73 episodes

On “PicklePod”, Thomas Shields and Zane Navratil deliver an entrée of updates from around the Pickleball World. Some would say it’s a “Picklers” dream podcast with the duo’s loud and unfiltered insights commentating on the good, the bad, and even the ugly sides of the sport as Pickleball undeniably rockets towards mainstream adoption. Weekly rotating topics, guests, tournament recaps, Pickleball pop-culture, player strategies, and more. No comment or topic can breach the PicklePod Non-Valley Zone, everything is in play. It’s on the PicklePod or it didn’t happen. Thomas Shields is the Founder Of “The Dink Pickleball” Media company and Zane Navratil is atop ranked pickleball pro who has won championships on the PPA Tour, APP Tour, and Major League Pickleball.

PicklePod Playmaker Podcast Network

    • Sports
    • 4.7 • 102 Ratings

On “PicklePod”, Thomas Shields and Zane Navratil deliver an entrée of updates from around the Pickleball World. Some would say it’s a “Picklers” dream podcast with the duo’s loud and unfiltered insights commentating on the good, the bad, and even the ugly sides of the sport as Pickleball undeniably rockets towards mainstream adoption. Weekly rotating topics, guests, tournament recaps, Pickleball pop-culture, player strategies, and more. No comment or topic can breach the PicklePod Non-Valley Zone, everything is in play. It’s on the PicklePod or it didn’t happen. Thomas Shields is the Founder Of “The Dink Pickleball” Media company and Zane Navratil is atop ranked pickleball pro who has won championships on the PPA Tour, APP Tour, and Major League Pickleball.

    Lawyers(?) advised these players to sit out

    Lawyers(?) advised these players to sit out

    Zane and Thomas caught wind of three players who won’t be in the mix for MLP Atlanta. Some of them might sit at home in bubble wrap until the ball drops on New Year's to protect their new contracts. The guys preview the highly anticipated event and share their predictions for who will hoist the cup. 
    Thomas recaps the first-ever Bounce Nashville Tournament sponsored by the Tenessee Titans and issues a correction towards USA Pickleball.

    To support Stop Alzheimers Now and submit your question for the pod visit: https://www.stopalzheimersnow.org/donate.html

    Shop performance-driven comfort from Vuori https://vuoriclothing.com/thedink
    Not only will you receive 20% off your first purchase, but enjoy free shipping on any U.S. orders over $75 and free returns

    Swimply is like AirBnb for pickleball courts. Find your perfect court at https://www.swimply.com/pickleball?utm_source=Partner&utm_medium=Banner&utm_campaign=Launch&utm_id=Dink

    Rep the latest in dink branded merch at https://repthedink.com/

    ------------------
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    -Subscribe to our 'all things pickleball' *free e-newsletter* at https://www.thedinkpickleball.com/signup/
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    -Read more about Zane and subscribe to his newsletter at https://zanenavratilpickleball.com/
    -Follow Zane on IG @zanenavratilpickleball
    ------------------

    Show Notes:
    0:00 Zane toes the line
    5:46 Okay let’s start the podcast - MLP sit-outs
    10:56 Fans of PicklePod out in the streets - Bounce event in Nashville
    15:00 Agents of Change take on the MLP Freeze
    19:19 Tyson and Tyler meet again at MLP
    24:50 Pablo is inadvertently the bad boy of pickleball
    25:50 Who gets first dibs act Jack Sock in 2024?
    29:27 USA Pickleball and 99% of players
    39:20 Viewers weigh in on Tyson and Tyler
    41:38 MLP Atlanta Preview - Zane’s X factor
    48:05 Group B is loaded
    51:30 Group C predictions
    54:40 SAN Questions
    58:58 Best parent/child pro duos in pickleball

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    • 1 hr 6 min
    The pro boycott, changing contracts & bad blood

    The pro boycott, changing contracts & bad blood

    Zane and Thomas wade through the Tour Wars fallout on a new episode of PicklePod. MLP Atlanta is a go, but there is still plenty of bad blood among owners, players, and staff. Speaking of bad blood, the McGuffin vs. Loong feud rages from the court to podcasts and to Twitter. There is speculation on holdouts, renegotiations, and how this new organization can function moving forward.

    Zane and Thomas cover Zane’s injury and recap their head-to-head results from last week.

    To support Stop Alzheimers Now and submit your question for the pod visit: https://www.stopalzheimersnow.org/donate.html

    Shop performance-driven comfort from Vuori https://vuoriclothing.com/thedink
    Not only will you receive 20% off your first purchase, but enjoy free shipping on any U.S. orders over $75 and free returns

    Swimply is like AirBnb for pickleball courts. Find your perfect court at https://www.swimply.com/pickleball?utm_source=Partner&utm_medium=Banner&utm_campaign=Launch&utm_id=Dink

    Rep the latest in dink branded merch at https://repthedink.com/

    ------------------
    Like the ep? Do us a favor: subscribe to our channel and leave a review on Apple or Spotify
    -Subscribe to our 'all things pickleball' *free e-newsletter* at https://www.thedinkpickleball.com/signup/
    -Follow us on IG *@thedinkpickleball*
    -Continue the convo in our private FB Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thedi...
    -For everything else we do, visit https://linktr.ee/dinkfam

    -Read more about Zane and subscribe to his newsletter at https://zanenavratilpickleball.com/
    -Follow Zane on IG @zanenavratilpickleball
    ------------------

    Show Notes:
    0:00 Honcho winners get to play Zane 2 on 1
    3:56 Singles is 5 years behind doubles
    7:02 Contracts will need to be touched up
    13:29 Tennis players entering the mix
    18:50 Paddle companies choosing from top talent
    23:49 Tyson’s flips the bird at PPA Cincy
    33:20 Pickle4444 with the inside information
    42:19 Pros overcoming bad blood
    47:40 I will clean out the porta-potties
    50:47 Where does USA Pickleball stand?
    57:47 Annonymous accounts coming for Zane
    1:08:14 Ken Hermann the last OG left
    1:10:42 No more relegation - What 2024 looks like
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    • 1 hr 24 min
    Absolute Chaos: Pickleball will Change FOREVER w Jimmy Miller

    Absolute Chaos: Pickleball will Change FOREVER w Jimmy Miller

    Everything we know about the battle between the PPA Tour and Major League Pickleball. Jimmy and Thomas break it down. 

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    What's The Dink? The Dink is the front page of pickleball, delivering news, stories, tips, gear reviews, highlights and more to millions of pickleballers. Pickleball Lives Here.
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    • 1 hr 6 min
    Raising the barrier of entry w/ James Ignatowich

    Raising the barrier of entry w/ James Ignatowich

    James Ignatowich joins the pod from a Sonic parking lot in Kansas City. He breaks down his match-of-the-year contender from TOC and explains why he wasn’t a candidate in the Riley Newman partner sweepstakes. 
    Zane and Thomas cover Zane’s injury and recap their head-to-head results from last week. 

    To support Stop Alzheimers Now and submit your question for the pod visit: https://www.stopalzheimersnow.org/donate.html

    Use code DINK20 to save 20% of pickleball apparel at https://dillylife.com/ and receive free shipping on orders over $75.

    Rep the latest in dink branded merch at https://repthedink.com/

    ------------------
    Like the ep? Do us a favor: subscribe to our channel and leave a review on Apple or Spotify
    -Subscribe to our 'all things pickleball' *free e-newsletter* at https://www.thedinkpickleball.com/signup/
    -Follow us on IG *@thedinkpickleball*
    -Continue the convo in our private FB Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thedi...
    -For everything else we do, visit https://linktr.ee/dinkfam

    -Read more about Zane and subscribe to his newsletter at https://zanenavratilpickleball.com/
    -Follow Zane on IG @zanenavratilpickleball
    ------------------

    Show Notes:
    0:00 Podcasting is hard
    6:20 Rec matches with Maurice the Grease
    10:20 Is your goose cooked in singles?
    17:01 If James can make it anyone can
    20:20 An eye for talent - evaluating Dallas Pickleball Club
    25:14 The best teammate in pickleball
    33:20 Snubbed in the Riley Newman partner search
    39:10 The latest from ProXR
    46:00 James' first round loss at TOC
    55:20 Pat Smith’s resurgence + Zane’s injury
    1:04:50 Ranchers new ownership group and Teqball
    1:06:10 Stop Alzheimer’s Now questions
    1:11:58 Collin vs Matt on the right side

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    • 1 hr 19 min
    A lot of paddles are going to fail

    A lot of paddles are going to fail

    For the first time ever, a winner of the PicklePod listener contest joins the pod. He is a former free diver and competitive surfer who outlines the flow state benefits of pickleball. Zane explains the new scrutiny around his signature paddle and gets coerced to auction off a seat at his wedding. Plus a story featuring Machine Gun Kelly, Megan Fox and ayahuasca in Costa Rica.

    Learn more about Honcho Pickleball League here: https://www.honchopickle.com/

    View open positions at The Dink here: https://www.linkedin.com/company/thedink/jobs/

    To support Stop Alzheimers Now and submit your question for the pod visit: https://www.stopalzheimersnow.org/donate.html

    Shop performance-driven comfort from Vuori https://vuoriclothing.com/thedink
    Not only will you receive 20% off your first purchase, but enjoy free shipping on any U.S. orders over $75 and free returns

    Rep the latest in dink branded merch at https://repthedink.com/

    ------------------
    Like the ep? Do us a favor: subscribe to our channel and leave a review on Apple or Spotify
    -Subscribe to our 'all things pickleball' *free e-newsletter* at https://www.thedinkpickleball.com/signup/
    -Follow us on IG *@thedinkpickleball*
    -Continue the convo in our private FB Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thedi...
    -For everything else we do, visit https://linktr.ee/dinkfam

    -Read more about Zane and subscribe to his newsletter at https://zanenavratilpickleball.com/
    -Follow Zane on IG @zanenavratilpickleball
    ------------------

    Show Notes:
    0:00 Honcho Pickleball League and pickleball job openings
    4:15 We introduce Connor Irwin, kinda
    11:00 Flow state and pickleball
    16:41 A new standard for the grit test
    22:43 A coaching relationship or serial killer material
    27:05 Pros are still young and when to tag an opponent on the ground
    35:45 DJ Young is turning things around
    39:10 Mindfulness in pickleball, Ayahuasca with MGK and Meghan Fox
    46:27 The Kumbaya era is over
    52:18 Best pods in pickleball
    55:12 Did Ben Johns like losing?
    1:03:10 Playing poorly on Adderall
    1:08:24 Zane wants to auction seats to his wedding
    1:20:10 Stop Alzheimer’s Now questions
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    • 1 hr 32 min
    You might be playing with an illegal paddle

    You might be playing with an illegal paddle

    The Seattle Open was full of headlines. The guys cover Lea’s singles retirement, Pablo’s costly paddle throw and the upset over the Johns bros. MLP announced new paddle color guidelines to eliminate a possibly unfair advantage. Zane discusses how he pushes the rules to their limit.

    To support Stop Alzheimers Now and submit your question for the pod visit: https://www.stopalzheimersnow.org/donate.html

    Shop performance-driven comfort from Vuori https://vuoriclothing.com/thedink
    Not only will you receive 20% off your first purchase, but enjoy free shipping on any U.S. orders over $75 and free returns

    Rep the latest in dink branded merch at https://repthedink.com/

    ------------------
    Like the ep? Do us a favor: subscribe to our channel and leave a review on Apple or Spotify
    -Subscribe to our 'all things pickleball' *free e-newsletter* at https://www.thedinkpickleball.com/signup/
    -Follow us on IG *@thedinkpickleball*
    -Continue the convo in our private FB Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thedi...
    -For everything else we do, visit https://linktr.ee/dinkfam

    -Read more about Zane and subscribe to his newsletter at https://zanenavratilpickleball.com/
    -Follow Zane on IG @zanenavratilpickleball
    ------------------

    Show Notes:
    0:00 A warm welcome for Zane in Boston
    5:20 Zane’s spin drill catches some hate
    10:17 New MLP paddle guidelines
    16:33 ProXR in the hands of some surprise winners
    23:10 Pushing the limits to their edge
    33:33 Getting reps against the best talent in Austin
    43:27 PPA Seattle and Lea’s retirement
    50:26 An ‘assault’ of the scoreboard
    53:55 Riley vs Matt + T Swift
    57:50 Catching the early erne and beef history
    1:00:35 Pat Smith and DJ Young upset the world’s number 1 team
    1:04:14 Stop Alzheimer’s Now questions
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    • 1 hr 11 min

Customer Reviews

4.7 out of 5
102 Ratings

102 Ratings

Eddie Panic ,

They let anyone have a podcast

I was reading Zane’s mocking of Squeaky and the Normie, and the combined hysteria made me listen to this podcast. When I heard Zane’s voice, I thought - yep, anyone can have a podcast. The other guy, I think he’s Tommy - or Tomas, or something like that - has a good radio voice. I’m not sure if he could do PBP for the PPA or MLP - but his voice is soothing… and my favorite part is when they have a guest, and he doesn’t pay attention to Zane’s moaning, and pretends he isn’t there. He can’t do this when it is just him and Zane - but I’m sure he wishes one of the many really good pickleball stars was on the show. I decided to write this review because Honey Badger was a great guest and really punched up their 3.5 rating to a strong 5, then they followed it up with GOAT, so that’s some star power. Could Squeaky and the Norm get those guests? Also, kudos for Zane on his instructional videos. Not Jordan Briones, but still good effort.

annramey ,

Bro!

Bro? Bro! Broooo! Seven minutes in and still bro bro bro.

cyberbear ,

I judged Zane too soon

I didn’t care for Zane too much early on. I was jealous of his stupid spin serve and his voice is similar to a member of the lollipop guild. Then he went & nabbed Miss Wisconsin of all things! That proves Zane must have a really big….personality. Which is perfect for his podcast. Oh, and the other dude’s a jerk. I sat by him at PPA Rockwall & he was an aloof sad little whiner; probably because Tyson had left him.

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