Pickleball's #1 Podcast with Top Pro Zane Navratil and Pickleball Creator, Nico The Lefty. 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. RSSVERIFY
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Podcast Overview
Pickleball's #1 Podcast with Top Pro Zane Navratil and Pickleball Creator, Nico The Lefty. 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. RSSVERIFY
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Publishing Since
9/8/2021
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Recent Episodes
August 4, 2026
Zane: "This Is My Favorite Pickleball Moment Ever"
Zane and Nico are joined by California Black Bears star Zoey Weil to break down the best MLP event of the season — MLP Orlando. They relive the Dream Breaker for the ages between the Chicago Slice and Black Bears, where 13-year-old Elsie Hendershot saved match point and clinched the win to end California's season and keep Chicago's playoff hopes alive. Plus: the debate over player-GMs setting lineups, whether the Black Bears mortgaged their future for a 12-seed run, MLP's salary cap/floor future, Zane's wedding controversy, an MVP and Rookie of the Year debate, Guess My DUPR, and a Disney movie draft. Nico and Zane will be back later this week with a full MLP Playoffs preview — subscribe so you don't miss it. 🏓 Enter to win the new Jellybean 2 paddle: http://giveaway.thedinkpickleball.com/ 👕 Check out the new performance apparel line from Six Zero: https://bit.ly/3T9NaDM 📩 Subscribe to our free newsletter for everything that matters in pickleball: https://subscribe.thedinkpickleball.com #Pickleball #PickleballPodcast #mlp #ppa ------------------ Like the ep? Do us a favor: subscribe to our channel and leave a review on Apple or Spotify -Follow us on IG : https://www.instagram.com/thedinkpickleball/ -Join the Pro Pickleball Talk Discord → https://discord.gg/ZCqXrxhgsv -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 ------------------ 0:00 Intro 2:43 Setting the stage: Chicago Slice vs. Black Bears win-or-go-home 4:37 How Chicago scouted Zoey & Sahra Dennehy 7:58 Elsie Hendershot's mixed doubles heroics 9:59 Dream Breaker: saved match points and the finish 12:41 Wanting the ball at 22-22: what makes Elsie different 17:29 Should player-GMs be setting lineups? 24:28 Did the Black Bears mortgage their future for a 12-seed run? 28:29 The tennis-background generation & Black Bears' 2027 outlook 31:14 Salary cap/floor and "buying" a championship 41:38 Dylan Frazier's trade chaos & Zane's wedding controversy 52:31 New Jersey 5s' new-look lineup: Federico, Jorja & Will Howells 1:03:12 Shock vs. Fives: the mental edge heading into the final 1:09:19 Is the Fives' super-team a "bought" championship? 1:16:49 Best MLP event ever? Orlando vs. St. Pete vs. Central Park 1:24:14 Grandstand vs. Center Court sound bleed 1:28:06 Quick playoff bracket rundown 1:28:36 MVP debate: Danni-Elle Townsend, JW Johnson, Jackie Kawamoto, Kate Fahey 1:33:43 Rookie of the Year vs. Most Improved 1:38:21 Guess My DUPR 1:41:30 Disney movie draft 1:49:09 Wrap-up & what's next Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
July 28, 2026
Federico Staksrud Has One Job: Take Down the St. Louis Shock
MLP Chicago is in the books and the playoff picture is getting brutal. Zane and Nico break down whether the Dallas Flash are actually contenders or just riding a soft schedule, argue about whether Dream Breaker power is overrated after JW Johnson's demolition of Chris Haworth, and recap Zane's week with the Chicago Slice — including Christian Alshon's first pitch at Wrigley Field and the blue card moment that swung a Dream Breaker. Then Federico Staksrud joins the pod fresh off his blockbuster trade from the Orlando Squeeze to the New Jersey 5s, breaking down how the deal actually went down, whether pickleball needs real free agency, and his (very confident) opinion on bucket hats. Plus: Nico's hybrid pickleball debut at PickleCon, the Texas vs. Kansas City BBQ debate, a brutally honest review of the Dink movie, and a full draft of the greatest sports movies of all time. 👕 Check out the new performance apparel line from Six Zero: https://bit.ly/3T9NaDM 💊 Marek Health → https://www.marekhealth.com | Code: THEDINK for 10% off 📩 Subscribe to our free newsletter for everything that matters in pickleball: https://subscribe.thedinkpickleball.com #Pickleball #PickleballPodcast #mlp #ppa ------------------ Like the ep? Do us a favor: subscribe to our channel and leave a review on Apple or Spotify -Follow us on IG : https://www.instagram.com/thedinkpickleball/ -Join the Pro Pickleball Talk Discord → https://discord.gg/ZCqXrxhgsv -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 ------------------ 0:00 Intro 4:30 Dallas Flash: overhyped, GM of the Year, and is Brooklyn in trouble? 15:34 Zane's MLP Chicago recap: Wrigley Field, Alshon's first pitch, and the paddle-brand fantasy draft 25:04 Chicago Slice's playoff push and the blue card moment 38:07 Nico's hybrid pickleball debut at PickleCon 46:02 Reviewing The Dink movie — Zane and Nico do not agree Federico Staksrud 55:53 Fed joins the pod 1:05:06 Should we just have a 7-game series? 1:15:35 Heroes of villains game Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
July 21, 2026
Ben Johns Just Had the Worst Week of His MLP Career
Hosts Zane Navratil and Nico Navratil interview industry experts about Ben Johns' struggles, surprising MLP trades, and the debate over excessive pickleball practice.
206 total episodes available with 83 transcripts
Recent guests on PicklePod
Guests from recent episodes — sign up to see every guest that has ever appeared on this show.
Nathan
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Ron Saslow
Guest
Joe Saslow
Guest
Nathan Furness
Guest
Clem McAuley
Guest
Kate Fahey
Guest
Danni-Elle Townsend
Guest
Zoey Weil
Guest
Samin Odhwani
Guest
Hayden Patriquin
Guest
Gabe Tardio
Guest
Doug Sapusek
Guest
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Frequently asked questions
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- What is PicklePod?
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This podcast updates daily.
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This podcast is available on 8 platforms including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and more. You can also use the RSS feed directly.
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Yes, this podcast regularly features guests.
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