Happy Major League Pickleball opening week, to those who celebrate. With the 2025-26 PPA Tour season in the rear-view mirror, the pro pickleball calendar now moves into the MLP summer season, with plenty of storylines attached to the return of team pickleball. The season-opening event begins Friday at the Pickler Universe in the Dallas suburb […]
Toward the end of 2025 and early in 2026, it seemed that some teams were closing in on the top seeds in the PPA Tour doubles divisions. In the fall, Tyra Black/Jorja Johnson beat Anna Leigh Waters/Anna Bright in Las Vegas, then Jackie and Jade Kawamoto beat them again in Cincinnati. In men’s doubles, Hayden Patriquin/Federico […]
We recently asked members of The Kitchen Facebook Group one simple question: “What’s your favorite pickleball paddle right now?” The response was massive. Across three community polls and hundreds of comments from rec players, 5.0 tournament grinders, coaches and gear junkies, a clear group of paddles separated themselves from the pack. And one thing became obvious: […]
David Groechel’s first experience with a “real” pickleball paddle wasn’t a good one. After playing for a few months and becoming hooked on the sport, he upgraded from his cheap beginner paddle to a $225 premium paddle from one of the big brands. It wasn’t long before it snapped at the neck. So he got […]
Earlier this year, Paddletek started its Reserve program, which is meant to give players an early look at the latest paddle technology in the game. The first paddle that was launched under that program was the Reserve Honeyfoam. It was released in January in limited quantities and featured a “multi-foam floating core that is designed to expand […]
Selkirk Sport, a leading pickleball paddle and equipment manufacturer, has announced the acquisition of Bread & Butter Pickleball Company, a smaller niche brand that has been well known in the paddle enthusiast community for several years. According to a news release, the deal allows Selkirk to “reach a broader and increasingly diverse base of pickleball […]
Every year in the spring, seemingly every pickleball paddle brand under the sun comes out with new models. This year was no different, with a flood of new releases in February, March and April that have shaken up the market and put new brands on the map as serious contenders in the “best paddle” discussion. […]
Anna Leigh Waters and Ben Johns have each played in nine PPA Tour events in 2026. Between women’s doubles, men’s doubles and mixed doubles — which they play together — they were a combined 136-1 in those tournaments, with their only loss coming in mixed to Anna Bright/Hayden Patriquin at the Mesa Cup. They put the […]
All pickleball players want to win more rallies, more games and more matches. And a lot of people have advice on how to do that — YouTube videos, instructors, your friends at the court, etc. Everyone claims to have the solution that will help you win more. That’s the promise. If it was working, you probably […]
Last weekend at the Atlanta Pickleball Championships, Tama Shimabukuro put the rest of the PPA Tour on notice. His deep runs in men’s singles and men’s doubles at a Slam indicate he could be a serious contender in the second half of the year. We wanted to learn more about the talented 15-year-old, so earlier this […]
