May 4, 2026
Your mental game, the dead dink, $225M, the ATP shot, UPA-A, and a docuseries
Big week on the site. We covered the mental game in doubles, the dead dink most rec players forget they have, what the Pickleball Inc raise actually means for you, how to hit the ATP shot, what the new UPA-A rulebook changes, and why the Partners docuseries is worth watching.
Why Your Mind Loses More Points Than Your Paddle: The Mental Game of Pickleball Doubles
The gap between your current doubles game and a better one is more mental than technical — and every psychological skill in this article is learnable regardless of your current rating.
The Dead Dink Is the Smartest Shot Most Rec Players Forget They Have
The dead dink removes pace, spin, and angle from the ball on purpose — it's a strategic choice that gives your opponent no rhythm to build off, not a passive fallback.
Pickleball Inc Just Raised $225 Million. Here Is What That Actually Means for You.
Pickleball Inc now controls the PPA Tour, Major League Pickleball, Pickleball Central, Pickleball.com, and a facility development arm — the most vertically integrated structure the sport has ever seen.
The ATP Shot in Pickleball: What It Is, When to Hit It, and How to Practice It
USA Pickleball Rule 11.L makes the ATP legal because the ball only needs to land in the correct court — it never has to cross over the net, which is the most widely misunderstood fact about the shot.
What Is the UPA-A? Pro Pickleball Has Its Own Rulebook Now
The UPA-A is a new 71-page governing body — separate from USA Pickleball — that now controls rules, conduct, and equipment standards for the PPA Tour and Major League Pickleball, effective May 22, 2026.
The Partners Pickleball Docuseries Is Changing How the Sport Tells Its Story
Partners is a YouTube docuseries giving recreational players their first real behind-the-scenes look at professional pickleball — the mental game, partner dynamics, and financial reality of making a living in the sport.
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