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Past issues · 20
September 14, 2026LatestRecords fell. What changes for your game?
Pickleball broke two records last month, and the coverage mostly stopped at the numbers. What's more interesting is what comes next — for courts, for competition, for the way the game feels when a lot more people want in. That's what this piece gets into.
September 7, 2026The skills that got you here won't get you there
Sometimes the problem isn't what you haven't learned yet — it's what you're still doing. This week we looked at two of the most common plateaus in pickleball, and both trace back to the same thing: a habit that worked at one level becoming the obstacle at the next.
August 31, 2026Your DUPR rating, before your first rated match
Getting a DUPR rating used to feel like a catch-22: you needed match history to be rated, but you needed a rating to find the right matches. That's changed. Here's the fastest path to an official number — no tournament required.
August 24, 2026Getting better when no one's watching
Most improvement happens away from the court — in the repetitions nobody sees. This week we're looking at wall drills that actually build real skills, not just log time.
August 17, 2026Topspin, 5.0 secrets, and who's #1
Pickleball is raising its ceiling fast. This week we're looking at what the top players actually do differently, how to neutralize the topspin that's beating you at every level, and who's holding the #1 spot on the world rankings right now.
August 10, 2026Pro pickleball just got a $3M vote of confidence
Prize money doesn't lie. When the APP Tour announces it's doubling its purse to $3 million for 2027, that's not marketing — it's a structural bet on where pro pickleball is going. We broke down what the expansion actually means, for the players competing and for everyone else paying attention.
August 3, 2026Why you're hooked — and what ball you'll play with
This week we looked at two things that shape how pickleball actually feels to play: the psychology pulling you back to the court, and the equipment decision that just got standardized at the top level. One's about your brain, one's about your gear — both matter more than they seem.
July 27, 2026Is your paddle legal after October 1?
A rule change is coming that has a lot of players quietly wondering whether their current paddle will still be tournament-legal. The short answer depends on which paddle you have — and the longer answer is worth reading before you spend money on something you don't need to replace.
July 20, 2026Two skills that win more points right now
Some things in pickleball stay true no matter what month it is. This week we're revisiting two: how to neutralize the hardest hitters without trying to out-bang them, and how stacking in doubles actually works — not the theory, but the when and why.
July 13, 2026The paddle market just changed. Here's what it means.
Two things happened in the paddle world recently that are easy to miss individually but harder to ignore together: a major brand got absorbed into a bigger one, and a material that barely existed in the market a few years ago is now everywhere. Here's what both mean for you when you're standing in front of a wall of paddles trying to make a decision.
July 6, 2026Ratings get serious. Hollywood takes notice.
Two things this week that feel separate but share a thread: DUPR absorbed its coaching platform, which means coaches can now formally influence your rating in ways they couldn't before. And Apple TV locked in a July 24 premiere for a Hollywood pickleball comedy. The sport is building institutional infrastructure and a cultural footprint at the same time — and that doesn't happen often.
June 29, 2026What's happening between the points
Most of what separates improving players from plateaued ones happens in the margins — between rallies, not during them. This week we're covering two reads that belong in every player's game: the injury pattern that sneaks up gradually and then all at once, and the body language your doubles partner is already picking up off you whether you realize it or not.
June 15, 2026Where you actually stand — and how to handle a banger
Two things this week that change how you read the game. The DUPR reset is done, so the number next to your name finally means what you think it means — we dug into what 400,000 matches revealed. And if bangers keep running you off the court, pro Ava Ignatowich shared five ways to turn their pace into your point.
June 8, 2026Show up to your first ladder — and handle the bangers
Two practical reads this week, both about playing with more confidence. One walks you through your first ladder tournament so nothing catches you off guard; the other gives you a reset system for the bangers who try to overpower you. Pick whichever fits your next session.
June 1, 2026Spot a fake, stack like a pro, and practice smarter
This week was all about playing smarter, not harder. We dug into how counterfeit paddles are sneaking into the market and how to spot one, broke down when stacking actually helps in doubles, and settled the drilling-versus-open-play question for your practice time. Pick whichever fits where your game is right now.
May 18, 2026The game you love — and when it stops feeling that way
Pickleball has a way of getting under your skin — sometimes in ways you didn't expect. This week we went deep on two sides of the community experience: what happens when the grind catches up with you, and the unspoken code that holds court culture together. Both are worth a read before your next session.
May 11, 2026A 15-year-old, a line call, and the mental game
This week we covered a story that stopped a lot of people mid-scroll — a 15-year-old from Hawaii who just made the PPA Tour. We also got into the line call rules that cause more friction than almost anything else on the court, and the mental game that separates players who plateau from those who keep improving.
May 4, 2026Your mental game, the dead dink, $225M, the ATP shot, UPA-A, and a docuseries
Big week on the site. We covered the mental game in doubles, the dead dink most rec players forget they have, what the Pickleball Inc raise actually means for you, how to hit the ATP shot, what the new UPA-A rulebook changes, and why the Partners docuseries is worth watching.
April 27, 2026Rules are changing May 22, Agassi is bracket-bound, and what pros actually make in 2026
Five things worth reading this week — new rules hitting May 22, Andre Agassi making his competitive debut, and an honest look at what the top pros are actually earning. Plus DUPR just got smarter, and pickleball's reach into underserved communities just got a serious boost.
April 20, 2026Anna Leigh switches to Franklin, the complete guide to the US Open, and where Rochester players are showing up this month
A $10 million paddle deal is either a marketing story or a gear story — and it turns out it is both. This week we got into what Anna Leigh Waters switching to Franklin actually signals about where the equipment side of this sport is headed. We also published the most complete breakdown of the US Open we have written, because rec players deserve to know how that world works.