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The latest pickleball participation numbers are out. Good news: you can keep telling your smug tennis buddies that we’re still the proud owners of America’s fastest-growing sport.

But bubbling just below that headline is something even more compelling: racket sports as a category have grown in popularity over the past decade. And guess who’s leading the charge? That’s right. Pickleball, baby. A closer look at the new numbers, below.

In This Issue:
— College tour bans signed pros
— 11Six24’s impressive new surface grit
— Gabe’s trick-shot match winner

What a time to be alive.

We’ve witnessed our share of crazy paddles come through USAP’s approved list. This one might take the cake. Crazy long handle. Edgeless design. Massive throat holes. Alien-like head construction. Oh yeah, it’s also $400.

We can’t make this stuff up: in a round of 32 singles match at PPA Texas, Chris Haworth beat Zane Navratil in what has to be the first pro scoreline of its kind: 11-0, 0-11, 11-0. “This is the most Zane thing ever,” Anna Bright commented. We agree.

The NCPA Tour just drew a hard new line in the landscape of collegiate pickleball. After some recent controversy, they released updated eligibility rules. The big one? Anyone with an active PPA, MLP, or APP contract is now ineligible to compete.

Gusty conditions at the PPA Texas Open have reignited a favorite debate among pickleball junkies: should all pro matches be played indoors? Before you jump down our throats, take a look at some of the highlights. There’s wind, and then there’s this.

We’re all guilty of ball-watching. But if you’re in attack mode, it can be the difference between an easy kill and a squandered opportunity.

We hit the courts of New York City recently for some quality time with pro Riley Newman. And it wasn’t long before he was schooling us on the finer points of modern pickleball.

Like this little chestnut:

✅ A lot of players will initiate an attack at the kitchen line, then just stay flat-footed and wait for whatever comes next. That’s a big no-no, says Riley.

✅ Instead, your first step immediately after a speed-up should be toward the middle, anticipating the counter.

✅ Like most winners in pickleball, this is all about setting up a one-two combo. Attack, step, then finish. It’s easy because you’re intentionally steering the point in the direction you want.

➡️ Watch Riley work.

Paddles get all the attention.

But if your shoes can’t keep up with your footwork… it doesn’t matter what paddle you’re holding.

Selkirk just dropped the Legacy Pro, a performance pickleball shoe built for the way the sport actually moves — quick lateral cuts, fast resets, and long spent days on the court and off.

The new InfiniGrip™ outsole is engineered for durability and traction, while the PureFoam midsole and multilayer cushioning keep things comfortable through hours of play… and errands.

If it’s time to retire your beat-up court shoes, these are worth a look.

Check out the brand new Legacy Pro shoes and use code ADV-THEDINK and get $30 in Selkirk Bonus Bucks.

Early this year, we asked a bunch of top paddle reviewers to predict the top trends in paddle tech for 2026. The consensus was pretty unanimous: this will be the year brands finally prioritize longer-lasting grit.

So far, they’ve been right. And one brand has jumped out to an early lead.

11Six24’s new Power 2 lineup has something no other brand on the market has: a proprietary surface material called HexGrit that should, they claim, offer superior spin for the entire life of the paddle.

We’ve been playing the Power 2 lineup for the past few weeks. Here’s what stands out:

✅ The grit is incredible. Shaping the ball and attacking from below net level are a breeze. We’d put its grit up against anything out there.

✅ The full-foam core gives linear, predictable power. It smacks when you need it, but offers nice control when the situation calls for more finesse.

✅ A surprising upside of HexGrit, we found, is the confidence it gives you right away. It’s just easier to trust your shots when you know you can grab the ball and direct it around the court at will.

We talked to 11Six24 Founder David Groechel to go deeper behind the tech of the new paddles. We’ve even got a discount code if you’re interested in copping one of your own.

➡️ All about HexGrit.

Snoopy has done a lot in his lifetime—flew fighter planes, went to space, and occasionally beat Charlie Brown in backyard sports. Now he’s picked up a pickleball paddle.

Watchmaker Timex has released a new Peanuts x Timex Snoopy collection featuring three pickleball-themed watches, each with the iconic beagle geared up for a day on the court.

The drop includes three models across the brand’s classic lines:

Each watch features Snoopy playing pickleball on the dial—another playful twist in Timex’s long-running collaboration with the Peanuts franchise.

➡️ Check ‘em out.

The snake shot is either genius… or complete chaos.

Adam Bobrow joins the PicklePod to break down how he found pickleball, the crossover between ping-pong and the fastest-growing sport in America, and why some shots might need to be retired forever (looking at you, chainsaw serve).

If you like pro tour drama, global pickleball talk, and the occasional unhinged take, this one’s worth the watch.

➡️ Watch the episode here.

According to a new report, 24.3 million Americans played pickleball in 2025, representing a 22.8% year-over-year increase and a 172% jump over the past three years.

Yes, that secures our beloved annual accolade of America’s fastest-growing sport.

But there’s a subplot just below the flashy headline we find even more compelling.

Racket sports participation has climbed steadily for a decade, reaching 20.6% of Americans in 2025, up from just 13% in 2019.

Seven of eight racket sports tracked posted year-over-year growth, reinforcing that racket-based sports are enjoying a broader resurgence.

The primary driver: pickleball, baby.

For comparison:

The data reinforces what anyone who has tried to book a court lately already knows: pickleball’s growth hasn’t plateaued. It’s still on the rise.

➡️ More eye-popping pickle stats.

A review from the Dink Fam...

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