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Here at The Dink, we’re playing pickleball just as much as you are. So when a list of “Unwritten Pickleball Rules” started making the rounds, we knew we had to weigh in. Respect the elderly? Check. No more MODS? Check. Apologies for bodybags? Well, we’ll let you be the judge.

And speaking of rules, more and more fake paddle brands aren’t following any, knocking off real innovation for a quick profit, consequences be darned. Now, the counterfeit paddle market has ballooned to problematic proportions. And one governing body is fighting back.

In This Issue:
— The epidemic of counterfeit paddles
— The new rules to beat bangers
— Will foam paddles crack in the cold?

Follow the leader.

We’re no art connoisseurs, but even we know a masterpiece when we see it. Behold, the massive Chicago mural adorning one entire exterior wall of ChiPickle, a new indoor facility in Chicago’s South Loop. Pickles playing pickleball? Nailed it.

We’ve yet to see a tennis superstar come over to pro pickleball and truly dominate. Jack Sock has certainly had his moments, and he’s looking better than ever heading into 2026. PPA CEO Connor Pardoe thinks he should pair up with tennis bad boy Nick Kyrgios. And Jack agrees: “It’ll happen.” If so, it’ll be electric. Guaranteed.

How many bangers does it take to cross-court dink? Well, this story has a mind-boggling ending when one player calls hindrance during a mid-court rally. You need to read this one. We’re just as dumbfounded as you are.

Years ago, The Dink’s founder Thomas challenged Ben Johns to a game of singles. Ben served first and never looked back, winning 11-0. Thomas swore he’d never play competitive singles again. And he hasn’t. Until this Saturday, when he faces world #2 Anna Bright. What could possibly go wrong?

Unless you’re new here, you should already know the golden rule for beating bangers at their own game: use their power against them.

Zane Navratil doubles down on this mantra in a new video, stressing the point to the max: "If you start out with the mentality of slowing down the banger, you've already lost to the banger."

Nobody likes a bully. We get it. But Zane’s got a few new rules that build on this strategy. Now the next time you’re facing a flame-thrower, you’ll be ready to fight fire with fire.

✅ Keep your paddle poised above the net line. To handle pace, you want to hit a return flat or down at your opponent’s feet. If your paddle is hanging down by your waist, you're forced to swing upward on hard shots. That's a recipe for disaster.

✅ Don’t let your paddle leave your sight. You don’t need to hit this shot so much as redirect it. If your paddle leaves your field of vision during your swing, you've already taken too big of a backswing. Keep it short and compact.

✅ Full-circle, rapid reload. If you're following through all the way across your body, you'll be out of position for the next ball. Instead, think about finishing your swing right back where it started, at your ready position.

Read those three tips again. Stand up. Pretend you’re at the net preparing to face a huge drive from the midcourt. Now play it out. Chances are good you’re not following one of those rules. Maybe even all three.

Chances are also good you look like a crazy person right now. Totally worth it.

➡️ Here, let Zane demonstrate.

We’ll be honest. When we first heard “a blue troche that helps you focus,” we had questions. Then Thomas brought Dr. Scott on PicklePod and broke it down, and things made sense fast.

Blue Cannatine is a legit focus tool. Not an energy drink. Not a caffeine bomb. It’s a precise combination of four ingredients engineered to help you react faster, think clearer, and stay locked in through long matches.

You tuck it in your cheek, it dissolves, and within minutes you feel sharper without feeling wired. And once we started seeing it pop up around The Dink MiLP Nationals, it became pretty clear a lot of players were looking for that same edge.

If you want to try the focus hack players are quietly using, this is it.

If you don’t think the counterfeit paddle epidemic affects you, it’s time to think again.

Fake paddles have become so ubiquitous throughout the industry, brands big and small are now spending tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars every year trying to protect the innovations they so laboriously bring to market.

Consider this:

And yet, consumers seem happy to snap them up.

The ripple effect is enormous.

✅ Targeted brands are required to allocate staff towards protecting their IP through regulatory Whac-A-Mole — precious resources diverted away from customer service, marketing, or making the next great paddle.
✅ Amateur tournaments are infiltrated with unregulated paddles, many of which play far hotter than is allowed.
✅ All the while, overseas companies profit by selling dupes of real innovation.

It’s reached the point where the UPA-A, the governing body of pro pickleball, has stepped in to try and regain some control. As we speak, they’re compiling best practices from paddle brands across pro and amateur pickleball, and plan to publish their findings soon.

It’s the first step in a multi-pronged counter-attack against counterfeit paddle companies.

➡️ Will it work? We discuss on this week’s PicklePod.

If you’re building a charcuterie board this season, skip the grocery-store sausage and bring something that earns its spot.

Maui Nui’s Always Summer Sausage is 98 percent lean, zero sugar, 20 grams of protein per serving, and made from wild Axis deer on Maui. Clean. Bright. Not greasy.

And the flavor hits in a way that feels more “chef’s kiss” than “holiday potluck.”

Holiday sets are ready to gift, and if you buy four, you get a fifth free. Head to mauinuivenison.com/THEDINK.

Treat the host… or yourself.

Pickleball has a ton of rules. Spin serves. Headhunting. Nasty Nelsons. Hindrances. And let's not even get into the Non-Volley Zone.

Complicating matters still is they're all subject to change. At seemingly any moment. But at least these are all written down… somewhere.

One Reddit thread is dealing with a different set of pickleball rules entirely: the unwritten ones.

Posted just a couple weeks ago, this simple query has elicited more than 300 responses. Here, in no particular order, are a few of our favorites:

Here at The Dink, we’re playing pickleball all the time just like you are. So we added a few. Like this hot take: is it time to normalize not apologizing after a bodybag or a net cord?

What did we miss? Reply to this email with your own unwritten pickleball rules; we’ll add the best ones to the article.

Without a doubt, 2025 has been the year of the full-foam paddle.

The performance benefits are many when compared to more traditional polypropylene cores:

We know exposing any paddle to extreme heat can cause structural damage. But how will foam-core paddles perform when temps dip into the 50s, 40s, or below?

Paddle reviewer John Kew and his podcast co-host Eddie have some thoughts. In short: it could feel more like playing with a cinder block than a pillow.

A review from the Dink Fam...

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