Pickleball players have spent years hearing the same jokes. Now we're getting a movie about them.

The trailer for The Dink dropped this week, bringing together a surprisingly loaded cast, a tennis legend, and what looks like two hours of inside jokes centered around the sport we can't stop playing.

Inside:

• Why topspin is easier than most players think

• The St. Louis Shock climb to the top of the MLP standings

• Which app should all players have on their phone

🎥 The Pickleball Movie We’ve Been Waiting For

The trailer for The Dink just dropped, and it looks like pickleball is finally getting the comedy treatment it deserves. The Apple TV+ film doesn't premiere until July 24, 2026, but the first look suggests plenty of laughs, country club chaos, and tennis-vs-pickleball trash talk.

• Jake Johnson stars alongside Ed Harris, Mary Steenburgen, Patton Oswalt, and Chloe Fineman in one of the most star-studded pickleball projects ever

• Former tennis world No. 1 Andy Roddick also appears, adding some extra fuel to the tennis-versus-pickleball storyline

• The film is produced by Ben Stiller and follows a former tennis prodigy who unexpectedly finds himself falling in love with pickleball

If the trailer is any indication, The Dink isn't trying to be the Remember the Titans of pickleball—it's aiming to be the funniest movie paddle sports has ever seen.

👉 Watch the trailer here.

🌎 Around the Picklesphere

🎧 Zane Navratil and Nico the Lefty bring the laughs on 99% Pickleball
💵 Save your money—the era of $300 paddles is over
🤔 Know when to attack and when to reset
🧑‍🧑‍🧒‍🧒 Be a part of the solution, donate to Stop Alzheimer’s Now

😵‍💫 Topspin Doesn't Have to Be Complicated

Topspin gets treated like an advanced skill, but it's really just a small swing adjustment with a big payoff—a dipping ball is harder to attack and easier to keep in bounds than a flat one.

The mechanics boil down to a few simple things:

• Low-to-high swing path—the biggest factor in generating spin

• Brush, don't smack—graze the back of the ball instead of driving through it

• Loose grip—a tight grip flattens out the brush every time

Modern paddles have made this easier than ever: textured, grit-coated surfaces grab the ball more effectively, and larger sweet spots forgive a slightly imperfect swing. Skip the wrist snap and the big loop—just swing low to high, brush up, and stay relaxed through contact.

👉 Get the full breakdown on building topspin into your game here.

Travel That Actually Understands Pickleball

VibeGetaways specializes in pickleball group vacations at Sandals and Beaches resorts, pairing scheduled court time with thoughtfully organized group experiences. No guesswork. No scrambling for courts. No pressure to participate in everything.

Each trip includes reserved pickleball sessions, group mixers, and plenty of space to unwind—whether that means joining open play, heading to the beach, or sitting out a session entirely.

And because VibeGetaways works directly with the resorts, their agents handle the planning details at no additional cost to you.

👉 See upcoming pickleball group getaways.

🎥 Which Pickleball App Is Worth Your Money?

We put SwingVision, PickleWatch, and PB Vision head-to-head to see which one actually helps you improve—not just track stats for fun.

• SwingVision is the most feature-rich pick, turning your iPhone into a full analysis platform with highlights, coaching insights, and line calls—but it's Apple-only and starts at $14.99/month

• PickleWatch wins on simplicity, turning your Apple Watch into a coach with zero setup, starting at $9.99/month, though it skips video entirely

• PB Vision is the most pickleball-specific option, going deep on strategy like third-shot patterns and attack rates, with Android and browser support plus DUPR integration starting at $19.99/month

👉 Find out who the winner is in our app-by-app comparison here.

🏆 The Shock Take Over First Place in St. Petersburg

The St. Louis Shock swept Los Angeles 3-0 in Sunday's final at MLP St. Petersburg, their second straight Super Sunday sweep of the Mad Drops and a result that pushed them into first place in the league standings.

• St. Louis went a perfect 5-0 through a brutal group that included Columbus, Palm Beach, Orlando, and Texas

• Columbus debuted its new best-on-paper lineup with Tyra Black back from illness, but stumbled to 5th after losses to Palm Beach and St. Louis

• Palm Beach turned chaos into points—down to alternates Casey Diamond and Stefan Auvergne after injuries to Dekel Bar and Tyson McGuffin—and still finished 4th, with Diamond landing on SportsCenter's Top 10 in his MLP debut

• Florida Smash didn't win a match at their own home event, but Travis Rettenmaier got an emotional ovation from the St. Pete crowd anyway

St. Louis is now riding an 11-match win streak since their Columbus loss in May, and all eyes turn to the Mid-Season Tournament in July to see if they can finally close out a championship.

🔁 MLP Three-Team Trade Shakes Up Rosters

A multi-team deal went down today involving Bay Area, Las Vegas, and Miami, with each squad making a targeted roster move and cash changing hands to balance the deal.

• Bay Area Breakers acquire Blaine Hovenier from Las Vegas

• Las Vegas Night Owls receive Clayton Powell from Miami + cash from Bay Area

• Miami Pickleball Club land Luc Pham from Bay Area + cash from Las Vegas

Waiver claims are still pending and will be finalized later today, which could further reshape the fallout from this deal.

👉 Catch up on the MLP action here.

💎 The Rise of Luxury Pickleball Clubs

Pickleball is no longer just about finding a court—it’s becoming a full-on lifestyle experience, and a new wave of premium clubs is leading the charge. These facilities go way beyond play, blending fitness, recovery, coworking, dining, and community under one roof.

• Clubs like St. Pete Athletic and Replay Club offer indoor courts plus saunas, cold plunges, restaurants, and coworking spaces built for all-day stays

• Lucky Shots and The Flying Pickle double as social hubs, with leagues, tournaments, food and beverage, and year-round structured play

• The Pickleball Club at Lakewood Ranch leans into recovery, featuring red light therapy, hydromassage, and wellness-focused amenities for serious players

For frequent players, the value isn’t just court time—it’s convenience, community, and consistency that public courts can’t always match.

👉 Read the full breakdown of the five luxury pickleball clubs redefining the sport here.

• July 8-12: Major League Pickleball Mid-Season Tournament - Grand Rapids, MI

• August 6-9: APP Chicago Open - Highland Park, IL

• August 6-9: National Junior Pickleball Chicago Regional - Wheaton, IL

• August 11-12: Mari Humberg Boot Camp - Boynton Beach, FL

• August 20-23: APP Detroit Open - Novi, MI

• August 31-September 6: PPA National Championships - Cary, NC

• September 4-7: National Junior Pickleball Orlando Regional - Orlando, FL

• September 14-20: PPA Cincinnati Cup - Mason, OH

• September 21-26: VibeGetaways Pickleball with Jack Munro - Castries, St. Lucia

• October 11-16: VibeGetaways Pickleball with a Purpose in Curaçao - Willemstad, Curaçao *only 5 rooms left

• October 31-November 8: USA Pickleball National Championships - San Diego, CA

Interested in having your event listed? Reach out to us and let’s chat!

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