Why one pro was fined $50,000

Zane takes questions on the PicklePod. The nation's first pickleball license plate.

May 30, 2025

From a pickleball burger in Japan to the nation’s first pickleball license plate to Anna Leigh Waters’ new Times Square billboard, there’s a lot of momentum building around this sport we love so dearly.

It’s not all good news, though. A top pro breached his contract and left his MLP teammates in the lurch. The $50,000 league fine may seem harsh, but trust us—he can afford it.

In This Issue:
— How to win the mental game from the very first point
— A $40M Bel-Air mansion with a rooftop court
— Armaan Bhatia joins the PicklePod from the airport

Can’t stop, won’t stop.

Our Picks ☝️

💪 Pro Tip: How to Get to 4.5

In this week’s PicklePod, host Zane Navratil tackles a common question: how do you level up from 4.0 to 4.5? His answer boils down to two things — knowing exactly what you need to work on, and then actually doing the work. Preach.

🏆 Target Acquired: Vulcan’s Brand Refresh

Vulcan Pickleball was acquired by Stack Athletics and Chaifetz Group. The new venture, “Stack Vulcan,” will focus on a new line of paddles that “compete with the best of the best.” That’s no small task in today’s crowded paddle market. Here’s the story.

🍔 11 Pickles: Burger King’s Pickleball Burger

In honor of its partnership with the Japan Pickleball Federation, Burger King unveiled the Pickleball Burger—three beef patties and 11 pickles sandwiched between two specially made rice patties. Get it for a limited time, but only in Japan.

💰 Jaw-Dropping: The Pickle Prince of Bel-Air

Check out this $40M mansion in Bel-Air, complete with eight bedrooms, 12 bathrooms, a home theater, and a pool fit for a luxury hotel. That’s cool, but we’d be spending all of our time up on the roof…

How to Win the Mental Game from the Very First Point

Contrary to the old saying, many of us actually do play pickleball to make friends.

We get it—nobody wants to be the jerk of the open play. But there’s a way to exploit your opponent’s weaknesses on the sly beginning from your very first shot of a point.

Any time you’re returning a serve, flip the script and think of yourself in the driver’s seat. Selkirk pro Kyle Koszuta breaks it down.

✅ It starts at the return of serve. Let’s say you return the serve to player B on the right side. If player B hits their third shot into the net or leaves a drop too high, you should target that same player with your next return of serve.

✅ It’s simple psychology. In most cases, that player will be in their own head, frustrated with such a simple unforced error. The last thing they want is to have to hit that same shot again. So that’s exactly what you should make them do.

✅ This requires partner communication. Use a hand gesture or whisper into your partner’s ear, just make sure the next ball goes right back to player B. You know they’re thinking about their last mistake—it’s time to play a little game of mental warfare.

✅ Now build on this throughout the course of a game. If you get into one player’s head early, you’ll be able to expose weakness well beyond their third shot. Maybe they struggle with lob returns, or speedups at their body—make note of mistakes and exploit that weakness over and over.

And the best part? If you’re subtle, they won’t even know you’re doing it. So everyone can still be friends after you get the win.

The LUXX Just Got an Upgrade

The LUXX Control Air might look familiar. Same sleek edges. Same signature red and blue (plus a new purple that goes hard).

But under the hood? It’s packing heat.

Selkirk swapped in a 19mm core, added EVA foam in the handle and throat for more pop, and dropped in InfiniGrit tech for 3x longer-lasting spin than raw carbon. And the new batwing-style throat? It’s built for better airflow and added power where it counts.

Quang Duong Suspended & Fined $50,000

Over Memorial Day Weekend, while many of us were grilling hot dogs in a backyard somewhere, Quang Duong was going rogue.

Duong played in a pickleball tournament in Vietnam with his brother Bao. That may sound like some good clean family fun, but it wasn’t a UPA-sanctioned event, and Quang failed to get league clearance to participate.

Big no-no.

  • Suspended for the next PPA event: PPA Select Medical Orange County Cup

  • Suspended for four of six matches at Edward Jones MLP Phoenix (happening now)

  • Fined $50,000

“When contract terms are violated, there have to be consequences,” a league official told us. “We trust this issue will quickly be put behind all of us.”

You know who can’t put this swiftly behind them? Quang’s MLP team, the LA Mad Drops, who have now been forced to use a sub in 27 consecutive matches.

They lost their first match in Phoenix yesterday to the Brooklyn Pickleball Team, but beat the hometown Phoenix Flames (nice redemption after that team’s GM referred to them as the Sad Drops). They play two more matches before Quang can rejoin the team for its final two of the event.

Armaan Bhatia Stays in the Moment to Win First APP Gold

Armaan Bhatia, India’s top-ranked men’s pickleball player, joined the PicklePod from the airport in Mumbai, fresh off a 22-hour flight after beating Alex Crum in New York for his first APP Tour gold medal.

Armaan won the first game pretty comfortably, 15-10. The second game, however, was a marathon. Armaan talked with host Zane Navratil about the mentality that gave him the advantage and the 27-25 win, one of the wildest scorelines Zane has ever seen.

“Nobody was letting go,” said Armaan. At 21-20, a game point for Crum, he missed the serve. “And that’s when I thought, ‘Ok, this guy’s going to cave now.’” He didn’t, hitting an incredible return on the next point that just kissed the line.

“That was good redemption, I can’t say anything to this,” recounts Armaan. “It was all about staying in the moment. That second game was good pickleball.”

Also on this week’s PicklePod:

  • Zane discusses the pickleball reality show coming to OnlyFans

  • Erik Tice joins to lament the state of MLP Challenger

  • Matty Pickles blindly ranks his top five pickleball nepo-babies

Pickleball’s Fun. But Not Exactly Gentle.

We asked you guys where your body takes the biggest hit on court. Thousands of you said the same thing: lower legs.

That smaller court keeps the game fast and fun. But it also means calf strains, tight Achilles, and sore feet. It adds up quick.

That’s why KT Tape Pro® has become a go-to. It’s flexible, lightweight, and made to support muscles and joints through every sprint and sidestep. Less stress. More stability. More time on court.

Application is simple. Anchor the start. Stretch the middle. Press down the end. You’re good to go.

Washington State Approves Nation’s ‘First Pickleball License Plate’

The exact location may be in question, but by all accounts pickleball originated somewhere in Washington State in the 1960s.

In 2022, it became the official state sport. Now, they’re doubling down: A bill was signed into law this month by Governor Bob Ferguson approving 13 new specialty license plate designs, including one that will showcase pickleball paddles.

The Seattle Metro Pickleball Association started the push in 2022, securing the Senate’s support the following year.

The new plates — the first pickleball-themed license plate in the nation — will be available beginning November 1 for the low, low cost of $40, plus a $30 renewal fee.

Proceeds will go toward the construction and maintenance of dedicated pickleball courts throughout the state.  

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