PicklePod

Zane is fresh off a trip to PPA Tokyo and lands straight in Grand Rapids for the Beer City Open / MLP Mid-Season Tournament — so he and Nico have a lot to cover. They break down the mysterious dueling "Team USA" pickleball announcements, preview Match Day prop bets for the Beer City Open, draft the most Silent Assassins in an MLP-style event, and dig into Jay Devilliers' surprise move to the APP T...

Is the best pickleball player in the world sitting on a pro soccer career she never cashed in? Zane Navratil and Nico the Lefty sit down with Clem McAuley, Anna Leigh Waters' former club soccer coach, to find out just how real this "she could've gone pro" storyline actually is. Clem recalls his first training session with a 12-year-old Anna Leigh – a kid who, in his words, practiced like it was a...

Zane's calling in from a hostel kitchen in Tokyo and Nico's posted up at Gino the Righty's place in California, but somehow they still pulled off the wildest PicklePod yet. This week: the New Jersey Fives win their third straight MLP event and take over first place in the standings, the league's first-ever four-team trade reshuffles the Chicago Slice and St. Louis Shock, and the guys break down th...

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...

This might be the biggest news week in MLP history. Zane and Nico break down the Hurricane Tyra Black ↔ Danni-Elle Townsend trade, debate whether the New Jersey 5s need to make a move of their own, and dig into salary floor/cap rumors that could reshape the league. Then Danni-Elle Townsend joins fresh off the trade to tell her side of the story, followed by Florida Smash's Zoey Weil for a no-holds...

Last week Zane called out Hayden Patriquin's Columbus performance. Hayden texted back one sentence — and then went 10-0 in St. Louis. We cover all of that, the Shock's total demolition of the Mad Drops, a deep dive on how to actually beat Ben Johns, and full MLP power rankings with a new segment: the James Ignatowich Terminated Team of the Week. 🪓 We also run a brand new age-based MLP draft (teen...

Zane's calling in from Match Point Pickleball in Columbus (winners of the Dink Award for best pickleball facility) after surviving a six-hour clinic, MLP, and accidentally yelling "Let's go 5s" for his old team. Classic. We break down everything from MLP Columbus — New Jersey Fives sweep their way to 25 standings points, St. Louis Shock falters, and Zane comes THIS close to beating Anna Leigh Wate...

MLP is BACK — and Week 1 in Dallas did not disappoint. The Mad Drops took the whole thing, Ben Johns reminded everyone he is NOT to be slept on, and Danny Townsend made the entire pickleball world do a double-take. Nico and Zane break it all down. Also this week: The Philippines tournament chaos (double gold, two balls, no final), Bao Duong absolutely owns Nico in a text exchange, Owl AI line-call...

Major League Pickleball is back, and Commissioner Samin Odhwani joined PicklePod to explain all of the new changes heading into the season. We break down: - The new MLP tournament format - Super Sunday / Super Monday explained - Dreambreaker substitution strategy - MLP Asia plans - Why million-dollar player spending may not be sustainable - The biggest challenge facing MLP's future Samin also disc...

For this week’s PicklePod, we’re joined by two of the most exciting young stars in pickleball: Hayden Patriquin and Gabe Tardio of the St. Louis Shock. We dive into everything from Shock team culture and MLP pressure to why Gabe ignored traditional pickleball advice and built his own game from scratch. Hayden also opens up about his on-court personality, social media backlash, and finding the bala...

Emergency pod time. Bread & Butter has officially been acquired by Selkirk, and the pickleball world immediately exploded with questions. So Zane and Nico brought Doug Sapusek on the podcast immediately to talk about the deal, the future of Bread & Butter, and whether the brand is about to change forever. Doug breaks down: - Why he said yes to Selkirk - Whether Bread & Butter will keep its identit...

Zane and Nico break down the new “Partners” pickleball documentary series and debate whether it lived up to the hype. From Hayden Patriquin and Gabe Tardio stealing the show, to the Anna Leigh Waters spotlight, the Jaume/Hunter/Paris drama, and the biggest winners and losers of the series — nothing is off limits. The guys also dive into: - Why Championship Sunday feels broken - Zane’s proposal to...

This might have been the WILDEST week in pickleball… and we’re breaking it all down. From Nico’s pro debut at APP Sacramento to nonstop line calling controversy, a controversial body bag on Jack Sock, and a massive $225 MILLION investment shaking up the sport… this episode has EVERYTHING. We dive into: - Nico’s first pro tournament (and what went wrong 😅) - The ongoing line calling drama… and whe...

Danni Elle Townsend didn’t plan on becoming a pro pickleball player… Now she’s the #3 overall pick in MLP, playing for the defending champion Columbus Sliders. We sat down with Danni LIVE at the Atlanta National Pickleball Club to talk about her journey from Australia to the biggest stage in pickleball—and what it’s actually like stepping into Major League Pickleball as a rookie. In this episode,...

PicklePod 2.0 is presented by Marek Health. Use our code THEDINK for 10% off your $299 Intake Assessment at https://MarekHealth.com/ This week on the PicklePod, everything goes off the rails. From controversial line calls at the US Open to a shocking paddle-toss disqualification in Sacramento, this might be the most chaotic week in pro pickleball yet. We break down: - The “hooking” controversy eve...

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 and this one is loaded. We’re breaking down everything happening in pickleball right now — from the massive US Open Pickleball Championships to the $1,000,000 Pickleball Slam, plus some serious controversy around the JOOLA lawsuit. We also debat...

PicklePod 2.0 is presented by Marek Health. Use our code THEDINK for 10% off your $299 Intake Assessment at https://MarekHealth.com/ Pickleball just had one of its most controversial moments ever… This week on the PicklePod, Nico and Zane break down the viral line call from PPA Hanoi that has the entire pickleball world debating: 👉 Was it in or out? 👉 Was it cheating… or just inconclusive? Plus:...

PicklePod 2.0 is presented by Marek Health. Use our code THEDINK for 10% off your $299 Intake Assessment at https://MarekHealth.com/ This week on the PicklePod, Nico and Zane break down the Proton controversy, rumors of unpaid players, and what the UPA crackdown could mean for the future of the sport. Then things get even crazier as they build the Mount Rushmore of Pickleball Fraud & Shadiness—fro...

PicklePod 2.0 is presented by Marek Health. Use our code THEDINK for 10% off your $299 Intake Assessment at https://MarekHealth.com/ This week on the PicklePod, we’re joined by one of the most outspoken and unfiltered voices in pro pickleball — Lea Jansen. From her viral Newport outburst to calling out the “Karen Rules Committee,” Lea pulls back the curtain on the chaos behind the scenes of pro pi...

PicklePod 2.0 is presented by Marek Health. Use our code THEDINK for 10% off your $299 Intake Assessment at https://MarekHealth.com/ What happens when pickleball chaos meets global expansion? 🌎 This week on the PicklePod, we’re joined by Steve Kuhn for a deep dive into what might be the future of pickleball—and it’s happening in Asia. We cover everything from: - The INSANE wind conditions at the...

PicklePod 2.0 is presented by Marek Health. Use our code THEDINK for 10% off your $299 Intake Assessment at https://MarekHealth.com/ Table tennis superstar and viral content creator Adam Bobrow joins the PicklePod to talk about his surprising dive into pickleball—and what the sport can learn from the global growth of ping pong. Bobrow, one of the most recognizable personalities in table tennis, sh...

Emergency pod activated. 🚨 We just got off the phone with Duc — father, manager, and mastermind behind Quang Duong (QD) — to break down the shocking APP announcement and what it really means. Is this another tour war? Did QD actually “sign” with the Association of Pickleball Players (APP)? Is the door closed with the Professional Pickleball Association (PPA)? And what actually happened behind the...

PicklePod 2.0 is presented by Marek Health. Use our code THEDINK for 10% off your $299 Intake Assessment at https://MarekHealth.com/ The MLP draft just BROKE the internet… and we’re unpacking all of it. From Anna Bright going for over $1 million to the Dallas Flash meltdown, this Major League Pickleball offseason might be more entertaining than the actual matches. We break down the bidding wars, t...

Nico the Lefty reacts to the massive moves in the 2026 Major League Pickleball Draft. Anna Bright goes for $1.23 Million, Jorja Johnson says bye-bye to big bro and joins Gary Vee and Anna Leigh Waters in Clown Town. Plus the MLP youth movement is in full effect. More Teams are taking chances on teenage players both international and domestic. There’s a completely new way to optimize your health. G...

PicklePod 2.0 is presented by Marek Health. Use our code THEDINK for 10% off your $299 Intake Assessment at https://MarekHealth.com/ The funniest guy in pickleball has a story you probably didn’t see coming. This week on the PicklePod, we sit down with Evan Slaughter (@fit2serve1) — creator, comedian, CrossFit athlete, and Purple Heart recipient — to unpack the journey behind the viral videos. Bef...