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USA Pickleball is coming for counterfeits. In a full-scale initiative announced today, the group said it’s rolling out widespread onsite paddle testing at amateur events going forward, beginning next week.

That means power and spin will be more heavily regulated — and so will any knockoff paddles attempting to pass as the real thing. We’ve got the full scoop below.

In This Issue:
— USAP puts counterfeits on notice
— Pickleball’s new meta: aggression wins
— Watch this pro match now

You’ve been warned.

Jimmy Fallon is a padel guy. The Roots MC Black Thought prefers pickleball. The two got into it on a recent episode of The Tonight Show, a heated exchange that ends in a hilarious compromise. Consider this our latest challenge: The Dink vs. The Tonight Show. We’ll come to you.

After you serve, can you run over to the other side of the net to mess with the other team? Turns out you can. Should you? Not unless you’re very fast on your feet. We hit the court with USA Pickleball ref Ron Ponder to explore the odd loophole. Bodybag alert.

A Reddit thread has caught fire for a simple, scorching take: “Open play is OPEN play—not ‘invite-only unless you meet my DUPR expectations.’” We’re not touching all that, but at the heart of his complaint: should players know how to stack after 4.0?

Accolades get thrown around in pro pickleball faster than a Hayden Patriquin hands battle. But trust us when we say yesterday’s round of 16 match between Fahey/Staksrud and Rohrabacher/Howells is already in contention for match of the year. It’s one hour of pure pickleball brilliance. Watch it and tell us we’re wrong.

If you’ve been around the courts for a few years, you probably remember when the golden rule was simple: don't speed up first.

The team that stayed patient, dinked until their opponents made a mistake, and only attacked on a high ball was the team that walked away with the win.

But have you noticed how much faster the game feels lately?

The meta has officially shifted. Advanced players are winning by taking the initiative earlier than ever. It’s not just about being fast; it’s about a fundamental mindset shift toward "smart aggression."

APP stud Richard Livornese has a couple pro tips to start incorporating this shift into your own game. After all, you can’t slow things down, so it’s time to adapt:

✅ “Smart aggression” ≠ “Banger.” First, understand that playing “aggressive” doesn’t mean morphing into a banger overnight. Your goal is still to get to the kitchen line, and you’ll need plenty of finesse to do so at higher levels. It’s what you do at the NVZ that needs to change.

✅ Speed up on lower balls. Now, we all know you’ve got the green light to attack balls sitting above the net. It’s the ones hanging just lower, between your knees and waist, you want to start pulling on more. Trust your abilities and let a few of these fly. Your opponent won’t expect it. More often than not, the shot that comes back will be one you can pounce on.

✅ Get aggressive when pulled out wide on a dink. Yes, the safe play is to reset back to middle. But that’s the old meta. The new you recognizes how much court has opened up that you can take advantage of. And the new you is officially in attack mode.

Not convinced? Click below to see it in action.

➡️ Watch Richard work.

We didn’t mean to get you hungry… but here we are.

That breakfast sandwich you’re staring at isn’t just doing numbers for fun. The star of the show is Maui Nui’s Summer Sausage, sliced in and bringing serious flavor.

It’s dense, savory, and packed with 120 grams of protein per 12-ounce stick, seasoned with bright Pink Peppercorn and Hawaiian Red Sea Salt.

Endless ways to use it. This just happens to be one of them.

For the first time in its history, USA Pickleball is requiring onsite paddle testing at its amateur events.

After more than a year of development and collaboration, the new field-testing initiative between USAP and third-party testing lab Pickleball Instruments will roll out over the next two months, beginning next week at the 2026 Golden Ticket Tournament in Glendale, Arizona.

Testing will monitor paddle performance – think deflection and spin – but also its manufacturer and point of origin, with the express intent of flagging and ultimately removing potential counterfeit products.

Tested paddles will receive an RFID sticker that both signifies it has passed testing and also stores its results.

Pickleball Instruments plans to release a mobile app to bolster the effort by March, "enabling players to track how individual paddles change over time and providing added confidence that all competitors are using compliant equipment."

USAP is slated to be the first adopter of the mobile-based system, putting key paddle data directly into players' hands.

“Equipment integrity is fundamental to fair competition,” said Carl Schmits, Chief Technical Officer of USA Pickleball. “This field-testing platform gives us the ability to verify performance standards, increase transparency, and lay the groundwork for identifying counterfeit equipment.”

Later this year, the initiative will expand more broadly to clubs and competitive venues nationwide.

➡️ Read more.

You’ve got less than a week to get your votes in for The 120/Life Dink Awards, pickleball’s first and biggest fan-choice awards recognizing the top players, people, organizations, and moments of 2025.

It’ll take a few minutes and could make all the difference for one of our many incredible nominees.

Breakout players, influential voices, match of the year, top content creators and paddle reviewers… the list is packed with the people who make this incredible sport such a joy to play and so much fun to watch.

It’s also the source of endless entertainment. Take our “Viral Moment of the Year” category, for example. Who can forget such jaw-dropping moments like:

Help us make this year’s awards the biggest, most memorable yet.

➡️ VOTE NOW.

If your current bag is overflowing, this might be your sign.

Franklin’s Pro Series Pickleball Bag has space where it matters. Multiple paddles, shoes, extra gear, and accessories all fit without turning into a mess.

The all-black look keeps it clean and low-key. Big H’s smiling, so we’ll take that as a good sign.

Quarterfinal action begins today at the PPA Masters and honestly, if you’re not tuning in, you’re missing out.

Anna Leigh Waters is showing out in her fresh Nike gear and Franklin paddle. But it’s her new sky serve that’s really turning heads — a move already adopted by other players like doubles partner Anna Bright (and cleverly countered by Lea Jansen).

You never know what match will become an instant classic, but if you can only catch a few today, we’d suggest these:

There are also a handful of players still on Triple Crown watch: Anna Leigh Waters, Kate Fahey, Federico Staksrud, Christian Alshon, and Jack Sock.

Find all the action on Pickleballtv, now streaming via the app and on YouTube TV, Amazon Prime, and more.

➡️ For more storylines and our full event predictions, read this.

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