Franklin has been a big player in the pickleball paddle industry for nearly a decade, going back to when they made the first Ben Johns signature paddle in the late 2010s. Their latest release – the C45° – builds off of their previous models by adding a second step in the thermoforming process, incorporating strategically […]
Stop me if you’ve heard this before: Pickleball was the fastest growing sport in America last year. That probably sounds familiar because it’s the fourth straight year that’s been the case. There were an estimated 19.8 million players in the U.S. in 2024, an increase of 45.8% from the previous year and a 311% jump […]
Editor’s note: This piece was originally posted in The Kitchen’s Facebook group by reader Jacob Bijo. Pickleball, the fastest-growing sport in the world, has captured the hearts of millions with its unique blend of fun, accessibility and community spirit. But as its popularity soars, it faces an unexpected adversary: the tennis community. From dismissing it […]
We’ve now seen a month’s worth of play from Ben Johns with men’s doubles partners not named Collin, and much like the second half of 2024 with his brother, the results have been a mixed bag. He’s teamed up with three different men’s players in four tournaments since he and Collin won the PPA Tour […]
It’s official: The Major League Pickleball franchise formerly known as the Pandas is now the Nashville Chefs. And the team, which is operated by The Kitchen, is looking to make a serious run at the Challenger Level title this season. The Kitchen took over in a management role for the team in the fall of […]
Pickleball and table tennis may seem like distant cousins—one played on a small table, the other on a larger court—but if you’ve ever watched an elite table tennis player step onto a pickleball court, you know the transition can be scarily smooth. The fast hands. The wicked spin. The ability to read opponents and shape […]
After upsetting top-seeded Ben Johns in singles in early March at the PPA Tour Cape Coral Open, John Lucian Goins is no longer under the radar. The 16-year-old is stacking up big win after big win and made another deep run at the PPA Tour Texas Open just a week after his breakthrough performance in […]
Some are calling it the CCR rule, but it has nothing to do with classic rock or the Fogerty brothers. The United Pickleball Association of America recently released new guidance intended to help paddle manufactures and players recognize when a paddle should be retired from play to maintain performance standards in competition. While not an […]
While focusing on your shots and form at any level is advised, part of any pickleball strategy needs to consider what your opponent sees. After all, pickleball is about patterns, which means pattern disruption can be the difference during any given point. Take this footage from my latest rec sesh as an example: In this footage […]
Pickleball is supposed to be a game that builds community, even inside a maximum-security prison. But for convicted murderer Scott Peterson, a match at Mule Creek State Prison turned violent. TMZ reports that Peterson, 51, was attacked by a fellow inmate on March 9 while playing pickleball. The fight allegedly started when Peterson hit the […]
