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Should you narc on a partner for a foot fault? Is a new paddle sport coming for our pickleball courts? And could pro pickleball's cheating problem be solved with some reality TV-style justice?

A fresh PicklePod just dropped that addresses all these questions and more. We get into the juiciest bits below.

In This Issue:
— The best singles players by continent
— How to handle a slice return
— Happy birthday, Anna Leigh

You’ve been voted off the island.

Instead of setting ten different, lofty pickleball goals this year, pick three standards you want to live by instead. Make them clear, actionable, and simple. Like, “I don't wait for pain or injury to take my health seriously.” It’s good to be goal-oriented, but only if you can stick to it.

Ever wondered how Anna Bright locks in before a match? Or how she sets up her paddle? Well, you can ask her all that, and much more, on Tuesday, 2/3, at noon EST when she does an AMA on Reddit. Get your questions ready.

Paddletek may have lost Anna Leigh Waters, but they don’t appear to be slowing down. The OG paddle brand just announced Reserve Honeyfoam 001, their first foray into the foam-core market. All black with a few high-class design touches, you can’t deny it’s a real looker.

There’s a new paddle sport coming for our pickleball courts. TYPTI is played with a smaller tennis racket and specialized foam ball. And get this, you can use your hands to save a net ball if you’re quick enough. It all sounds a bit far-fetched to us. A group of celebrity investors is hoping it catches fire. Zane and Nico discuss on the PicklePod.

There’s a sinking feeling that comes from seeing an opponent set up to take a monster hack at a slice return. We’ve all been there.

Hit correctly, this shot can present a rash of problems. It’s hard to drop and easy to pop up. So what do you do?

Here’s a pro tip that should get you back on top of the point in no time:

✅ The first step is recognizing when your opponent is hitting a slice. Anytime they’re hitting down on the ball, expect heavy backspin to come your way. Easy enough, right?

✅ Resist the urge to attempt to drop a slice return. Heavy backspin makes executing this shot even more difficult than normal. Fighting violent spin with finesse will likely result in an easy pop-up or a ball that skids into the ground.

✅ Instead, commit to a third shot drive at about 70% power. Full power could spray your drive long. But a nice controlled drive increases your margin for error without giving them a bunny to wallop back in your direction.

Finally, and this is a big one: aim about two feet above the net cord. The heavy backspin wants to drag this ball into the net. You need to counteract that.

➡️ Watch and learn.

We’ve been getting a lot of questions about the Selkirk Boomstik lately. And yeah, we get why. It’s everywhere right now.

Even our founder Thomas posted that he "counted 13 Boomstiks" in one session recently. 

It’s one of those paddles that just feels right the moment you start hitting. Plenty of pop when you speed things up, but still controlled enough that you’re not sailing balls long every other point. Drives feel heavier. Counters feel steadier. Soft game stays soft.

If you’re an all-court player who wants a little more power without giving up control, this is a really fun upgrade that grows with your game.

Use code ADV-THEDINK for $20 in Selkirk Bonus Bucks.

Think your singles DUPR rating is something to brag about? Let's see how it stacks up against the best in the world.

Our friends at DUPR have put together a comprehensive list of the best singles players, men and women, ranked by DUPR rating across the continents (sorry, Antarctica, there's simply not enough data for you quite yet).

They also included Central America just for fun. We're not mad about it.

Of note: nobody is below a 5.0 and nobody yet has hit the coveted 7.0 mark (at least as of January of this year).

Not even Queen Anna Leigh Waters herself, though she has the highest DUPR of any female by a wide margin. The USA's Hunter Johnson is the top male, and the closest of anyone to 7.0.

There are a few other names you might recognize as well: Quang Duong, Mari Humberg, Federico Staksrud, and Jaume Martinez Vich among them.

But they’re not all top pros. Who knows, maybe you’ll recognize someone from your local court?

➡️ See the top ten men and women across the globe.

Anna Leigh Waters turned 19 this week, celebrating the milestone with a fun Instagram post to her 160,000 followers.

We don’t know about you, but at that age we definitely didn’t have a multi-year Nike deal, the most gold medals in a professional sports league, or an active unbeaten streak of more than 600 days and counting. (Which she does in singles right now, FYI.)

It’s difficult to fathom the type of pressure she faces to not just perform, but to win, day in and day out, no matter who’s on the other side of the net. She’s a fierce competitor, yes, but also humble in success and genuinely appreciative of her gifts and the opportunities they’ve afforded her.

She’s an incredible ambassador for this growing sport of ours, and we’re lucky to have her. Here’s to your continued success, ALW. Happy Birthday.

Anyone who plays a lot knows the routine: finish playing, drive home starving, and stand in the kitchen trying to figure out something that won’t wreck tomorrow’s session.

That’s why Maui Nui Venison has become a favorite around here. We’ve been throwing the venison sticks in our bags for post-play snacks, cooking up the sausages on busy weeknights, and saving the steaks for those “we actually have time to cook” nights. Everything’s wild-harvested, super lean, and honestly way more tender and flavorful than we expected.

It’s become our go-to after long sessions and tournament weekends because it actually helps you feel good the next day instead of heavy and sluggish.

If you’re playing often and trying to take recovery seriously, this one’s worth trying.

Try Maui Nui Venison at mauinuivenison.com/THEDINK

We all know expecting pro pickleball players to call their own lines during a match is an unsustainable system, especially as the pace of the game only gets faster, more explosive and unpredictable.

Hooking, or intentionally making a bad call in your own favor, happens to some degree in every pro event these days. Sometimes, it's downright egregious.

It's a problem that's going to continue without a new system, especially as pros' payouts are now weighted more heavily toward prize money rather than guaranteed salaries.

The PPA Tour recently instated a Fining Committee to more formally assess and levy punishments for a broad spectrum of on-court behavior. And AI is being layered onto existing court cameras in Major League Pickleball to more accurately determine line calls, foot faults, and more.

In the meantime, however, PicklePod co-host Nico the Lefty has another idea.

"At the end of the year, we should cast a vote by all the signed players, and whoever gets the most amount of votes... just kick them off the Tour," he said in this week’s episode.

This is Lord of the Flies of the hardcourt. Hunger Games with paddles and sweatbands. Pickleball justice, "Survivor"-style.

"I actually kind of like that," co-host Zane Navratil responded. "Nobody would want to be the biggest cheater of the year if they got voted off."

It’s a far-fetched proposition, of course. But perhaps it would hold some of the bad actors, the repeat offenders, to more account? Keep them in line? Turn them into model citizens on and off the court?

➡️ Watch the clip and decide for yourself.

A review from the Dink Fam...

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