Mixed doubles is a tricky format to navigate for many players. How much court should the men’s player take? Are you better off having the men’s player be super aggressive or letting the women’s player grind cross court dinks and occasionally attack up the line?

Today’s highlight takes the aggressive male strategy to the extreme, and while we don’t recommend this approach for every mixed team, it sure seems to be working out for these two. Watch below.

Also in this issue:

• How the Enhance Dink Master was created (and why people love it) 🎧

• PPA Tour making debut at epic Utah resort 🌄

• Tyson McGuffin shows off incredible new ink 🖋️

• Full review of the new Engage X2 🔥

Let’s get cookin’. 🧑‍🍳

HIGHLIGHT OF THE WEEK

Is this how mixed doubles should be played?

Mixed doubles is often a tricky balance between wanting the male player to be aggressive and attack middle balls (or even balls on their partner’s side of the court) and allowing the female player to get in a rhythm and work the point.

The team pictured above seems to have found their own “balance” by allowing the men’s player to have free rein to attack any ball he sees fit, regardless of where it’s at on the court.

We wouldn’t recommend this strategy unless you’re playing at a 5.0+ level (like these players are), but it sure seems to be working out for them in these clips.

🔗 Check out this highlight on Instagram, Facebook or TikTok

GEAR

Review: New Engage X2 delivers great feel, consistent performance

Engage's latest performance paddle -- the X2 -- is now officially available for pre-order, with paddles expected to ship by mid-April.

The X2 is the company's second full-foam offering, following the Engage Profoam that was released in 2025. The new model features a "Quad Density" foam core and a new approach to the carbon fiber face, a combination that delivered great feel and elite-level spin in our testing.

It's also producing results at the pro level, as pro player Eric Oncins switched to the X2 in early 2026 and has been playing great in both doubles and singles so far this year. He's moved into the top 10 in men's doubles and mixed doubles on the PPA Tour.

"This paddle has been unreal the past few tournaments I've been playing with it," Oncins said recently. "It has helped me a lot, especially with the firepower."

WHAT’S DIFFERENT ABOUT THE X2?

The Engage X2 is constructed using a "Quad Density" foam core. As you might guess, that means there are four different types of foam under the hood.

Dual-Density Foam Core (hitting area): Softer outer foam for dwell and feel; firmer inner foam for power and rebound.

EVA Foam Transition Ring: Full foam ring surrounding the dual-density foam core for increased power, smoother energy transfer and improved stability.

Full-Perimeter High-Density Foam Layer: Continuous foam around the entire perimeter of the paddle for even more stability.

FIND OUR FULL REVIEW OF THE X2 HERE

🔗 Shop the new Engage X2 — use code “KITCHEN” at checkout for 10% off

PICKLEBALLERS

How the owners of Enhance Pickleball created the Dink Master — and why people love it

In case you missed it last week, the owners of Enhance Pickleball — Connor Hance and Drew Baird — joined Pickleballers to break down the business decisions that defined their brand. They discuss what made the Dink Master their first real hit, why they resisted paddles for years before finally breaking through with the Duo, and how their content engine became the ultimate unfair advantage for selling products without outside funding or paid ads.

As the most-followed pickleball content creators — with more YouTube subscribers and Instagram followers than any other individual creator in the sport — this episode is a must-watch for those interested in the inner workings of the pickleball industry.

SHOP THE DINK MASTER 3.0 -- use code "KITCHEN" for $20 off!

🔗 Watch the full episode on YouTube or listen on Spotify

QUICK HITS

• Incredible: This should absolutely count

• Smooth: We love a good ping pong highlight

• Pickledodgeball: This game looks intense

• Wow: This is the wildest point in pickleball history

• Beast mode: Eric Oncins is a highlight machine

THE PROS

PPA Tour 2026 Greater Zion Cup: Draws, schedule, TV information

The PPA Tour is making it's debut at a new venue this week -- Black Desert Resort in the small town of Irvins in far southwest Utah.

The Greater Zion Cup is a new event on the calendar in 2026 and replaces the Red Rock Open, which in past years had been held in nearby St. George, Utah.

The Black Desert Resort opened in 2023 and the golf course on the property has hosted two PGA Tour events in 2024 and 2025. New to the resort in 2026 are 21 dedicated pickleball courts.

Pro qualifying for this week’s event took place on Monday and main-draw matches will start on Tuesday, with one round in every division to be played each day through Championship Sunday.

This week's tournament is a Cup, so it is worth 1,500 ranking points for the winners in each division. That also means that almost all of the top players are in the field this week, including Will Howells, who has missed a few events after an ankle injury in January. He's only playing doubles, and is teaming up with Noe Khlif in men's doubles and Meghan Dizon in mixed doubles.

The weather forecast calls for temps in the high 80s and light winds. There's a slight chance of rain on Sunday, but the rest of the week looks to be perfect pickleball weather -- which will be welcomed by pro players who dealt with strong winds at the last tour stop in Texas.

All Greater Zion Cup matches can be viewed on Pickleballtv or the Pickleballtv App starting Tuesday. Select time windows will be broadcast on FS1 and FS2.

🔗 Here's a look at the schedule and draws for each event

TRENDING

Pro player Tyson McGuffin shows off epic new tattoos

Pro pickleball player Tyson McGuffin already was the most tatted up guy on tour, but now there's no question he takes the crown.

In a post on Instagram last week, McGuffin showed off his latest tattoos, which cover both legs and include detailed designs featuring family members, nods to his faith, his signature pickleball paddles over the years, his Skechers shoes and much more.

McGuffin said he went to Grailed Gallery in Beverly Hills, California, and worked with Lawry Fong, who has done previous tattoos for McGuffin. Photos show that several tattoo artists were working on the designs at once.

McGuffin said this is the last stage of his tattoo journey, because there's not much room left to get inked. His feet and face appear to be the only blank spots.

🔗 Check out photos of the epic artwork here