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There’s an inflatable floating pickleball court in Florida locals just can’t seem to get enough of. Sports betting is back in pro pickleball… with one major caveat. And the PPA’s new teenage sensation, Johnny G, joins the PicklePod to talk about going to high school online while he chases his hardcourt dreams.

All that, plus some data on the impact of unforced errors, below. But before you go, do us a solid…

In This Issue:
— The silent on-court killer: unforced errors
— Zane is riled up on the PicklePod
— Sports betting for pickleball?

To be young again.

Responses are flooding in after Will Howells wondered what single attribute a pro should prize above all else. Mental toughness. Anticipation. Footwork. His signature pink sneakers? Fellow pro Fed Staksrud even weighed in: “Good hair.”

Cindy was going for a lob, and the lob won. She posted the proof to Facebook: one broken wrist, one broken arm. The comments range from “totally worth it” to “body before ball.” Of the 1,000 responses, there are many pickleball horror stories.

After a tough ankle injury, Stacey was struggling to walk. Until she tried an innovative over-the-shoe ankle brace that changed everything. Now she’s on her feet and back to the sport she loves. “I love it, it helps me walk better and play pickleball with more confidence."

We understand Major League Pickleball can be a lot to digest for the casual pro fan. So our expert Erik Tice put together a cheat sheet on all things MLP Playoffs. Here’s how to watch, how it all works, and who to be on the lookout for. He even included a fun fact for each team.

PPA stat guru Jim Ramsey rounded up some findings from Championship Sunday at the Veolia Bristol Open.

If there’s one takeaway for all you rec players, it’s this: Unforced errors are the silent killer among us. Even at the highest level of the sport.

The proof is in the results:

✅ Mixed Doubles Final: Anna Leigh Waters and Ben Johns defeat Jorja and JW Johnson. “Waters and Johns had fewer errors on Dinks, Serves, Returns and Third Shots, 18-7.”

✅ Men’s Doubles Final: Ben Johns and Gabe Tardio defeat Jaume Martinez Vich and Matt Wright. “Johns and Tardio had no errors on Dinks, Serves or Returns.”

✅ Women’s Doubles Final: Anna Bright and Anna Leigh Waters defeat Jorja Johnson and Rachel Rohrabacher. “Bright and Waters had fewer volleys into the net, 14-5.”

Think about this the next time you hit the court. All those long drives and errant dinks dumped into the net add up. Nobody beats you more than you beat yourself.

➡️ Read Jim’s full analysis.

Pickleball is fun, until your hips, back, and shoulders start filing complaints.

That’s where Aescape’s AI-powered massage system comes in. This isn’t a massage chair. It’s a smart, precision-driven recovery system that scans your body and works exactly where pickleball hits hardest, from your glutes and hips to your lower back and shoulders.

Regular sessions can help you move easier, recover faster, and play more without waking up feeling like yesterday’s match is still in your muscles.

Players at our NYC Courted stop earlier this month got to try it and walked away wondering how a robot just nailed every tight spot they had.

➡ Book a back-and-glute-focused massage, use code DINK25 for 25% off, and see why the future of pickleball recovery is already here.

The pickleball world is aflutter this week after news spread that you can now “bet” on a few scenarios around the upcoming MLP Playoffs.

The platform involved is called Polymarket. It’s not sports gambling in the traditional sense; it’s more of a predictions market where users can buy “shares” of the outcome of an upcoming event. Like who will win the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize. Or the English Premier League.

Or, for the first time in its history, who will be crowned the 2025 Major League Pickleball Champion.

Due to a long and shrouded trail of regulatory run-ins, Polymarket went dormant for a while but has reemerged from the shadows. But here’s the rub: It’s not currently accessible to “persons located in the United States.” Word is, that could change as soon as this fall.

Buzzkill? Maybe. But the implications for the future of the sport remain significant.

➡️ We go deep on all things Polymarket x MLP.

The newest member of the teenage PPA gold medal club, John Lucian Goins, stopped by the PicklePod to share some insights into his life, training regimen, and recent win at PPA Bristol.

The 17-year-old attends online high school in Florida to accommodate his training and travel schedule. He loves his cat and playing chess. And going into every match, he adopts an underdog mentality that motivates him to compete with the best on tour. Zane thinks he’s the “most complete player in pro pickleball.”

Also on this week’s episode, Zane answers your burning questions. Plus, he and Erik discuss some on-court foot-stomping antics from Christian Alshon that frustrated opponent Hayden Patriquin and even got him a warning from the referee. Tice isn’t a fan. Zane says all is fair in pickleball and war.

➡️ Watch it now.

Summer’s winding down, but the pickleball, and the parties, aren’t stopping anytime soon. Whether you’re celebrating a tournament win or just catching up with your crew over drinks, you want to show up sharp for your next match.

That’s where ZBiotics Pre-Alcohol Probiotic Drink comes in. Created by PhD scientists, it’s the world’s first probiotic designed to break down acetaldehyde, a byproduct of alcohol that causes those sluggish mornings after drinking.

Just drink one bottle before your first alcoholic drink, and ZBiotics Pre-Alcohol helps you be at your best so you can keep dinking, smashing, and volleying without missing a beat.

➡️ Get 15% off your first order at zbiotics.com/dink with code DINK. Backed by a 100% money-back guarantee.

There’s no better feeling than lazing by the pool on a steamy summer afternoon.

Unless you’re in the area of San Antonio, Florida. Then we’d recommend a trip to the floating pickleball court at Mirada Lagoon, the largest man-made lagoon in the United States at more than 15 acres and 33 million gallons of water.

Operators at the facility were dubious at first. Floating pickleball? Will that even work?

But a company that specializes in inflatable accessories for luxury yachts pulled it off. And now it’s become a huge hit. So much so, they’re considering making it a permanent fixture.

This trend has been slow to catch on in other parts of the country. But consider this our formal endorsement of more floating pickleball.

➡️ Read the article.

A review from the Dink Fam...

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