Street fight? 'I'm going with pickleball players'

Talking 'Drip' with Tyson McGuffin. Roddick deems pickleballers a national security concern.

March 21, 2025

Happy Friday, fam. The APP Tour hits the Cayman Islands this weekend for the first time ever, reason #395,193 it’s good to be a pickleball pro.

Speaking of which, we’re seven events into the 2025 PPA season — a long and grueling race to earn a spot in December’s finals. If you’re curious how the points work, and who’s leading the field, we got you. (Because honestly, we were too.)

Full, fun rundown, below.

In This Issue:

  • Checking in on the PPA points race

  • “DRIP” advice from Tyson McGuffin

  • The most pickleball-obsessed states

Friends don’t let friends miss this newsletter.

Our Picks ☝️

🎾 Partners: UVA and HEAD Team Up

The University of Virginia just announced a multi-year pickleball partnership with HEAD Pickleball. Expect top-tier gear and some fresh campus courts.

🎙️ RacquetX: The Dink Founder Tells All

The Dink’s fearless leader, Thomas Shields, is leading a panel at RacquetX this Monday on brand-building in today’s rapidly evolving sports industry. Miami, here we come.

📍 Back: Ben Johns Returns to #1

Ben Johns has reclaimed his spot as the #1 men’s doubles player based on total points through the past year, unseating Federico Staksrud.

🤷 Busted: First Name Basis

Christian Alshon wants to know: How many people in your contacts go by the last name “Pickleball”? Drop a comment and show us yours.

Talking ‘DRIP’ with Tyson McGuffin

Tyson McGuffin is an OG who’s still competing at the sport’s highest levels. Known for his energetic on-court style and consistent shot-making, he’s battled through just about every scenario imaginable. The dude just knows how to win.

Take the Australian Open a couple months back, where he and Lacy Schneemann secured mixed doubles gold against Jessie Irvine and Gabe Tardio.

It was a roller-coaster match that went five games, full of momentum shifts and valuable learning moments. Lucky us, Tyson and co-host Kyle McKenzie broke down some key moments.

Want to be the best? Learn from the best. Class is in session—pay attention.

Targeted Aggression – Tyson and Schneemann strategically targeted their opponents' weak spots, particularly the paddle-side hip, applying consistent pressure without sacrificing accuracy. 📌 Lesson: Balance power and finesse; controlled intensity is key.

Sneaky Intentions – Tyson's consistent form and swing disguise whether a drive or drop shot is coming, keeping opponents guessing. 📌 Lesson: Hide your intentions; every shot should look identical until contact.

The Dreaded DRIP – Gabe and Jessie effectively used the DRIP, a hybrid drive-drop shot, aiming heavy topspin directly at Tyson and Lacy's feet. 📌 Lesson: Tyson admits this shot isn’t a strength—yet. (Even old dogs can learn new tricks.)

Lean In, Ball Out – Especially important for shorter players, leaning forward at the kitchen line lets you take more shots out of the air and maintain aggression. 📌 Lesson: Don't wait for the ball—attack early and often.

MUEV's Spring Collection Just Dropped

MUEV's Spring Collection has landed, and trust us, they've got some serious heat for both the ladies and the fellas.

For the ladies: Get ready for spring with adorable crop jackets, tees, comfy tanks, and supportive compression shorts, plus flowy pleated pants. Expect stylish matching sets of sports bras and leggings, all in perfect pastel hues like pinks, yellows, and whites.

For the guys: They've dropped some killer joggers, perfect-length shorts, essential pocket tees, and stylish vests. Color-wise, they've got your basics covered (black and white) but also some fun pops of color like yellow, royal blue, and plum.

And because you're part of the Dink Fam, you can snag all this fresh gear for 20% off with code "THEDINK"!

Now’s your chance to ditch the winter layers and step on the court with MUEV’s Spring Collection.

🤔 Newsletter getting clipped? Click ‘view entire message’ or click here to read online

The PPA Points System, Explained

Pickleball pros are playing all the time, it seems. From coast to coast, rarely a week goes by that they’re not battling it out on a hardcourt somewhere.

But what’s it all for? How do the points work — and more importantly, who’s in the lead?

Points are spread across six disciplines: women’s singles; men’s singles; women’s doubles; men’s doubles; women’s mixed doubles; and men’s mixed doubles.

There are three different types of PPA Tour events:

  • Slams — worth 2,000 points

  • Cups — worth 1,500 points

  • Opens — worth 1,000 points

Players receive points for making it to each successive round.

So, every single event is a battle to earn the most amount of points possible. The top players in each discipline earn a spot in the PPA finals, held in December.

Andy Roddick Has Words for ‘Pickleballers’

It seems like every time tennis legend Andy Roddick has something to say about pickleball, it becomes headline news. We should know — we write most of them.

Well, we’re back at it again, because his latest tidbit was just too good to pass up.

In a recent live episode of his podcast, “Served with Andy Roddick,” guest Brené Brown made an amusing observation about the inevitable comparisons between pickleball and tennis:

"Both are intense, tennis players and pickleball players. But hey, a street fight comes, I'm going with the pickleball players."

Roddick’s response had us LOLing: "They roll that hard? I didn't realize pickleballers were a national security concern."

Jokes aside, it was a lively and entertaining discussion on topics ranging from game theory to “treeing.” Catch the full episode here.

Spring + Outdoor Pickleball = Franklin X-40s

Alright Dink Fam, the birds are chirping, the sun's (finally) out, and you know what that means ... outdoor pickleball season is officially ON!

And when you're heading to those sun-drenched courts, what's the trusty ball you're probably reaching for? Yep, the Franklin X-40.

It's the workhorse of recreational play for a reason – durable, consistent, and it just feels right off the paddle.

So, ditch the indoor courts (for now), gather your outdoor crew, and make sure to grab your pack of Franklin X-40s.

The Most Pickleball-Obsessed States

So you’ve made your entire personality about pickleball — we get it. But how seriously does your state, as a whole, take the sport you love so dearly?

A clever new survey rated all 50 states on a Pickleball Obsession Index — a telling, if not entirely scientific, analysis based on the number of pickleball facilities per 100,000 residents and the frequency of related Google Trends and searches by state (think: “How do I know if I have a pickleball obsession?”).

On a scale from 1 (“WTF is pickleball?”) to 10 (“Bury me with my paddle”), here are the top 10 most pickleball-obsessed states.

  1. Vermont — 7.2

  2. Utah — 6.35

  3. Hawaii — 5.9

  4. Maine — 4.85

  5. Minnesota — 4.78

  6. Arizona — 4.66

  7. Colorado — 4.47

  8. Idaho — 4.14

  9. Wyoming — 4.07

  10. Florida — 3.47

Rounding out the bottom of the list were Kentucky, West Virginia, Oklahoma, Mississippi, and … biggest haters of all: Louisiana.

But back to the point. 7.2? That’s the best we’ve got? If you ask us, we’re not nearly obsessed enough.

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