Dinks On Tap: The Happy Hour Pickleball Podcast

Ever wondered why your DUPR score nosedives after a win, and you're wondering if your app is gaslighting you? What is happening in the pickleball matrix? In this episode, we sit down with Tito Machado, the most loved and rage-texted man in pro pickleball. He’s the CEO of DUPR, the rating system that somehow manages to both unite and divide the pickleball community like it’s the pineapple on pizza...

Ever tried organizing a pickleball game with five group chats, two calendars, and someone’s cousin who “might show up if it doesn’t rain”? It’s like herding cats… in court shoes. And just when you finally get a foursome, someone drops out at 7 a.m. Sound familiar? This week on Dinks on Tap, we’re sitting down with Dan and Steve, the creators of DiNKR, the pickleball app designed to bring order to...

Winning gold sounds great… until the court lights shut off mid-point, and someone’s Uncle Larry is heckling from the sidelines. Welcome to pickleball tournaments, where the only thing more unpredictable than the tape lines are the emotions running high. In this episode of Dinks on Tap, we take you inside our latest wild ride at a local tourney in Austin, complete with lighting meltdowns, DJ shutdo...

Curious how your pickleball rating actually gets calculated? Check out VAIR, the new pickleball rating system: https://www.vairified.com/?ambassador=7180389   Pickleball rating systems can feel like the Wild West… where matchups make zero sense and “fair play” is more myth than rule. One minute you’re rallying with a retired pro, the next you’re getting smoked by a 13-year-old with braces and a wi...

You can perfect your third shot drop… but can you survive a 10-day pickleball trip with your doubles partner and still want to split a margarita after?  This week, we’re talking all things chemistry on and off the court. We’re covering pro-led clinics in Spain, silent side-eyes during rec play, and everything in between as we dig into what really holds a team together (and what quietly breaks it)....

Once upon a time, Kaitlin Miller was covering broadcast journalism red carpets and national headlines. Now she’s helping the Nashville pickleball scene blow up one rooftop pickleball rally and post-game marg at a time. With a paddle in one hand and a mic in the other, she’s turning rec play into a real movement, and she’s just getting started. In this episode of your favorite pickleball podcast, D...

What would happen if pickleball got a Caitlin Clark–level shake-up, a blast of PR glitter, and just enough paddle-side gossip to keep the courts buzzing all weekend? That is exactly what we are serving today! First up, our resident pickleball provocateur, Andrew Kole, spills why the sport still hasn’t found its breakout star and what it could steal from the sports marketing playbook of the WNBA. W...

What do you get when two podcasters train like pros, catch COVID five days before a tournament, and still walk away with medals (and maybe a mild cough)?  You get an episode that’s equal parts redemption story, hydration plan, and doubles therapy session. In this week’s episode of Dinks on Tap, we break down our wild ride to the Dallas Classic from getting smoked in Houston to sharpening our pickl...

What do you get when pickleball ratings make no sense, sandbagging gets a spotlight, and a restaurant entrepreneur turns out to be a beast on the court? You get an episode that’s part strategy session, part cocktail hour, and a whole lot of real talk. This week, the pickleball provocateur, Andrew Kole, returns with the kind of hot takes only he can deliver, questioning DUPR math, calling out tourn...

What happens when you mix pickleball vs tennis debates, spicy pickleball TV ratings, and a 9-month pregnant woman dinking like a champ? You get an episode that’s equal parts spicy, sweaty, and a little bit unhinged in the best way. In this episode, we kick things off with our resident spice specialist, Andrew Kole, who casually compares Anna Leigh Waters to Serena Williams and questions if Pickleb...

What happens when two confident 4.0 players stroll into a pickleball tournament thinking they’re ready… and Houston says, “Bless your hearts”? You get this episode of Dinks on Tap. We packed our paddles, mics, and maybe a little too much confidence for a Houston pickleball tournament, only to get served by next-level talent. Turns out, getting humbled was exactly what we needed to spark real pickl...

What do you get when you mix a booming pickleball community, a bunch of angry neighbors, and one very opinionated provocateur? An episode that’s equal parts civic chaos and court-side commentary. This week, we’re diving into the pickleball controversy that’s taking over cities everywhere, starting with our favorite instigator, Andrew Kole. He’s got numbers, bold claims, and a not-so-quiet warning...

When a court clash turns spicy and the hot takes are served shaken, not stirred, you know it’s a Dinks on Tap episode. You’ve seen the clips. You’ve read the threads. But now we’re talking exactly what went down between Anna Leigh Waters and Hayden Patriquin at Major League Pickleball Orlando. Real tension? PR stunt? Secret teen love story? (We wish we were joking.) Our friend (and professional in...

What do you get when you mix a high-stress finance job, a family health scare, and a few curious visits to the local gym? If you're Ben Paquette, you get a full-on life remix served underhand. In this episode, we sit down with the man who first taught us how to dink without overthinking: pickleball coach Ben Paquette. What started as a few casual games turned into a complete career pivot. Now he’s...

Let’s be honest: switching careers is hard. But switching athletic careers after more than two decades? That’s a whole different level. In this episode, we sit down with Ivan Jakovljevic, who walked away from a 23-year soccer career to go all in on the world of pro pickleball. And it all started because he had a crush! We dig into his unexpected pickleball journey, what it’s like learning a totall...

Let’s be real for a second: playing pickleball with your romantic partner isn’t always a love story. Sometimes, it’s a full-blown drama. You’re holding hands one minute, and the next, you’re side-eyeing their third shot drop like they betrayed you. We’ve been there. That’s why this episode of Dinks on Tap hit home in the best way.   In this episode, we chat with Teri Citterman and Dr. Stormy Hill,...

Are you stretching the wrong way? You might think a quick quad stretch before a match is enough, but according to soft tissue specialist Albert Ibanez, most players are skipping the real key to pickleball injury prevention… and it's not what you’d expect.   Albert, known as the Muscle Whisperer, has worked on countless athletes, including some of the best pickleball players in Dallas. In this epis...

What if we told you that having fun off the court is just as important as practicing your dinks and drives? Sounds wild, right? But after an epic pickleball team-building trip to Broken Bow, Oklahoma, we’re here to tell you… IT WORKS.   In this episode, we’re diving into why team building is important for every pickleball league (and any competitive sport, really). We’ll share how doing team bondi...

If you’ve ever played pickleball, you know how fast things can get heated- bad line calls, foot faults, and that one player who lobs every single shot.    But have you ever wondered what it’s like to be the person making the tough calls? That’s exactly what we’re diving into on this episode!   We got to sit down with Courtney Johnson, the Head of Competition for Major League Pickleball (MLP) and o...

Have you ever rescheduled a meeting or called in sick just to play pickleball? We get it!    In this episode, we explore the mental game of pickleball with Dayne Gingrich, a seven-time national champion, and Jill Martin, a former attorney turned fitness pro.    As co-authors of Pickleball Mindset, they share winning strategies for improving mental toughness, building confidence, and becoming a bet...

What’s the magic behind the explosive growth of pickleball?   In this episode, we’re joined by Melissa Pedroza, a pickleball pro and coach who’s turned her passion into a tool for transforming communities and workplaces. Melissa shares the hilarious and heartwarming moments from her journey into the sport, plus the surprising ways pickleball can bring people together, even in corporate settings.  ...

Welcome to 2025, pickleballers!    This week, we’re serving up a fresh episode packed with everything you need to start the year strong. From pickleball stats to new rules for 2025, we’ve got the scoop to keep your game sharp.   We’re also diving into the ultimate pickleball growth hack. Inspired by the game-changing book Pickleball Mindset, we’re exploring how to flip pressure into opportunity, d...

Ready to wrap up 2024 with us?    In this special New Year's episode of Dinks on Tap, we're getting festive with some holiday gift-giving before diving into real talk about our pickleball journey this year.   Thinking about how to level up your pickleball game in 2025? We’re sharing pickleball strategies, tips for improvement, and how the “one word” we each chose for 2024 shaped not only our time...

What happens when your pickleball serve suddenly betrays you?   Lauren’s back from South Africa with tales of adventure and a surprising comparison between pickleball and a sport she tried abroad. Meanwhile, Casie’s been battling the dreaded "pickleball yips" and learning a lot about mental toughness, teamwork, and how to bounce back.    Plus, we’ve rounded up our ultimate Pickleball Holiday Gift...

Hey, dinking buddies! This week we’re diving into the unexpected drama that unfolded during our first pickleball match of the season.  We’re talking sportsmanship, handling those tense moments on the court, and the surprising ways pickleball competition can bring out all the feels. Plus, we share a wild story about how a simple rule dispute spiraled into a lesson on how to keep cool under pressure...