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Christian Alshon and Tyra Black just won their first PPA mixed-doubles gold together, deploying a hyper-aggressive strategy that saw Christian covering 95% of the court, every point, every match. It was a wild sight to behold, and fan reaction since has been mixed. But it worked.

Could it work in your next tournament? Highly unlikely. We tell you why below.

In This Issue:
— Stubborn habits hurting your game
— Asian paddle brands sign top pros
— The wildest pickleball rule yet

Stay in your lane?

Angelo and Ettorre Rossetti, twins, coaches, and prolific pickleball world record holders, are at it again, this time with a new mark for most consecutive volleys in one minute — 113! — casually set live at a clinic just last week. The record is pending official status, but looks to be a lock.

You know what they say: if you can make it here, you can make it anywhere. Well, the PPA Tour has made it. To Times Square, at least. Towering new advertisements on NYC’s 7th Ave. show Anna Leigh Waters and the phrase: “The Biggest Stage in Pickleball.”

Voting is closed for The 120/Life Dink Awards, the biggest fan-choice pickleball awards yet. We’ll be announcing all the winners first on the PicklePod. If you’re dying to know (and we know you are), subscribe now and tune in beginning next week.

The Major League Pickleball trade window is officially open, which means we’ll start seeing big-name players shuffling to new teams — like Hunter Johnson, who was just dealt to Chicago earlier today. It’s all leading up to the free agency draft, Friday, Feb. 27. Here’s what you need to know.

If you've been stuck in a pickleball plateau and can't seem to break through, you might not have a skillset problem. You might have a bad habits problem.

Like lobbing every time you’re even slightly out of position. Or repeatedly trying to Nasty Nelson your buddy. Stop doing that.

For the rest of us, there are some common bad habits holding us back. Here are a few that top coaches see most often:

🚫 Complacent dinking is a disease. When you send dead dinks to the same location repeatedly, you're not creating anything. Stop being comfortable at the kitchen and start applying pressure. Move those dinks around to create offense and win points.

🚫 Driving through the transition zone is a trap. You feel like you’re being aggressive, but you’re really being dumb. Court geometry isn’t in your favor and you know it; that ball is likely sailing long. Drop it instead, then consult bad habit #1.

🚫 Drop shots aren’t a tactic; they’re an invitation. Unless executed to near perfection, you’re just giving your opponents a free pass to the kitchen. And never, whatever you do, attempt a drop from above your shoulders. This should be a putaway every time.

Pickleball should be fun. But that doesn’t mean it should be easy. Swing out of your comfort zone and form some better habits. Then watch the points start to pile up.

➡️ Watch the full video.

Pickleball isn’t just athletic, it’s cognitive. Every point is anticipation, touch, micro-adjustments, and calm decisions under pressure. That’s exactly where Troscription’s Blue Cannatine comes in — a fast-acting performance troche designed to support focus, reaction time, and calm execution on court.

It’s designed to support the kind of flow state pickleball players chase: focused, responsive, smooth, without jitters or crashes. Just clean, steady clarity that lasts through long sessions and stacked games.

What we love most is how precise it feels. Faster reads at the kitchen line. Quicker reactions on hands battles. Softer touch when the point slows down. And mentally… you just stay locked in longer.

If you care about reaction time, composure, and playing smarter instead of louder, this is a really interesting tool to add to your routine.

Christian Alshon deployed a strategy in mixed doubles at PPA Minnesota that has the pickleball community split down the middle.

Paired up with Tyra Black, and facing the #1 team of Hayden Patriquin and Anna Bright, Alshon took a hyper-aggressive approach where he essentially took over the entire court, pushed Tyra to the margins, and played like he was in a singles match, one vs. two.

Every point. For the entire match.

It was, without a doubt, a singularly aggressive approach to doubles pickleball. And one that many pickleball fans just can't seem to wrap their heads around.

But the results speak for themselves: Christian and Tyra won their first gold together, with Tyra still coming up huge in many key moments throughout the match.

"These players are going to do whatever it takes to win," said Zane Navratil of the strategy. "We are competing and it's completely within the rules."

Whether Tyra took any issue with it is between her and Christian.

But after the fact, Anna Bright took to her newsletter and made a pretty compelling case for why it worked.

“Tyra is the perfect partner for this style. Why, you ask? Well… she is the most athletic woman in the game, by FAR,” she wrote. “Her unreal foot speed and athleticism make her the perfect complement to the manic play-style he exhibited this week.”

➡️ Zane and Nico discuss on the PicklePod.

Gabe Tardio's paddle deal with Facolos might seem like just another pro paddle sponsorship, but according to Zane Navratil, it could be a spark that fundamentally reshapes the American paddle manufacturing industry.

The move signals something bigger: a flood of Asian brands entering the U.S. market with UPA-A certification, less expensive but still high-quality products, and serious financial backing.

Many are based in China or have significant operations there, says Zane, including: Aireo, Arronax, Luzz, Mehau, Li-Ning, RamSports and Warping Point. A few others are based in Vietnam: Facolos, Kamito and Zocker.

What do they all have in common? They're serious about breaking into the U.S. market, and they're using pro sponsorships as their entry point.

After all, says Zane, if Asian companies can produce a comparable paddle and sell it for half the price while marketing it through American pros, what's left for the traditional U.S. brands? Not much.

➡️ Watch the video.

The Franklin ACV Pro pickleball shoes are one of those pairs you stop thinking about once you start playing — in the best way. They feel light when you’re moving, stable when you have to stop fast, and comfortable enough that you’re not checking your feet after every game.

They’re easy to move in, feel really stable when you need them to, and never distract you once you start playing.

If you’ve been meaning to upgrade into a true pickleball shoe, this is a really good place to start.

Check out the Franklin ACV Pro pickleball shoes here.

Today in absolutely ridiculous pickleball rules, The Dink founder Thomas Shields once again teams up with USAP head referee Ron Ponder to discuss a very important scenario we're sure many of you have totally dealt with before: a paddle snapping in two mid-point.

Let's not focus so much on the how here – yes, Thomas intentionally heel-kicked his JOOLA Pro IV in two for demonstration purposes – but instead get into the what now?

"My ruling," Ponder told a clearly stunned Thomas, "is that you're playing with one paddle. And that's OK."

Is it, though?

➡️ You be the judge.

A review from the Dink Fam...

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