PB's $377mil problem

...or is it a problem? MLP draft order. Back up or stand your ground?


Good Morning. Pickleball isn’t expensive. Or so we thought:

‘A few weeks ago UnitedHealth Group said more people were using the healthcare system (bad news for insurers), and no one exactly knew what was up. Then on Monday, the sleuths at UBS published a note with a clever hypothesis: Rising healthcare utilization rates could be fueled by…pickleball injuries.

UBS calculated that the game’s surging popularity—among seniors, in particular—will contribute $377 million in medical costs this year for procedures like hip replacements and knee surgeries, Bloomberg reported.

It makes intuitive sense, but this still reeks of Big Tennis.’ - Morning Brew

In This Issue:

🧠 Back up or stand your ground?
◀️ MLP draft order.
🎾 PB vs tennis, from a tennis pro.

Let’s go!

Because You Asked

We asked for your pickle problems and you delivered. One member of the dink fam posed this gem:

“My partner hits a short return to a banger. While I’m already at the kitchen line and anticipating a drive right to me, do I hold my ground or take a big step back and get set before the drive?”

Giving up position on the court used to be sin. But with paddles playing faster than ever, it’s no longer frowned upon. Go ahead, take a step or two back and give yourself time to react to their drive.

Just make sure you’re on balance before the ball is headed your way. Stop backpedaling and split step before they make contact with the ball. If you’re moving or leaning backward, you’re more prone to errors.

And of course, keep that paddle down.

A different approach in rec play…

Although a step back is the smart play, there is incentive to challenge yourself. If you’re playing a rec game, try standing your ground.

The best way to improve is to play against better players. Practice catching up with the fast drives and all the others with look slower in comparison.

Keep the questions coming. Send yours here.

The Next Two Successors

Introducing the new Project 005 & Project 006 Tour from Selkirk Labs.

With features like the FiberFlex+ Fiberglass Face, X5+ Honeycomb 16mm Core, and FlexFoam Perimeter, the 005 offers an ideal combination of power and control. It's now available in the S2, Epic, and Invikta shapes.

Featuring their new Tour shape, MicroSpin Raw 12k Carbon Fiber Texture and X5+ 16mm Polypropylene Honeycomb Core, the Project 006 delivers unparalleled quality and performance.

Take your game to the next level with the Selkirk Labs Project 005 & 006 Tour paddles! Be sure to check out their latest projects here!

Don’t Let the Numbers Fool You

A UBS report says playing pickleball will result in $250-500 million of medical costs in 2023. Big Tennis, is that you?

Other stats from the report:

  • Seniors comprise nearly one third of the 22.3 million people expected to play pickleball this year

  • Injuries associated with playing pickleball among players aged 60+ have increased rapidly over the last few years

  • Pickleball may cause "67,000 emergency department trips, 366,000 outpatient visits, 8,8000 outpatient surgeries, 4,700 hospitalizations and 20,000 post-acute episodes"

  • Those medical costs will total $377 million

Don’t get me wrong, The Dink doesn’t want to see anyone injured. But every physical activity – from pickleball to power walking – places inherent risks on its participants.

Consider that 14% of Americans 18+ played pickleball between August 2021 and August 2022, a number that's surely higher now in mid-2023. Let's assume it's at least 15%.

The $377 million in health expenditures those players are projected to accrue only accounts for 0.01% of annual national health expenditures.

If anywhere between 9 million and 36 million Americans are only causing 0.01% of the total annual spend on health by playing pickleball, that doesn’t seem alarming.

Meanwhile, the World Health Organization says almost 500 million people will develop heart disease, obesity, diabetes or other noncommunicable diseases attributable to physical inactivity, between 2020 and 2030, costing US $27 billion annually.

Read our full blog deconstructing the report here. And in the meantime: always warm up.

MLP Draft Order Revealed

MLP commissioner Brooks Wiley and 24 colorful ping pong balls decided the draft order yesterday. The teams will now have two weeks to wheel and deal before the Premier Level draft on July 12.

This year is something of a trial run for the league and its owners. They will have their second chance to create a championship squad before the rosters reset ahead of a more permanent structure in 2024.

The Chicago Slice have to be ecstatic to sit atop the draft board. What're the odds they had a deep dish delivered to Ben Johns in 30 minutes or less...

Click here to see the Challenger Level draft order and current MLP standings.

Tee Break

We asked you to submit your best pickleball t-shirt design, and while we’re grateful for the influx of great ideas, we had to narrow it down.

Here are the top two:

Which t-shirt is better?

Login or Subscribe to participate in polls.

Look Good, Play Good

Deion Sanders said it best: "When you look good, you feel good, and when you feel good, you play good!"

PCKL Pro Series exemplifies this with it's sleek design and elongated frame that allows for solid touch along with maximum spin. Not to mention this paddle was recently named top Elongated Paddle by Men's Health and reviewed by our team this year!

Check out the full review and use code DINK15 to save 15% off sitewide!

Pickleball vs Tennis, Squashed

US tennis icon and former “sexiest man alive” James Blake defends pickleball on the PicklePod.

Blake is an owner in Major League Pickleball and an advocate for the sport. The Twitter trolls have been blowing us Blake’s DMs and he has a message for the haters: pickleball is here to stay.

Watch here or listen here.

A review from the Dink Fam...

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