PicklePod

Zane Navratil and Nico the Lefty break down MLP St. Petersburg — the stunning blown foot-fault call that saved Nico and Mari Humberg's mixed doubles match, the eleventh-hour Casey Diamond signing drama between the Palm Beach Royals and Columbus Sliders, and why "super teams" like the St. Louis Shock, LA Mad Drops, and Columbus Sliders keep struggling out of the gate. Then St. Louis Shock star Kate Fahey joins to talk her MVP weekend (top Player Impact Rating in the field), the art of playing "squishy" on defense, her breakdown of Sofia Sewing and Tina Pisnik's breakout run, and an honest conversation about on-court anxiety, working with a sports psychologist, and the line between competitive fire and burnout. Plus: Zane and Nico draft an all-time Blue Card team, and the crew tries to guess a duper's rating. 💊 Marek Health → www.marekhealth.com | Code: THEDINK for 10% off 🗳️ Vote on our Blue Card Draft in the Pro Pickleball Talk Discord → https://www.discord.gg/JxEcUZ54z 📚 Be the first to try Zane's new course here: https://www.tzpickleball.com/ #Pickleball #PPATour #PickleballPodcast Leave your voicemail for the PicklePod at (512) 200 - 4299 ------------------ Like the ep? Do us a favor: subscribe to our channel and leave a review on Apple or Spotify -Subscribe to our 'all things pickleball' *free e-newsletter* at https://www.thedink.beehiiv.com https://www.instagram.com/thedinkpickleball/ -Follow us on IG -Continue the convo in our private FB Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thedi... -For everything else we do, visit https://linktr.ee/dinkfam -Read more about Zane and subscribe to his newsletter at https://zanenavratilpickleball.com/ -Follow Zane on IG @zanenavratilpickleball #pickleball #pickleballcourts ------------------ 0:00 Intro 2:34 Glazing St Pete Athletics 7:24 The Chicago Slice are outperforming expectations 15:38 Blocking out the haters 19:20 Sports Predict is giving away $1 million Kate Fahey 24:33 Kate joins the show 24:56 Kate goes the extra mile for dogs 27:22 MVP of the weekend and weaponizing unpredictability 33:57 The definition of Squishy Pickleball 39:16 Palm Beach Royals bending the rules 49:11 Super Teams feeling the pressure 56:10 Embracing competitive spirit 1:04:02 The Blue Card Draft 1:11:56 Guess my DUPR Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

PicklePod 2.0 is presented by Marek Health. Use our code THEDINK for 10% off your $299 Intake Assessment at https://MarekHealth.com/ The PicklePod is back on The Dink Pickleball YouTube channel with one of our most wide-ranging episodes yet. This week we cover: MLP Trade Deadline Fallout Ana Bright. Georgia Johnson. Jack Sock. Major names dropped ahead of the deadline. We break down which teams won, which teams fumbled the bag, and whether Major League Pickleball just reshaped the power structure for 2026. Pickleball and the Olympics Are we overhyping the Olympic dream? Would 2032 in Australia change everything for the sport — or is the pro tour already the real prize? We debate what Olympic inclusion would actually mean for player development and global growth. Does Pickleball Need an All-Star Weekend? If the NBA can reinvent its format, why can’t we? From Ernie contests to reset challenges and paddle toss competitions, we design what a true pickleball skills showcase could look like. Grayson Goldin Update We react to the news of Grayson’s stroke, discuss player health coverage in pro pickleball, and send our support as he works toward a full recovery. The Dink Awards Finale We wrap up the 2025 Dink Awards with: - Best Facilities across the country - Best International Tournament - Paddle Reviewer of the Year - Paddle of the Year And yes, things get a little spicy during the paddle reviewer segment. We also sit down with APP Chief Marketing Officer Tom Webb for a direct conversation about the future of the APP, the evolving pro landscape, and where the sport is headed long term. Drop your thoughts in the comments: What would you include in a pickleball All-Star competition? Subscribe, leave a review, and share this with the doubles partner who still doesn’t understand pro pickleball. 120/Life is a once-a-day functional drink made with ingredients that help support healthy blood pressure. Listeners get 20% off their entire order with code DINK at https://www.120life.com/ Be the first to try Zane's new course here: https://tzpickleball.com/ #Pickleball #PPATour #PickleballPodcast Leave your voicemail for the PicklePod at (512) 200 - 4299 ------------------ Like the ep? Do us a favor: subscribe to our channel and leave a review on Apple or Spotify -Subscribe to our 'all things pickleball' *free e-newsletter* at https://www.thedink.beehiiv.com https://www.instagram.com/thedinkpickleball/ -Follow us on IG -Continue the convo in our private FB Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thedi... -For everything else we do, visit https://linktr.ee/dinkfam -Read more about Zane and subscribe to his newsletter at https://zanenavratilpickleball.com/ -Follow Zane on IG @zanenavratilpickleball #pickleball #pickleballcourts ------------------ 0:00 Intro 3:12 The Palm Beach Royals won the trade deadline 5:18 Anna Bright and Jorja Johnson dropped from MLP team 14:59 Do the Olympics matter? 19:41 Pickleball is like curling for the summer games 22:52 All-Star Game and skills competition for pickleball 29:03 Thoughts and prayers to Grayson Goldin 32:44 The 120Life Dink Awards conclusion 41:24 Paddle Reviewer and Paddle of the Year 48:59 Tom Webb joins the PicklePod 50:15 Sofia Sewing under the Will Howells contract 56:42 Do you need a big name to attract the audience? 1:00:44 What will the APP look like in 2030? 1:04:10 Who will be the winner in 10 years? 1:11:00 Rapid-fire questions from the listeners Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

PicklePod 2.0 is presented by Marek Health. Use our code THEDINK for 10% off your $299 Intake Assessment at https://MarekHealth.com/ On this episode of the PicklePod, Nico and Zane are joined by Anna Bright for a wide-ranging (and slightly chaotic) conversation that dives into hot takes, hot debates, and the latest from the pro pickleball world. Anna explains why she believes there’s a legitimate argument that Gabe Tardio might be the best men’s doubles player right now, even in a world where Ben Johns still reigns supreme. The crew debates whether the right-side player is becoming more important than the left, breaks down ideal pairings to challenge Ben & Gabe, and power-ranks potential teams heading into the season. They also recap the first wave of the Dink Awards, including Player of the Year, Breakout Player, Fan Favorite, and more — plus Anna reacts to being nominated in seven categories and winning Fan Favorite Player. On the content side, Anna opens up about the growth of her newsletter and social presence, what motivated her to start creating more off-court content, and how she balances being a pro athlete with being a content creator. Naturally, things spiral into typing-speed competitions, Reddit beef, and questionable hypotheticals. Topics include: • Is Gabe Tardio the best men’s doubles player in the world? • Right-side vs left-side importance in modern pickleball • Best teams to challenge Ben Johns & Gabe Tardio • Dink Awards winners and surprises • Anna Bright’s rise as a content creator • Fan favorite debates, viral moments, and more Like, subscribe, and drop your hottest takes in the comments — especially if you disagree with Anna. 😅 Maui Nui Venison has more protein per calorie than just about anything else out there, and it tastes unreal. Order your Ohana Reserve Box today and receive a free 12-pack of jerky sticks http://mauinuivenison.com/THEDINK Blue Cannatine from Troscriptions is designed to support the mental and physical flow state that pickleball players chase: focused, responsive, smooth, and adaptable — without jitters, crashes, or chaos. Try it today at https://troscriptions.com/dink Be the first to try Zane's new course here: https://tzpickleball.com/ #Pickleball #PPATour #PickleballPodcast Leave your voicemail for the PicklePod at (512) 200 - 4299 ------------------ Like the ep? Do us a favor: subscribe to our channel and leave a review on Apple or Spotify -Subscribe to our 'all things pickleball' *free e-newsletter* at https://www.thedink.beehiiv.com https://www.instagram.com/thedinkpickleball/ -Follow us on IG -Continue the convo in our private FB Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thedi... -For everything else we do, visit https://linktr.ee/dinkfam -Read more about Zane and subscribe to his newsletter at https://zanenavratilpickleball.com/ -Follow Zane on IG @zanenavratilpickleball #pickleball #pickleballcourts ------------------ 0:00 Intro 2:11 Gabe Tardio GOAT debate 5:37 A diabolical typo 8:18 The right side player defines a partnership 13:56 Hypothetical team to beat the best 18:47 120Life Dink Awards winners 25:32 Anna is leaning into the content game 36:18 Men's and Women's Player of the Year 38:11 The gap between #2 and the rest of the field 42:55 Men's and Women's Breakout Player of the Year 47:16 Upset of the Year - Anti-ball knower allegations 49:57 Fan favorite and Best On-court Personality 56:56 Zane snubbed on Best Dressed Player of the Year 1:00:30 MLP Preseason is underway 1:04:40 Zane traded and will Anna get dropped? 1:11:03 Mean tweets from AB 1:17:16 Pickleball Court - No games after clinics Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices