The first trade of the Major League Pickleball offseason is official: – Los Angeles Mad Drops receive Max Freeman. – Chicago Slice receive Hunter Johnson and cash. Updated rosters LOS ANGELES MAD DROPSMen: Ben Johns, Max Freeman, Wes BurrowsWomen: Catherine Parenteau, Jade Kawamoto, Mehvish Safdar CHICAGO SLICEMen: Hunter Johnson, Carlos Di LauraWomen: Callie Smith, Pierina […]
We are entering interesting times at the top of pro pickleball. For a long time now, order has prevailed in the men’s doubles division. Ben and Collin Johns were able to wear opponents down with a steady soft game diet. Drop, move forward, dink, wait for a mistake or a ball that Ben could attack. […]
Many of the biggest paddle reviewers and personalities in pickleball are now competing against each other in a new competition organized by Pickleball.com. The contest — appropriately called Pickleball Pick’em — involves teams of 3 making their picks for every PPA Tour event. The participants are asked to make their selections for each bracket (men’s […]
The United Pickleball Association of America recently released paddle testing data that shows key differences between UPA-A standards, which govern the pro game, and USA Pickleball standards, which are broadly used across the amateur game. In a news release, the UPA-A said it “applies significantly more stringent testing standards than USA Pickleball (USAP) and that […]
Following last month’s announcement of the creation of Paddletek Group, which unites Paddletek, ProXR and Yobow under one brand, the company is launching a new program meant to give players an early look at the latest paddle technology in the game. The Paddletek Reserve campaign will offer “limited-release paddles” showcasing the “latest breakthroughs coming straight from […]
Last week’s PPA Tour Masters made history as the most-watched pickleball broadcast in the sport’s history, the tour said Friday. Sunday’s 2-hour broadcast window on CBS, which featured the men’s doubles final (Ben Johns/Gabe Tardio vs. Hayden Patriquin/Christian Alshon) and part of the women’s doubles final (Anna Leigh Waters/Anna Bright vs. Jackie Kawamoto/Jade Kawamoto) had […]
In an effort to “create a more dynamic game and further highlight the athletic abilities of pro pickleball players,” a test of narrower court dimensions will take place in Pro Singles at upcoming PPA Challenger events, the PPA Tour announced Wednesday. The new court dimensions will bring the sidelines in by a total of three […]
Like a lot of entrepreneurs, Jon Nilson wasn’t really trying to start a business in the early days of what eventually became UDRIPPIN. He was just trying to find some tennis and pickleball overgrips for himself after Wilson stopped making their hot pink tour grips – his favorite at the time. After searching on sites […]
Several big-name pros were using new paddles at last week’s PPA Tour Masters, including Anna Leigh Waters, Gabe Tardio, Chris Haworth and more. Below is a breakdown of exactly which models were being used by every player who won a medal, as well as a few notable players who didn’t hit the podium. Shopping for […]
The PPA Tour has a quick turnaround this week after the Masters, which wrapped up on Sunday evening. The tour is going from sunny Palm Springs, California, to frigid Minnesota for the Indoor National Championships. The event is being held at the Life Time in the Minneapolis suburb of Lakeville, an indoor facility that has dozens […]
