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This could be the point of the year
The JOOLA Pro V is NOT what you think
The “dead dink” has gotten a bad reputation over the past couple years as the game has become faster and more aggressive. Content creators have flooded YouTube and social media with videos about the two-handed backhand dink and other aggressive tactics.
But we still think there’s a time and a place where the dead dink can be a great choice — and sometimes the best choice available in certain situations. We break down how, when and why to use this shot below.
Also in this issue:
We have a new nominee for point of the year 🤯
Breaking down JOOLA’s new Pro V line 👀
Last week to register for Honcho’s late spring leagues 🗓️
How PodPlay helps pickleball facilities grow their business 📈
Ranking the best tournaments in all of pickleball 🏟️
Let’s get cookin’. 🧑🍳
HIGHLIGHT OF THE WEEK
This could be the point of the year
Rafa Hewett is one of pickleball’s greatest showmen. Over the years he has provided too many highlights and entertaining moments to count, and yesterday at the PPA Tour Atlanta Pickleball Championships he added another highlight to the list.
Hewett and talented newcomer Nico Acevedo took down Tyson McGuffin/Max Freeman in an electric men’s doubles match that had a ton of memorable moments. After this crazy point, Hewett had to bust out his famous “Round ‘em up” celebration — and it was well earned.
🔗 Check out the replay on Instagram, Facebook or TikTok
TOURNAMENTS
Ranking the best pickleball events to attend
There are so many great events in pickleball each year, and we at The Kitchen have had the opportunity to attend many of them.
Whether it's the amateur experience or the chance to watch the best pro players compete on scenic Championship Courts, below you will find our ranking of the best pickleball events to attend as a player or spectator.
🥇 PICKLEBALL WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
This is the PPA Tour's flagship event, held annually in late October/early November at Brookhaven Country Club in the Dallas suburb of Farmer's Branch, Texas. The venue has a massive Championship Court buildout and tons of activities and concerts on "Pickleball Boulevard." In 2025 the event drew a combined crowd of more than 60,000 throughout the week. Nearly all 50 states were represented in the amateur ranks, which saw a record 4,400 total participants, including players from 38 countries competing in more than 6,000 matches throughout the week.
🥈 PPA TOUR MASTERS
There's a lot that sets this event apart -- the all-white dress code for pro players, the epic views of mountains looming just outside of Palm Springs, California, and the venue itself (Mission Hills Country Club) is top notch. It's also one of the four "Slams" on the PPA Tour, and because it's usually the first PPA Tour event of the year in early January, it's a tournament where a lot of new and exciting pro partnerships make their debut.
🥉 US OPEN
This is one of the longest-running pro and amateur tournaments in all of pickleball. It's been held annually in Naples, Florida, since 2016 at the massive USOP National Pickleball Center, which has 65 dedicated courts. In 2026 the event drew more than 55,000 fans throughout the week and 3,750 players from all 50 states and 53 countries.
AMATEUR LEAGUES
Join a local pickleball league. Make friends. Build your community.
We’ve partnered with Honcho Pickleball to bring social amateur pickleball leagues to 70+ cities nationwide (see locations below). Registration ends in ONE WEEK! If you’re looking to make friends and build your pickleball community, these leagues are perfect.
Use code KITCHEN for a big discount. 👨🏻🍳
GEAR
The JOOLA Pro V is NOT what you think
The JOOLA Pro V is finally here and it’s not just a more powerful version of the Pro IV, like some may have expected.
In this review, we break down the entire JOOLA Pro V lineup including the new hybrid Kosmos shape, compare it directly to the JOOLA Pro IV, and explain why this paddle may actually be a better fit for most players despite slightly less raw power.
WHAT WE COVER
▪️ JOOLA Pro V vs Pro IV
▪️ New Kosmos shape
▪️ Which shape is best (Perseus, Scorpeus, Agassi, Hyperion, Kosmos)
▪️ Power, control, pop, feel and predictability
▪️ Core crushing concerns and warranty
▪️ Full Kitchen scorecard breakdown
JOOLA BUNDLES
Buy a JOOLA paddle, choose a free Kitchen hat!
If you buy any JOOLA Pro V or IV on The Kitchen’s website, you get a FREE Kitchen hat of your choice (under $30).
PICKLEBALL TECH
How PodPlay is helping pickleball facilities grow their business
In the past 5 years we’ve seen thousands of pickleball facilities pop up across the country.
When the sport exploded in the early 2020s, there was a clear need for more courts in almost every community. For those who opened a facility in the early stages of the gold rush, success was almost guaranteed because demand far exceeded supply.
Fast forward a few years, and now the supply and demand gap is much closer. Most cities now have multiple pickleball facilities.
That means the calculus has changed for players. It’s gone from “Where can I find a court?” to “Which court gives me the best experience?”
That’s where PodPlay specializes. The platform is a comprehensive management system that allows facility operators to handle court bookings, payments, leagues and events all in one place while keeping the user-experience simple for customers.
MAXIMIZING THE FUN
With a focus on player experience, PodPlay also offers things like digital scoreboards and video replays at premium tier clubs that are fully integrated with the booking software platform. Players have a one-stop shop where they can find their highlights, book a court, see league standings and much more.
“Players love being able to capture their highlights or fun moments during their games without having to take themselves out of the game,” said PodPlay co-founder Ben Borton. “We make it so they just press a button, capture it, and then it’s seamless for them to be able to share those fun moments on social media or with their friends. The user experience and the community aspect of pickleball – everything we’re doing is meant to elevate those two things.”
INSTRUCTION
Understanding the dead dink: Why, when and how to use it
The “dead” dink is a misunderstood and wrongly maligned shot in our sport. It is one of those areas of the game where a few coaches and content creators created a stigma around a shot that is critical to good play and, in doing so, hampered the games of thousands of pickleball players. Let’s fix that.
First, what is a “dead” dink? The term is generally used to describe a neutral dink that gently floats up and over the net, then sits there. The thinking goes that this sort of shot should be avoided because your opponent is just gonna whack the ball at you. This leads players to avoid the dead dink as if it were some sort of toxic shot.
This is flawed thinking.
WHEN TO USE THE DEAD DINK
The dead dink is a purely defensive shot. This means you can use it whenever you are in trouble.
▪️ Pulled wide on a stress dink to the outside? Dead dink.
▪️ Attacked in the transition zone as you move from baseline to the kitchen line? Dead dink.
The very reason a dead dink is even available to us is that we play a sport that features a Non-Volley Zone. The dink is the shot that takes full advantage of the NVZ and is fundamental to playing a well-rounded pickleball game.
The dead dink is not intended to be a rally ender. Rather, the dead dink acts as a rally extender. Your objective is to put the ball into play one more time, avoiding the net and, if possible, avoiding a shot that your opponent can attack. The dead dink can help you accomplish those objectives.
QUICK HITS
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