The United Pickleball Association of America — which governs the PPA Tour and Major League Pickleball — recently invited paddle manufacturers and media members to the paddle testing lab in south Florida where the organization has been developing its new paddle approval standards. The UPA-A’s paddle testing is being done by Pickle Pro Labs, which […]
Futures markets for PPA Tour events are now available in the U.S. on Kalshi, a regulated exchange and prediction market where you can trade on the outcome of real-world events. A prediction market is a trading platform where participants buy and sell contracts based on specific events, ranging from pop culture to politics. Investors select […]
The PPA Tour will head to Ohio this week for the tour’s third “slam” of the season — the Cincinnati Showcase. The event takes place at the Lindner Family Tennis Center, which recently underwent a $260 million, campus-wide renovation designed to enhance the fan and player experience. The venue got rave reviews from those who […]
This week on Pickleballers, we sit down with the most powerful man in pickleball, Connor Pardoe. He is the CEO of the UPA (the combined PPA Tour + MLP). Connor shares his origin story, how he fell in love with the game, and the napkin-math that became the PPA. He walks us through exclusivity with […]
Last week the New York Times published a story that provided an in-depth look at how pickleball has taken over thousands of tennis courts across the country. The numbers were truly staggering, so we wanted to share them here. The piece, written by Ethan Singer, analyzed nearly 100,000 aerial photographs and through that identified more […]
Earlier this year, the PPA Tour created a new series of events for up-and-coming players called the PPA Challenger Series. These tournaments have provided emerging players an opportunity to compete for PPA Tour ranking points, prize money and a chance to earn a UPA contract or wildcard entries into the main draw of PPA Tour […]
In pickleball, landing the perfect putaway shot is like finding an open parking spot right by the entrance. It’s rare, but incredibly satisfying. As you advance in the sport, you learn to level the playing field on offense by moving through the transition zone to the all-important kitchen line. One of the most effective ways […]
People have a tendency to “round up” when it comes to their pickleball rating. Once folks move past the beginner stage and start competing in tournaments, overestimating their skill level is common. But what does it really take to become a truly advanced pickleball player? In this article we’ll break down what defines a 4.5 […]
Late last week, we asked whether the powerhouse duo of Anna Leigh Waters and Anna Bright could be beat this year. Most of the people in our Facebook community said no, with others saying “maybe but not yet.” In the article discussing the challenge of beating the No. 1 team, we laid out a blueprint […]
