With so many taking long weekends surrounding Independence Day, we have to assume it's peak pickleball time around the country.

While courts may be at their busiest here in the USA, over in Vietnam, pickleball is really popping off. Details below.

In this issue:

• Pros’ rec game is 🫢 

• UPA-A/USAP comment on the paddle certification situation

• Drill your drop better

• Chick-fil-A’s pickleball set

• We’re famous now!

Happy (belated) 4th ya’ll.

GIVEAWAY

GIVEAWAY — 20 Engage American Flag & Camo Edition Paddles!

We’re excited to partner with Engage to give away 20 NEW Engage Pursuit Pro1 Limited-Edition American Flag and Camo Paddles! 

Engage just dropped these beauties for the most patriotic among us. We’ll be giving away 10 paddles of each design. So 20 winners total!

Enter the giveaway here.

(And if you just can’t stand the idea of not winning the giveaway, buy the Pro1 6.0 here).

HIGHLIGHT OF THE WEEK

Not Your Typical 'Best Point Ever'

Roscoe Bellamy jokes that he “still has nightmares” about this point; but honestly, we’re still daydreaming about it.

And why shouldn’t we? Rare is the chance to see pros playing rec, chopping it up and having a ton of fun while blatantly showing off why they’re at the pro level.

Enjoy. And scope that bodybag at the end. 😄 

SURVEY

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ALL answers are private!

HUMOR

Does This Count as a Hindrance?

We’re not sure how these players manage to make some of the shots they do in their inflatable costumes. But they’ve gone viral for their efforts!

FEATURED STORY

They Call This "Pickleball's Next War"...

...But is it really a war?

Last week, we told you about UPA's plans to launch their own pickleball paddle certification program.

If you don't keep up with stuff like this, here's why it's all over your pickleball feeds:

• USA Pickleball already certifies paddles

• UPA's position is that paddles used at competitive levels of the game are too powerful

We're not about slinging drama here, but we felt it important to give both organizations a chance to officially respond to the situation.

You can find responses to some important paddle certification questions from both organizations here.

UPA-A says:

• They want to move certifications away from "materials-based" standards & towards "performance-based"

USAP says:

• They "have concerns about market confusion arising from multiple approvals and inconsistencies among equipment manufacturers"

Why does this matter?

Decisions made by either organization now may have impacts on which paddles and paddle innovations make it to competitive play — and that's not just at the pro level, it affects officially-sanctioned tournaments by either of these two organizations.

We've even seen lawsuits filed surrounding paddles and their certifications. So it's important we follow along with these decisions.

Rare is the chance to see a sport's history made right in front of you. It feels like that happens every other week in pickleball.

INSTRUCTION

The Only Third Shot Drop Drill You Need

Even 3.5s — especially 3.5s — struggle with the third shot drop.

But when you think about it, the only difference between a third shot drop and a dink is distance.

The motions are very similar, except since you need more distance to cover in a drop from near the baseline, you need to extend your follow through.

• If you're dropping from the baseline, you want to drop with a closed stance and a step forward, making sure to keep the ball out in front of you

• You have to take your time, meaning you have to move yourself so that you can take extra time to hit the drop - never run through the drop

• Make contact with the ball as it's on its way down to its second bounce, NOT at the peak of its first bounce

Top pro Catherine Parenteau shows off a drill for mastering the drop here.

AROUND THE WORLD

"Vietnam has the most pickleball dedicated centers and players in Asia," says pickleball pro Quang Duong in a recent Instagram post.

The 18-year-old rising pickleball star explains he visited a few months ago and saw first hand how popular the sport has become.

Unsurprisingly, he says, its growth rate has exceeded that of tennis, just as it has in the United States.

—> We dug up some facts about the growth of the sport in Vietnam. Find them here.

TRENDING

Chick-fil-A Adds Pickleball to the Menu

Chick-fil-A, the incredibly popular quick service restaurant, is capitalizing on the fact that there are now millions of pickleball fans and, coincidentally, millions of chicken sandwich fans.

Their website now lists a $70 branded pickleball set featuring two custom paddles, balls, and a tote bag.

Are the paddles any good? Probably not (we can help you out if you want a good one). But the 3rd-largest fast food chain selling pickleball sets is pretty rad nonetheless.

SHAMELESS SELF PROMOTION

The Kitchen is in Forbes!

We are proud to announce that The Kitchen Pickleball is in Forbes for the second time.

First, it was the overview in which cofounder Jared Paul received the distinguished title of "The Pied-Piper of Pickleball."

The latest piece from author Todd Boss chronicles our latest achievement of hitting 500K followers on Instagram, and how The Kitchen creates "a space for pickleball players to congregate, communicate, and to generally share experiences together."

We won't spoil the rest. Read the new story here.

IMPRESSIVE

Not Pickleball, But Awesome Point Nonetheless

Between the incredible court coverage and unwavering defensiveness, this clip has us wondering: should we take up volleyball?!

QUICK HITS

• Impressive: The real meaning of "Beast Mode"

• The Big Pickle: Pickleball coming to the Brooklyn Bridge

• For the PB Heads: True fans of the sport will appreciate this point

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