Grab some popcorn and pull up a seat. It’s time to announce the first batch of winners for The 120/Life Dink Awards.
To help us do it right, we enlisted special guest Anna Bright, the world No. 2 female pro and nominee for several categories, including Best On-Court Personality and Fan Favorite Pro. We unpack all the winners of the Players categories, below.
In This Issue:
— Pickleball: the death of a marriage?
— Apple’s ‘The Dink’ movie debuts this July
— Do this for a feistier forehand flick
Happy awards season.
Our Picks 👆
🤔 Try This: A Pro Quirk We’re Pondering
A clip of Zane Navratil resurfaced where he reveals he uses one side of his paddle for forehands, the other side for backhands. Every match. Every game. Every point. It has us wondering — is this just a Zane-ism, or could it offer some competitive advantage?
❌ Pickle Passion: The Death of a Marriage
A frustrated wife and mother wrote in to The Washington Post with a plea for help: her husband’s pickleball hobby has become an obsession. Is it too much? “Yes,” advice columnist Carolyn Hax confirmed, “your marriage is dying of pickleball.”
💸 It Depends: Is Pickleball an Expensive Sport?
It’s a simple question with a nuanced answer: is this sport we love so dearly actually fun-loving and accessible to all, or is it getting progressively more expensive to partake in on the regular? The short answer is… it depends. The internet weighs in.
🔥 ‘The Dink’: Stiller Movie Sets Summer Premiere
Apple TV just took to Instagram to announce a July premiere date for its upcoming Ben Stiller produced pickleball comedy. More on that, right here.
It’s Time to Ditch The Windshield-Wiper Flick Technique
If you've ever felt like your forehand speed-up is inconsistent or just doesn't pack the same punch as your backhand, this one's for you.
Content creator Ed Ju teamed up with player and coach Cori Elliott to break down exactly why his forehand flick was falling short — and how to fix it.
Contrary to popular belief, the best flicks aren’t all about the wrist; real power comes from your forearm and a bit of body weight.
Minimize wrist movement and focus on forearm acceleration instead
Lean into the shot slightly, shifting your body weight forward without kicking off hard
Push through the ball and close the paddle face at the last second, ending with your paddle in front of you, tip pointed up
Oh, and let’s put a common analogy to bed for good: A windshield wiper moves side to side, but your forehand speed-up should move forward and slightly upward. It’s just not the same motion at all; and the confusion could be costing you points.
Think of it differently: your paddle starts open, and you close it. That's it. You're not twisting your wrist wildly. You're using your forearm to accelerate through the ball while keeping the motion compact and controlled.
The ALW bag is coming… and it’s a vibe
Yes, the Anna Leigh Waters bag drops soon — and yes, it has some real swag. But beyond that preorder hype, Franklin’s full pickleball bag lineup is really solid.
Clean designs. Smart storage. Space for paddles, shoes, water, and all the random extras that somehow end up in your bag by week three of league play.
Whether you’re waiting on the ALW drop or just want something in stock and ready to roll, there are some great bag options worth checking out.
Winners Revealed: The Dink Awards Player Categories
The wait is over. After months of nominations, vote-counting, and teasers, we’re ready to reveal our first batch of winners for The 120/Life Dink Awards.
On this week’s PicklePod, we brought on special guest Anna Bright to help us announce the winners of the Player categories:
Men’s and Women’s Player of the Year
Men’s and Women’s Breakout Player of the Year
Upset of the Year
Best Dressed Pro
College Team of the Year
Fan Favorite Pro
Best On-Court Personality
Fan Favorite MLP Team
Senior Men’s and Women’s Player of the Year
Did Ben and Anna Leigh sweep Player of the Year again? Is Anna Bright as charming on the court as she is in the podcast studio? Is the breakout player of the year who you think it is?
More than 10,000 of you submitted votes this year — and some of the races came down to the tightest margins we’ve ever seen.
We won’t spoil the surprise for those of you who want to hear Anna do the honors. Listen to the PicklePod now — or just see the full list of winners. Your call.
Sidelined Pro James Ignatowich Has a New Role: Paddle Reviewer
James Ignatowich... you know him – the PPA pro who was sponsored by Selkirk for years before launching his own paddle brand, RPM.
It's true, James was among the handful of signed pros recently terminated by the UPA for participating in an unsanctioned event in Japan (a decision he's currently appealing).
That was months ago. But he's remained in Asia ever since. Why? He's using his time away from the Tour to go deeper into the manufacturing intricacies that drive a paddle brand like his. And it seems to be bearing fruit: already, he's announced an updated model of his popular debut paddle, the Friction Pro (a finalist for Paddle of the Year at this year’s Dink Awards).
But he's not just focusing on RPM; in the last couple weeks, James has started publishing unbiased, unaffiliated paddle reviews to his YouTube channel. And they're racking up some serious views.
So far, he's covered the Selkirk Boomstik, the Honolulu J6CR, and the Six Zero Black Opal.
James talks through what he likes and what he doesn't, how the paddles play, their price points and other specs and features, offering a unique approach from the perspective of a fellow paddle brand owner.
Whether you're in the market for a new paddle, or just want to learn more about the manufacturing process, they're worth a watch.
Playing a lot? Your body notices
If you’re on court multiple times a week, recovery, energy, and consistency start to matter more than they used to.
That’s where Marek Health comes in. They’re a telehealth platform focused on real health optimization: advanced lab testing, a dedicated Health Coach, and licensed medical providers who actually review your results and build a personalized plan around you.
Our own PicklePod host Nico has already started his journey with Marek — labs done, coach assigned — and he’s found real value in finally understanding what’s going on under the hood instead of just guessing. More clarity, better direction, and a plan that actually makes sense for his body and goals.
If you’re serious about playing well and feeling good consistently, this is worth checking out.
Anna Bright Is Out for Blood on the PicklePod
Yes, Anna Bright joined the PicklePod to help us announce The Dink Awards winners. But she talked about a heck of a lot more than that.
On this week’s episode, Zane and Nico dish with the world No. 2 women’s pro about a host of lively topics, including:
Is Gabe the new GOAT of men’s doubles? (And does AB even know what the term GOAT means?)
Why the right-side player defines any good pickleball partnership
The easiest pros to bodybag on the PPA Tour
Some confusion surrounding all the new MLP rules
Why Anna Bright thinks the St. Louis Shock should trade her
They also go through some of Anna’s old tweets absolutely roasting Zane. It’s a fun one you won’t want to miss.
Headlines & Quick Hits
Make Practice Skills Stick: The 70% Rule for Match-Proof Pickleball
Your Kitchen Line Gameplan: Make Things Uncomfortable
The One Serve Senior Players Need Most
Highlights
Would ALW be a top 20 men’s player?
Fed joins the fans mid-point
Anna Bright is out for blood
Missed a recent issue? We've got you covered
A review from the Dink Fam...
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