I’ve been thinking lately about the correlation between our love of pickleball and the despair it can sometimes bring. On the one hand, we are smitten by the sport: Pickleball is a highlight of our lives that brings us joy. At the same time, however: Whether it’s you personally or someone you know, we each […]
We’ll start this article by stating the obvious: To enjoy pickleball, you need your body. The better your body can move, the better you’ll play. And the more “in shape” your body is, the less likely you are to injure yourself playing pickleball. Now the not-so-obvious: “Nutritious movement” is critical to your body’s health. The […]
There’s no shot more controversial in pickleball than the lob. For some, it’s part of the game, and all is well. For others, the lob is taboo and ruins the game. The differences in opinion become more pronounced when you consider the type of lob. A lob from the kitchen line is a much more […]
In this article we dive into why so many players spend so much time developing “tricky” spin serves, and what they should be focused on instead.
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 […]
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 […]
The “dead” dink is a misunderstood and wrongly maligned shot in our sport. It is one of those areas of the game where a few coaches and content creators created a stigma around a shot that is critical to good play and, in doing so, hampered the games of thousands of pickleball players. Let’s fix […]
JW and Jorja Johnson have been the second-best mixed doubles team on the PPA Tour for the past 2+ years. From 2023-25, they appeared in 19 finals, won 5 gold medals and beat Ben Johns/Anna Leigh Waters twice. In Major League Pickleball they teamed up on the Dallas Flash and went 26-7 in 2024 and […]
They don’t call it “Mixed Troubles” for nothing. While a regular pickleball partnership has its own challenges, playing pickleball with your significant other is a different sort of challenge altogether. Below we’ll explore tools to help lifetime partners who wish to also be pickleball partners. There is a world in which this can happen – […]
This article applies to the majority of pickleball players (72% based on DUPR ratings). Before you shut down your computer (or phone) screaming “heresy!” … hear me out. I do not offer this coaching advice lightly. After all, it runs directly contrary to the general consensus. The third-shot drop is the quintessential pickleball shot. From […]
