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Happy Friday, Dink fam. Today, we’re dissecting the difference between EPP and MPP foam paddles. Talking to a pro about the do’s and don’ts of the full-send body bag. And checking in on one quaint California town that’s permanently closed its pickleball courts after a year of endless noise complaints.

In This Issue:
— The most tatted man in pickleball
— Is the full-send body bag ever ok?
— Selkirk drops the Everglade collection

For the love of the game.

Beginning with the upcoming season, The Dink Minor League Pickleball Championships will now take place in February 2027, shifting away from its previous December schedule. There are six ways to qualify — let’s break it all down.

Some 1,200 new pickleball facilities have reportedly opened nationwide in the past two years. Many are thriving. But not all. As competition increases, we’re seeing a market correction begin to take hold. First to market is a thing of the past. Now, it’s more about the community you can build within your walls.

Practice makes perfect, but in pickleball, drilling is where the real improvements are earned. You know you want to hit that next level. The question is how. The key isn’t long hours. It’s intention. All you need is a partner, 30 minutes, and this simple plan.

Tyson McGuffin took to Instagram to share the latest additions to his tattoo collection. He was already the most tatted pro on tour; now he’s barely got any untouched skin left. The fresh ink includes shoutouts to both Selkirk and JOOLA.

Whether you like it or not, body bags are part of pickleball. Sure, it’s fun to whip a forehand at your buddy across the net. But there are plenty of scenarios when it’s the smartest shot to win the point as well.

The full-send body bag is different.

You know the one. Everyone is at the kitchen line. A dink sails high over the net, and bounces up around waist level. All of a sudden, your opponent is taking a full swing and rocketing the ball at your torso. As hard as they can. With one goal, and one goal only: tag you and take the easy point.

It’s a polarizing move. To help us navigate the waters, pro Eric Roddy shares a few of his rules for unleashing the full-send body bag:

🚫 Never, under any circumstances, target someone above the shoulders. This goes for any type of intentional body bag. Yes, it’s a Wiffle ball. But it can still cause legit injury.

🚫 Don’t pick a body bag battle with someone less skilled than you. There are other ways to beat them. Repeated, aggressive body bags against a much weaker opponent is just bullying. And nobody likes a bully.

🚫 This one’s straight from Roddy: “Unless someone is actively targeting your head repeatedly and without just cause, don’t whine if you get body bagged or targeted.” Don’t get mad, get even.

Just know if you wage this war, retaliatory or not, you better be prepared to see it through.

All that being said, here’s the #1 rule: if someone attempts the full-sender on you, you’ve got the green light to go back at them. All’s fair in love and pickleball.

➡️ The full-sender do’s and don’ts.

Selkirk just released a new limited colorway: Everglade.

The deep green look is now available across several of their most popular paddles, including:
• LUXX Control Air with InfiniGrit
• VANGUARD Power Air
• SLK ERA Power
• Boomstik

Same paddles players already trust — just with a fresh colorway that stands out on court.

The drop also includes the Boomstik, which was the first model to sell out during the recent Summit release.

If you like the look, it might be worth grabbing one before inventory starts thinning out.

Shop the new Everglade colorway and use code ADV-THEDINK and get $30 in Selkirk Bonus Bucks.

As foam-core pickleball paddles continue to evolve, two materials are increasingly at the center of the conversation: EPP and MPP.

While they may sound similar, they deliver very different performance profiles on the court.

Thankfully, two experts — Louis and Justin from the Pickleball Pursuit podcast — broke down the difference in a recent episode. Here’s what you need to know.

One is more dampened and forgiving. The other is poppier and more responsive. Both offer excellent durability and performance.

In the end, it’s a matter of player preference.

➡️ Watch the segment.

Wind chaos, a triple pickle, and a 400-million-player prediction.

Just a normal week in pickleball.

Zane and Nico break down the Texas Open wind conditions (some loved it, others… not so much), the absurd “triple pickle” match that had everyone double-checking the scoreline, and why weird conditions sometimes create the most entertaining matches.

Then Steve Kuhn joins the pod to talk about pickleball’s rapid growth in Asia — and why he thinks the sport could hit 400 million players worldwide by 2032.

➡️ Watch the episode here.

After a year of “operational challenges,” city council in Martinez, CA, voted to permanently end pickleball play at one of its local parks.

Eight tennis courts at the Hidden Valley Sports Courts were converted to pickleball and opened to the public in February of 2025, a project that reportedly cost close to $1.5 million to complete.

Noise complaints immediately followed and have persisted ever since.

Despite numerous efforts to alleviate the problem — designated hours, encouraging quieter equipment, onsite signage, etc. — the courts are closed for good, effective immediately.

“We understand that this has been a difficult and emotional issue for many in our community,” said Mayor Brianne Zorn.

The town even enlisted an independent acoustical engineer specializing in pickleball noise, “whose expert opinion concluded that no feasible mitigation measures could adequately address the noise impacts given the courts’ location.”

It’s hard not to wonder what went wrong in the planning phase here.

Either the town officials didn’t initially understand the noise associated with outdoor pickleball, or they didn’t appreciate how popular the courts would be once opened. Or maybe both?

What a shame.

A review from the Dink Fam...

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