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It’s rare that a pickleball match gains mainstream attention. But tonight’s “Battle of the Sexes” bout featuring Anna Leigh Waters and Andre Agassi has crossed that line. Major outlets like The New York Times and Yahoo are covering it. And it’s airing in primetime on ESPN.

To the winning team goes $1 million. The only real question: How badly will the ladies beat up on the guys?

In This Issue:
— Is pickleball harder than tennis?
— 5 tips for your first tournament
— Preview: PPA Sacramento

Grab your popcorn 🍿

Hear us out. Nobody is saying pickleball is easier than tennis. Not exactly. But our guy Nico has a case for singles specifically: tennis players get way more time between points, largely due to getting two serves per point. The haters are not convinced.

Major League Pickleball’s season opener is about a month away, going down May 22-25 at Pickler Universe in Carrollton, Texas. And now we know the full matchups of all 11 teams competing. Check it out, and grab your tickets while they last.

Everyone is talking about Anna Leigh Waters facing Andre Agassi tonight (more on that below), but let’s not forget that they were partners at the US Open last year in Agassi’s pro pickle debut. And they nearly won gold.

A Reddit post is popping off after making a surprising claim: the real reason pickleball is exploding in popularity isn’t that it’s fun or good exercise — it’s really because it’s an easy and natural cure for adult loneliness. Agree or disagree?

Weather. Matchups. Court conditions.

There are lots of factors you can’t control when it comes to competing in a pickleball tournament. But when it comes time to hit the court — especially if it’s your first-ever competitive event — there are a few things you can do to increase your odds of success.

✅ Focus your mind. Pickleball is a game of errors, not highlights. Whoever makes the fewest mistakes wins. That's it. So instead of hunting winners, you're hunting for your opponent's missed shot. And at lower-level tournaments, those come fast.

✅ Nail your thirds. The third shot is where most tournaments are won or lost, and it's where most players make their biggest mistakes. Remember, everyone's nervous. Everyone's uncomfortable. So instead of hitting a third shot drop, start with a third-shot drive down the middle at 70% power. Favor this until it stops working, then adapt.

✅ Middle solves the riddle. The best dinking strategy is almost counterintuitive: aim for the middle 60 to 70% of the time. It’s safe, yes, but it also limits unforced errors and causes confusion among your opponents.

✅ Conquer court coverage. Whichever player is diagonal from where the ball is coming should commit to covering the middle, whether it's their forehand or backhand. It doesn't matter. That's their job.

✅ Play to not lose, not to win. People get super uncomfortable the longer rallies go. They start pressing. They start making errors. So your job isn't to hit winners. Your job is to keep the ball in play, stay patient, and let your opponent beat themselves.

Got it? Now go sign up for your first tournament and have a blast. You’re ready.

➡️ Your template for success.

You can tell who came ready before a single ball is hit.

Not just by how they play — but how they show up.

Clean fit. Put together. Comfortable enough to move, but still dialed.

Selkirk’s apparel line hits that balance. Built for the court, but doesn’t feel overly “gear-y” off it.

It’s the kind of stuff you throw on without thinking and end up wearing all day.

Shop Selkirk apparel and use code ADV-THEDINK to get $30 in Selkirk Bonus Bucks!

On this week’s PicklePod, Zane and Nico take on a host of hot topics, including how Ben Johns might have the worst-ever men’s singles draw at PPA Sacramento, the real motivation behind the ongoing JOOLA lawsuits, and why singles pickleball is more physically demanding than singles tennis.

But that’s not all:

Oh, and the guys attempt, and largely fail, to put together their lists of the 10 best pound-for-pound pickleball pros, in which Zane initially thought that meant the most talented players who weigh the least…

Go ahead, get informed.

➡️ Watch the episode.

For all the talk about pickleball paddles, there's not a whole lot of attention paid to the best pickleball bag to suit your game.

You paid $300 for that JOOLA Kosmos, right? Maybe it's not the worst idea to transport it in a bag designed to keep it safe and protected.

Without a doubt, your old book bag from college or that ratty hiking bag collecting dust in the garage will do the trick. And if that works for you, cool. But pretty much every paddle brand is making pickleball-specific bags these days. There are even a handful of companies specializing in bags only.

Here are five pickleball backpacks in a range of sizes and budget options we've put to the test and can say with confidence are very good at their job.

Ranging from $79 to $250, from minimal to accessory-packed, there’s something for everyone.

➡️ Time for an upgrade.

Funny how you play loose in warmups…

Then the game starts and everything tightens up.

Tro Calm is a fast-acting troche from Troscriptions that dissolves in your mouth — designed to help you stay in that same relaxed, confident state without the nerves creeping in.

It works quickly to support a calm, focused mindset so you can play how you know you’re capable of.

Same game. Just less pressure.

Try Tro Calm and use code DINK for 10% off!

It’s not often men and women compete against each other in a high-stakes, high-profile sporting match of any sort. Rarer still when the outcome earns the winning team a cool $1 million.

But such is the setting tonight, when active pickleball pros Anna Leigh Waters and Genie Bouchard take on former tennis greats Andre Agassi and James Blake in the Pickleball Slam 4.

The event consists of two singles matches and one doubles match:

It will air at 7pm on ESPN, from the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Florida.

Sure, it’s an exhibition. But there’s real money on the line. There’s also the Anna Leigh factor.

She’s become an incredible entertainer and ambassador for the sport of pickleball. But you know there is no chance she’s losing either of her matches, especially given the fact she’s probably the lowest-net-worth participant of the four.

Can Blake best Bouchard? We’re not convinced.

It should be a bloodbath in favor of the ladies. Let’s see how it plays out.

➡️ Get the details.

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