and opponents. Case closed, right?

Further investigation reveals the level of play was probably around 3.0-3.5 here. So beginners. Does that change the perspective?

Commenters seemed to lean pretty heavily in one direction:

What do you think…

➡️ Fair or foul?

A review from the Dink Fam...

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