The Newsletter

Past issues · 17

• August 24, 2026Latest

  Getting 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, 2026

  Topspin, 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, 2026

  Pro 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, 2026

  Why 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, 2026

  Is 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, 2026

  Two 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, 2026

  The 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, 2026

  Ratings 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, 2026

  What'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, 2026

  Where 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, 2026

  Show 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, 2026

  Spot 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, 2026

  The 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, 2026

  A 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, 2026

  Your 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, 2026

  Rules 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, 2026

  Anna 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.