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Imagine getting called up to your first-ever MLP event and balling out so hard you make SportsCenter Top 10 plays not once, but twice, in back-to-back days.

It sounds improbable. Impossible even. But Casey Diamond just did it. And something tells us he’s only getting started. See the insane shots below.

In This Issue:
— 3 reasons you should poach more
— Gabe Tardio’s sideline antics
— Skechers makes a paddle

So much pickle, so little time.

It’s game point in a pivotal women’s matchup between St. Louis and Columbus, two of MLP’s top teams. The rally is intense. The crowd is oohing and aahing. What’s Shock star Gabe Tardio doing on the sideline? Honestly, who even knows at this point. See for yourself.

A brave soul took to Facebook to air out a somewhat taboo opinion: “Ok, I admit it. I find it nearly impossible to enjoy playing with a novice in open play.” About 400 people commented, many of them rather rudely. Maybe it’s just time for a new group?

The Dink Minor League Pickleball shares a venue with MLP this weekend in iconic Randall’s Island, New York. Registration is closed (we told you to hurry), but you can still come watch the region’s best amateurs ball out in the Big Apple.

The APP Tour just lost a gold medalist in Casey Diamond (more on him below) but gained a longtime standout in PPA and MLP, Jay Devilliers. Come September, the former APP triple crown winner will be returning to his pro roots.

The concept of poaching in pickleball gets a bad rap. Too often, it implies someone over-playing their position, being too aggressive, or just generally acting like a ball-hog. And nobody likes a ball-hog.

But there’s far more behind this strategy than just looking for an easy point. In a nutshell, you should be poaching far more often than you are. Like, every game you play. Early and often. Here’s why.

✅ Poaching early applies pressure to your opponent. Shading middle and punching a ball back that’s not technically “yours” shows them you’re offensive-minded and won’t be giving up any easy points. This game is being played on your terms. That gives you an edge.

✅ When you’re willing to be aggressive in the middle, it effectively shrinks the court for your opponents. No floaty drops in the middle. No lazy cross-court dinks. One early poach puts them on notice. Just like that, they’re aiming for smaller targets and over-thinking routine shots. And that forces errors.

✅ It protects a weaker partner. Poaching has the added bonus of covering for a partner who needs a little extra help, especially if they’re being targeted throughout the game. Now you’re covering 75% of the court instead of 50%. And that could tip the scales back in your favor.

One more parting thought: don’t keep your poaching plans to yourself. Tell your partner you’re going to do it, and why. “Hey, I’m going to jump on a middle ball early just to put them on their heels. Cool?”

This is what having a strategy actually looks like.

➡️ How to approach the poach.

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Skechers just became the latest major shoe brand to enter the pickleball paddle market.

But is that a good thing?

Adidas made headlines in January 2025 when the billion-dollar sports conglomerate signed Federico Staksrud as their marquee pro. His shoes and apparel looked great, but they never quite nailed his paddle.

Mizuno just joined the fun with their debut paddle drop — a $300 edgeless Gen-3 design with an integrated weight system in the sidewalls. Innovative? You bet. Likely to crack into the mainstream? We doubt it.

So when Skechers just hit the USAP Approved Paddle List, it had some in the industry scratching their heads. Like Zane Navratil, who just posted a video about it.

“Their premier sponsored athlete, Catherine Parenteau, is a free agent for paddles,” he noted. “If they make a genuinely good paddle, I think they’d easily be able to sign some [PPA] Tour players.”

That’s a big “if,” however.

Skechers has one of the most popular court shoes in all of pickleball, favored among top pros and rec players everywhere. So could their paddle cut through the noise and gain some market share?

Time will tell. But it’s worth keeping an eye on.

➡️ Take a closer look.

The headline of MLP St. Petersburg is the St. Louis Shock, who steamrolled the competition on their way to the Super Sunday title.

The lineup of Anna Bright, Kate Fahey, Gabe Tardio, and Hayden Patriquin proved too deep and too talented to be beaten, going undefeated all event.

Here are the top five teams coming out of Florida:

🥇 St. Louis Shock (25 points)
🥈 LA Mad Drops (18 points)
🥉 Brooklyn Pickleball Team (15 points)
🏅 Palm Beach Royals (12 points)
🏅 Columbus Sliders (10 points)

But there was far more to this event than just the eventual winners.

Speaking of Ben, in the finals matchup against St. Louis, with his team down 0-2 and facing a must-win mixed doubles game, he was sitting on the sideline with partner Jade Kawamoto. Why? Because the Mad Drops wanted it that way. Better for their best team to face off against the Shock’s best in Anna and Hayden, right?

On paper, perhaps. But the Shock took the first three games, and the championship belt, and Ben was left watching. Wonder if they’d like that one back?

Believe it or not, there’s a lot more to unpack from St. Pete. Pro pickle expert (and GM of the California Black Bears) Erik Tice has a full event recap.

➡️ Here’s what you need to know.

A new paddle isn't cheap, but a lot of us still buy one the same way every time: a name we recognize, a pro who plays it, a friend who won't stop talking about theirs.

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Find your perfect paddle.

Casey Diamond is a very, very good pickleball player you may not know much about. Or anything, really.

You'd be forgiven for that. Because unless you follow the APP Tour closely (where he’s a stud, we'll have you know, winning a handful of gold medals recently), he's not a guy you would have seen much on marquee courts in pro pickleball.

That is, until this past weekend when he was called up to play for the Palm Beach Royals at MLP St. Petersburg in place of an injured Dekel Bar and Grayson Goldin.

Casey came into a tough event facing several of the league's top teams and absolutely balled out, helping his squad to a commendable fourth place finish.

He saw a lot of balls as the new guy on the court. And what did he do with that level of pressure and expectation, you might ask?

He made SportsCenter Top 10 plays not once, but twice. At the same event. In back-to-back days.

One of them, a lightning-fast, behind-the-back winner, is quite possibly the best shot we’ll see in all of pro pickleball this year.

➡️ See it to believe it.

A review from the Dink Fam...

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