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This weekend, top pros will clash in the inaugural LT Open at Life Time Peachtree Corners in Georgia. The singles only tournament is slated to draw elite PPA talent like Chris Haworth, Hunter Johnson and Catherine Parenteau. But it’s open to all. Could a dark horse ride in and claim the $50,000 top prize?

In This Issue:
— Can you handle the Survivor Drill?
— Pickleball for all with Operation PaddleLift
— One reviewer’s top paddles of October

What dreams are made of.

Selkirk is teasing a documentary on one of its biggest stars, former tennis player Jack Sock. “Pickleball isn’t easy, and Jack Sock’s switch from tennis champion to professional pickleball came with plenty of challenges.” The full doc premieres October 21 — watch the trailer now.

It’s a quirk of the sport nobody really talks about, yet most amateurs have experienced: Whacking yourself on the knee mid-swing — often resulting in a lost point and a ding to the ego. One Facebook user came clean and has the bruise to prove it. The 200+ comments offer plenty of support.

Sora AI’s been flooding social feeds lately, but this viral video from @goforwrd might be the best yet. Two kids wander through Spirit Halloween and stumble upon a costume labeled 3.5 at Best Pickleball Player. It “comes with a paddle and an eternal sense of being almost there.” Every rec player felt that one.

One Reddit user took a leap of faith and ordered a fake Selkirk Boomstik from Alibaba so the rest of us don’t have to (probably). There are some obvious tells: no branding on the stock grip or the signature “MOI” weights, and the massive red logo on the face was mostly grit-less. They summed it up best: “At a $70 price tag, not sure if it’s worth it or not.”

Defending against an overhead smash isn't about hitting a perfect shot right away. It's an exercise in persistence and endurance. You just need to survive long enough to find the right opportunity to turn the tides back in your favor.

To help you get the hang of it, here's a drill that can transform you from a sitting duck into a defensive wall. It's called the Survivor Drill, and Selkirk TV's Mark Price is here to break down exactly how to use it.

Many of the most effective pickleball drills are the simplest, and this one is no exception.

Here's how to run it:

There's one critical caveat: The offensive player cannot hit angled shots out wide, but rather must keep all attacks within the baseline and centerline of the opposing player's respective side.

This is cooperative drilling at its finest. Your partner works on their smashing technique and power. You work on defensive positioning and high blocks.

The key on defense is recognizing when to stay patient and just keep putting balls back into play, and when to capitalize on the right shot to attack back.

➡️ Watch the video.

If you haven’t checked out the adidas Adipower paddles yet, you’re missing out. These things hit that rare sweet spot between power and precision.

The TriFoam Edge Reinforcement gives it that steady, controlled feel on every swing, so your drives stay clean and your resets don’t float. At $189, it’s a legit high-performance paddle without the markup.

adidas athlete Jaume Martinez Vich will be hitting the court with his Adipower at the Life Time Open this weekend. Safe to say it’s built for players who like to bring a little heat.

➡️ Check out the Adipower collection and see what controlled power really feels like.

The Global Pickleball Federation (GPF) Community Development Committee has partnered with Pickleball for Good to to improve global access to pickleball equipment.

The crowdfunding effort, called Operation PaddleLift, is intended to alleviate shipping, customs, and duties costs and “other challenges that hinder the delivery of essential pickleball equipment to remote regions across the globe.”

To jumpstart this initiative, 100 donated paddles are already destined for GPF members in Argentina, Oman, Ukraine and Malawi.

Additional funds will go toward kits containing 20 paddles, four nets, and 40 balls. Ghana has successfully received kits already.

"Our push for grassroots development of pickleball in Ghana has been limited due to equipment,” said Dr. Kwabena Akufo, Founder, Ghana Pickleball Association. With the kits, “we were enabled to expand to more regions in Ghana that will help us in our drive toward formal recognition by the Ministry of Sports."

Each kit costs $1,000 to assemble and ship. The campaign is live now.

➡️ Learn more.

Louis from Pickleball Pursuit has hit pretty much every pickleball paddle on the planet. So when he starts listing his top picks, it’s probably in your best interest to pay attention. Especially if you’re in the market for a new weapon.

Here are his faves from October, ranked in order.

5️⃣ Thrive Project Fury — Elongated and hybrid shapes, $200. Louis likes this paddle to a JOOLA Pro IV, but upgraded “in virtually every way.”

4️⃣ Luzz Cannon — Elongated shape, $109. “One of the best power paddles on the market” — and just for the price.

3️⃣ Vatic V-Sol Pro — Standard, hybrid, two elongated shapes, $110. Great playability thanks to its full-foam core. Tough to beat overall performance for the price.

2️⃣ Honolulu J2NF — Elongated, $195. A favorite among many popular paddle reviewers. “One of the most stable hybrid shape paddles on the market.”

1️⃣ Bread and Butter Loco — Standard, hybrid and elongated shapes, $199. “This is an elite-tier power paddle” that doesn’t skimp on control or sweet-spot.

➡️ Watch the video.

MUEV’s not just another pickleball apparel brand. They’ve got the pro stamp of approval.

You’ve seen them on the APP Tour (official partner through 2026) and on Major League Pickleball’s St. Louis Shock as the official uniform. Safe to say players everywhere are repping MUEV.

Breathable, lightweight, and built for players who actually sweat. Men’s, women’s, on-court, off-court — whatever you need.

➡️ Shop MUEV and save 20% with code THEDINK.

The Life Time Open kicks off today at Life Time Peachtree Corners in Georgia, and it’s unlike any other tournament on the calendar.

This one’s for the pros only. No amateurs, no mixed doubles, no gender doubles.

It’s also one of the few events open to all. That means you’ll see top talent from the PPA, the APP, and even international players all battling for a piece of the $250,000 prize purse, with $50K going to each singles champion.

We’ve got our guy Erik Tice breaking down who to watch and sharing a few predictions of his own:

✅ Men’s Singles: Federico Staksrud, Connor Garnett, Chris Haworth

✅ Women’s Singles: Parris Todd (still questionable with an ankle injury), Kaitlyn Christian, Judit Castillo, Lea Jansen

Other notable names include Will Howells, Bobbi Oshiro, Alex Crum, Katerina Stewart, Donald Young, and the legend herself, Simone Jardim, who’s back in the singles mix once again.

➡️ Read our full event preview.

A review from the Dink Fam...

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