PPA Tour Will Go International Next Year

The PPA Tour will hold events in Australia, India, Canada, Asia, and Europe in 2025, giving local players an opportunity to compete against the top-ranked players in the league. The United Pickleball Association (UPA), the organization that operates MLP and PPA Tour, announced its UPA International Championship Series that will bring many top players to new territories abroad. The Series offers a platform for competition across […]

The Offensive Pickleball Drop Shot is Over-Hyped

Drop or drive when your opponents are at the baseline? The offensive drop is risky.

Time and time again, we’ll post a pro pickleball highlight on our Instagram, usually of a long point where one side keeps the other pushed back to the baseline, only to receive a comment that says something like this: “Why not play a drop shot after all those defensive shots? The other team was way back.” – […]

How You Should Serve in Pickleball, According to a Pro

Jack Munro mid-serve in pickleball

In pickleball, it’s common knowledge that the returning team has the advantage since they can come to the net first. But did you know that there is a way to prevent this advantage? Depth and power are the two most important traits of your serve. Assuming consistency, hitting a flat deep serve with no control […]

The GOAT Djokovic Says ‘Pickleball is Endangering Tennis’

Novak Djokovic mid-hit

There’s a narrative perpetrated by national media outlets (and now, tennis champions) recently: pickleball is a threat to tennis.  It may seem like countless droves of former tennis players and country clubbers now prefer pickle. It may sting longtime tennis holdouts to see some of their courts sacrificed to some newfangled, migraine-inducing racquet sport. But this doesn’t tell […]

3 Pickleball Drills for Fast Hands

JW Johnson exhibiting fast hands mid pickleball point

Fast hands in pickleball isn’t some special gift players have from birth. It can be trained and improved upon through drills. If you’re a player seeking to improve, you should take this notion of fast hands seriously. It’s all about reaction time mixed with ball tracking and preparedness. Here are a few drills that can […]

Gen Z May Soon Comprise Pickleball’s Largest Age Group

Jack Munro, a young pickleball pro player, in the middle of a point.

We weren’t surprised when a research company confirmed that, as outdoor temperatures rise, so too does the number of people playing pickleball. Of course, we thought. Why even bother researching that? According to Civic Science, who conducted the research, the percentage of U.S. adults who played pickleball within 30 days of being surveyed has increased from 4.2% in […]

Pickleball is Popping Off in Vietnam

Pickleball may still be the fastest-growing sport in North America, but calling it that overshadows how significant its growth is in other areas of the world – especially in Asia. Over 10,000 courts and 100 million players are expected in China over the next five years. But there’s another Asian nation that’s taking pickleball infrastructure […]

USAP and UPA-A Respond to Pickleball Paddle Certification Questions

USAP and UPA-A are now certifying pickleball paddles. This image displays a paddle with a check mark on it

The pickleball community now has two organizations certifying pickleball paddles for professional use in tournaments: USA Pickleball (USAP), the first American governing body in the sport, and United Pickleball Association of America (UPA-A), the newcomer under UPA, the organization that formed earlier this year to operate the merged PPA Tour & Major League Pickleball. Since UPA-A announced […]

This Third Shot Drop Drill May Be the Only One You Need

Catherine Parenteau performing a third shot drop in a pro pickleball match

No matter your level, the third shot drop in pickleball is often the feared crux of any point. If you’re a lower-level player, don’t worry…Even 3.5s — actually, especially 3.5s — struggle with the drop. But when you think about it, the only difference between a third shot drop and a dink is distance. The motions are […]