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There's a new Selkirk x Tesla paddle
Schedule released for MLP Semifinals and Finals
Everybody is looking for the perfect pickleball partner. Maybe you’re between partners right now, rotating through open play, trying people out. Maybe you’ve got a tournament coming and a decision to make.
So you run the checklist: Similar (or higher) skill level than you, complementary style, available when you are, wants to compete as much as you do. All of that matters.
But that checklist misses the single most reliable indicator of the right partner: The vibes. Below we dive into how to know if you’ve found the perfect partner.
In this issue:
Ben Johns dropping bombs 💣
Schedule released for MLP Finals 🏆
There’s a new Selkirk x Tesla paddle 👀
The data says the DAPS are elite 👟
Let’s cook! 👨🏻🍳
HIGHLIGHT OF THE WEEK
New Ben Johns nickname: Benny Bombs
In case you didn’t know or forgot: Not only is Ben Johns the most consistent pickleball player in the world — he’s also one of the most powerful.
In this clip, that power is on full-display as Johns takes over in mixed doubles and doesn’t let up until the point is over. Connor Garnett actually does a remarkable job to get a couple of Johns’ overheads back, but in the end Johns has too much offense.
That much power really isn’t fair for somebody who also never misses a dink.
🔗 Check out this week’s highlight on Instagram, Facebook or TikTok
We snagged the last JOOLA Rally Rocket paddles — and they can be YOURS
JOOLA has officially run out of their Rally Rocket paddles, and you can’t get them on the JOOLA website anymore. Luckily for you, we got our hands on a batch at the last minute, and we are currently selling them from our shop!
THE PROS
Major League Pickleball Playoffs: Match schedule, TV information for Semifinals and Finals
We’ve reached the last week of the Major League Pickleball season, and there are four teams remaining in the playoff field.
The MLP Semifinals and Finals will be held Friday-Sunday at CityPickle in New York City’s Central Park. Both rounds will be a best-of-three match series, with the Semifinal matches starting Friday afternoon.
The New Jersey 5s, as the No. 1 overall seed, had their choice of opponent between the Brooklyn Pickleball Team (No. 3 seed) and Dallas Flash (No. 4 seed). The 5s opted to play Brooklyn, which means the St. Louis Shock (the No. 2 seed) will play Dallas. The winners will play in the Finals, with Match 1 scheduled for Saturday evening.
Click here for a full breakdown of each semifinal matchup, including lineup stats, past head-to-head results and how the teams stack up heading into New York.
MATCH SCHEDULE
Friday
Noon ET: St. Louis Shock vs. Dallas Flash Match 1
Followed by: New Jersey 5s vs. Brooklyn Pickleball Team Match 1
Followed by: St. Louis Shock vs. Dallas Flash Match 2
Saturday
10 a.m. ET: New Jersey 5s vs. Brooklyn Pickleball Team Match 2
Followed by: St. Louis Shock vs. Dallas Flash Match 3 (if necessary)
Followed by: New Jersey 5s vs. Brooklyn Pickleball Team Match 3 (if necessary)
Followed by: Finals Match 1
Sunday
Noon ET: Finals Match 2
Followed by: Finals Match 3 (if necessary)
POLL
Who will win the MLP title? |
PADDLE CORNER
Selkirk Pickleball and Tesla release limited-edition ‘Aurum’ paddle
Selkirk Pickleball and Tesla are back with another paddle collab, following up on the success of the Tesla Plaid paddle that was launched in 2025.
The new Tesla Aurum Pickleball Paddle by Selkirk was released Thursday exclusively on Tesla’s website in extremely limited quantities. It features the same tech as the original launch, but with a new colorway that is inspired by the exterior color of Tesla’s Cybercab. It retails for $295 or $350 if you include the sleek carrying case.
Tesla’s contribution to the design of the paddle focused on airflow behavior — studying drag coefficients, turbulent wake patterns, and how slight geometry shifts affected acceleration during different swing paths. Those findings directly influenced the paddle’s aerodynamic aesthetic. Other features include:
PureFoam full-foam core
TPU Power Ring, created specifically for this paddle to stabilize the face and dampen vibration
MOI Tuning System used in other Selkirk paddles for a cleaner, more forgiving sweet spot
Two-ply carbon fiber face for control and feedback
InfiniGrit Surface for enhanced, longer-lasting spin
🔗 Learn more about the latest Selkirk x Tesla paddle here or shop all Selkirk paddles here — use code INF-KITCHEN for a coupon toward future purchase
INSTRUCTION
How to know you’ve found the right partner (it’s not what you think)
Here’s a question you’ve probably never been asked: What does the inside of your head sound like when you play with different partners?
In 1974, a tennis coach named Tim Gallwey wrote a book called “The Inner Game of Tennis,” and it basically invented the mental game for all sports as we know it. Gallwey’s insight was that every player is really two selves:
Self 1 is the talker: The inner critic and instructor running commentary in your head: Bend your knees, paddle up, don’t miss this one, you always blow these.
Self 2 is the doer: Your trained body, which already knows how to hit the ball beautifully and does it best when nobody’s micromanaging it. Every great shot you’ve ever hit, you hit when Self 1 finally quieted down and let Self 2 play.
Fifty years of sports psychology — visualization, breathing, “trust your training,” all of it — flows from that one idea: Quiet the voice (Self 1), free the player (Self 2).
But when we’re playing doubles in pickleball, there’s another voice that monitors the relationship between you and your partner. Are they frustrated with me? Did I just let them down? Was that sigh about my shot? Are we OK? Do they want to be playing with someone else? Why did they hit the ball there?
Sometimes you don’t notice it as a voice at all. You just notice you play a little tighter with certain people. A little more hesitant. Half a beat late on balls you’d normally crush.
That’s the dirty secret of partner selection: Two partners can be identical on the checklist, and your game can be completely different with each of them.
THE REAL TEST
Next time you’re trying to find a partner for an upcoming event, ask the questions that actually predict your future together:
How fast do I recover from a miss with them? Right partner: seconds. Wrong partner: you’re still replaying it two points later, because part of you is wondering what they thought of it.
Am I aware of them, or monitoring them? Awareness is connection — it feels light. Monitoring is surveillance — it feels heavy.
GEAR
DAPS pickleball shoes combine high-level comfort with high-level performance
Before DAPS pickleball shoes were released last year, they underwent extensive testing at the Heeluxe Performance Lab, which compared them to several other well-known shoes in the pickleball space.
The results favored the DAPS in several areas:
Faster starts
Quicker stops
Better energy return
More energy efficiency
As if that wasn’t enough, they also are some of the most comfortable pickleball shoes we’ve tried, and that combination of performance and comfort has landed them at No. 1 on our list of the best shoes for pickleball.
Another bonus: They come in 8 colors — one for every on-court personality — as well as men’s and women’s sizes.
🔗 Check out our full review of the DAPS here or shop here — use code “KITCHEN” for 15% off!
QUICK HITS
Future stars: These kids are BALLING OUT
Addicting: These highlights are like heroin for us
Power level 100: No dinking allowed
Is this legal? We’re skeptical
What did you think of this week's newsletter? |