We couldn’t help but scope out the Beverly Hills house that Ben Affleck and J Lo bought for a cool $60m, cash.

Much to our surprise, we found the home came with quite the amenity:

There are plenty of other photos of the court here showing different angles, but we went with the one above to show off that amazing lounge and vista in the background.

We hope Ben & Jen truly appreciate the space. It’s too beautiful to waste. Maybe they’ll invite fellow movie star picklers Leo DiCaprio, Eva Longoria, and Jamie Foxx over for some games.

In This Issue:

• Tips for true beginners

• The acoustics engineer pickleball needs

• A dramatic PPA result

• New name for MLP team

Happy Monday. Let’s get moving.

PPA Texas Open Results

Beginner Play: A Trip Down Memory Lane

Yesterday at open play, I found myself on the court with a few new players. They were just nailing down where to stand and how to keep score.

Although they were learning the game quickly, each one could have benefitted from a little advice.

Player 1 - Total beginner. No racquet sports background and only played pickle a couple of times.

• The tip: Slow down. Swinging the paddle fast and out of control is going to spray the ball in every direction.

• Slow down your swing. Make solid contact. Direct the ball where you want it to go. Learn to control the ball before swinging for the fences.

Player 2 - Had more court experience but that serve, painful. Have you come across a player the has almost no toss on their serve? It looks like they're plucking it straight out of their hand like it's tee-ball.

• The tip: Separate the toss from the serve. Treat the toss like its own step, then focus on the swing.

• For some reason, players get hung up on serve mechanics. To make things easier, separate the serve into steps. 1) Toss 2) Swing

• Bonus: if you don’t like your toss, don't swing. Pick the ball up at start again.

Player 3 - Tennis player - new to pickleball. This player had great hands and great strokes. But they were bleeding points by not reaching the NVZ.

• The tip: Position > ability. Standing closer to the net outweighs the ability to hit perfect groundstrokes.

• Unfortunately, when the opposing team gets to the NVZ, hitting groundies from the baseline just won't cut it.

• Even if it makes you uncomfortable in the beginning, advancing to the NVZ is a necessity.

These tips are not ground breaking, but helpful to share when you’re on the court with a newbie.

Just make sure they’re looking for help before you put on the coaching hat.

Selkirk EVO 2.0

The SLK EVO 2.0 Series comes in 3 models, each designed for a specific play style:

• EVO 2.0 Control - Has a massive sweet spot

• EVO 2.0 Power - Spin-friendly and designed for those with a tennis background

EVO 2.0 Hybrid - Super comfortable grip and large sweet spot, combining the best of the above-two paddles’ technologies

At $100, the SLK EVO 2.0 Series is an affordable option for players of all skill levels.

Each is available in Max (largest surface area & sweet spot) and XL (extended length & added power) shapes. Click here to learn more.

Some Heroes Are Acoustics Nerds

Retired engineer Bob Unetich founded Pickleball Sound Mitigation LLC. His goal? Fix pickleball’s biggest problem: the infamous “thwack” sound that keeps the neighbors awake.

Recall: A Denver noise specialist clocked the ‘thwack’ at an average volume of 70 decibels (just under the avg decibels of a vacuum).

Unetich’s research tells a similar story…and more:

• Pickleball shots ring out at a high frequency of ~1.2k Hz (similar to the beeps of a garbage truck in reverse)

• A hard hit can reach 70 decibels, but the average is closer to 59 decibels or higher if more occupied courts are close by

His local court’s failed attempt to remedy the issue with vinyl siding, which only served to ‘reflect’ the noise, spurred Unetich’s effort to find a solution that would actually dampen it. He landed on a fiberglass solution.

Unlike other firms, Pickleball Sound Mitigation LLC is focused solely on pickleball, and the firm has produced an interesting finding: there is a “Goldilocks” sound level of 50 decibels or less.

That’s what Unetich believes is the maximum sound nearby neighbors can tolerate. Mind you, this is the sound as measured at the homes, not at courts.

Critically, the “Goldilocks number” is only useful if municipalities or other planning bodies use it before they install a new court.

Sound barriers like the one Unetich’s company researched only reduce the overall noise impact by about 10-15 decibels, and they can cost upwards of $50k. So careful placement of courts is critical.

So is dampening the noise potential of pickleball equipment:

• According to Unetich’s studies, using softer plastic balls can reduce 1-3 decibels from the average sound of a game.

• Thicker paddles that have softer faces can also reduce overall noise by up to 7 decibels

That last point is great if you’re one of the many higher-level players who prefer paddles with a softer, dialed-in touch. But if you’re a newbie, you likely have a louder fiberglass-faced paddle.

Unetich has created a list of less-noisy paddles he calls “The Blue List.” Check it out here.

The Largest Tournament in PPA History

Rowdy crowds, scorching temps, and one of the best women's singles matches you'll ever see: the PPA Texas Open was not only the largest tour stop to date, but also one of the most thrilling.

Saturday in Rockwall was arguably the most raucous crowd the PPA has ever seen. A bus full of SMU students arrived during the quarterfinals and brought the hushed tones of the crowd to a full roar. It was a glimpse at what pickleball crowds could look like in the near future.

If you were hoping for a little drama to spice up your Sunday, you got it in the women's final match. Anna Leigh Waters has been an unstoppable force in 2023. But Lea Jansen had a different look in her game that was visible all weekend.

• Jansen surprised the crowd, rolling out a 11-3 win in game one.

• The ladies slugged it out in game two and Jansen had ALW on the ropes with a match point 12-11.

• Waters survived and advanced to game three 14-12.

• Jansen was inches from gold again in game three with a 10-8 lead. But ALW did what only ALW can do and won four answered points to win this early candidate for match of the year.

The singles title was one piece on Waters' third straight triple crown. She and Catherine Parenteau won gold over Etta Wright and Megan Sheehan-Dizon, a duo that’s getting better by the week.

ALW and Ben Johns secured both of their triple crowns in front of a national audience on ESPN. Riley and Lindsey Newman settled for silver but must be satisfied with the result after overcoming a deep mixed doubles field to reach the final.

The Johns bros had another clinical victory in men's doubles. This time, they took out JW Johnson and Dylan Frazier on the big stage.

Johns' singles win came over the Cinderella Story of the weekend, Jaume Martinez Vich. Despite the loss, Martinez Vich put on an impressive showing, stealing game two from the goat 11-2, 7-11, 11-5.

No time to rest. The PPA Tour is back on the grind next week in San Clemente for the Orange County Cup.

Frisco Clean Cause -> Frisco Pandas

The MLP team formerly known as Clean Cause is now the Frisco Pandas. The Texas ties run deep for the team representing Frisco, as the squad also added Dallas Cowboys QB Dak Prescott to the ownership group last week.

Why “Pandas”? The name pays homage to the mascot in Dude Perfect’s YouTube videos – having now amassed over 15 billion views.

Dude Perfect owns a stake in the team, and the youtubers’ fans submitted an overwhelming number of votes in favor of “Pandas” in an online poll hosted last month.

Other sports teams which call Frisco home include:

• Dallas Cowboys

• Dallas Stars

• FC Dallas

• Frisco RoughRiders

• Texas Legends

• Frisco Fighters

• PGA of America

Catch the Pandas in action at the next MLP tournament, June 15 in San Clemente, California, with players Lina Padegimaite, Yana Grechkina, DJ Young, and Zane Navratil (Captain).

Athletic Wear Designed for Pickleball Players

AVI is elevating pickleball by creating exceptional athletic wear.

They believe everyone — from professional athletes to casual enthusiasts — deserves well-constructed, expertly designed clothing made just for their sport.

With pockets created specifically to hold pickleballs, comfortable fabrics, and ultra-lightweight feel, AVI is elevated performance wear for both on AND off the court!

Headlines & Quick Hits

• The Inaugural AZ Pickleball League Championship streams live tomorrow night at 9:00 pm ET

• Staying 'zen' in pickleball: improving your focus and decision-making

• ICYMI: Making your third shot decision quicker and easier

Highlights

• The crowd 😅

• This might leave a mark 🫢 

• Pulled the goalie

• Insanely fast hands

A review from the Dink Fam...