Most sports-watching is done for entertainment purposes only. However, we pickleballers are a different breed. We watch pro pickleball for entertainment and to see what we can steal for our own game. We obsess over awesome rallies and pick apart incredible techniques. We also get to see once rare shots become part of regular, everyday play (like the ATP). If you’ve hesitated to give pro pickleball a chance or just need an excuse to love it more, here are some reasons to watch. They are just like us The first reason to watch pros play might be the most unconventional. However, it’s important t ..read more

With graduations in full swing and semesters winding down, sports are beginning to wrap up their spring seasons in the coming weeks on campuses across the country. DUPR just released its first ever collegiate player rankings for pickleball in advance of the 2024 Collegiate Individual National Championships, set for June 1-2 in West Chester Township, Ohio. The first EVER individual collegiate player rankings are here! ? Check out the top 10 players in each category - and see if your school is represented ? Sign up now and get $15 off registration! *discount valid until April 30th, 2024* ?L ..read more

Earlier this week we rolled out our Top 20 Men's Doubles Power Rankings, which transitioned to individuals rather than partnerships. Since doubles pairings are fluid and have been shaken up due to injuries, we figured this will provide a more realistic viewpoint of who the best women's doubles players are in the world right now. These rankings are a subjective view of the entire pro field. Here are some of the factors taken into consideration: Recent finishes (specifically 2024 results) PPA Points APP Points Head-to-head competition Number of events played Injuries The women’s field is even ..read more

We are exactly one-third of the way through the 2024 PPA Tour season, with eight events down and 16 to go before the CIBC PPA Finals to close out the year. At each tour stop, players earn PPA Points, attempting to qualify for the finals. The top eight players (singles) and top 16 players (doubles) qualify for the year-end event. Each tournament has a different amount of PPA Points up for grabs, depending on the level of the tournament. There are three levels of tournaments on the PPA Tour: Slam - Slams are the largest tournaments on the PPA Tour and the winner(s) earn 2,000 PPA Points. Ther ..read more

I don’t know about you, but some days, I feel like everything I do on the pickleball court is clicking, and I’m playing at a high level. Other days, I feel like it’s the first time I’ve picked up a paddle. It’s very frustrating, and it often makes me wonder if I actually know what I’m doing. The truth is, I don’t. Or at least, sometimes I don’t. We all have blind spots, and sometimes, you need someone outside looking in to tell you what you’re missing. Here are five mistakes you’re (probably) making on the pickleball courts without even knowing it. You’re not warming up I’m not going to lectu ..read more

How can we tell when pickleball has officially made it? We get spoofed on "The Daily Show." And it's a good one. In the clip, Michael Kosta, "The Daily Show" correspondent, recounts his former professional tennis glory days when he was ranked No. 864 in the world. McEnroe enters the scene He goes on to sit down with McEnroe – not John, but his brother Patrick – who is also a former professional tennis player and current tennis commentator for ESPN. The two of them riff on the obnoxiousness of pickleball versus the elegance of tennis. At one point, McEnroe mimics the gracefulness of a tennis s ..read more

In honor of the 89th annual NFL Draft – which kicks off Thursday – we thought it would be fun to put together a list of current and former NFL players who have shown a commitment to the sport we love so much: pickleball. Many NFL players seem to love pickleball – even NFL Films Presents did a piece on it. Without further ado, here are our top 10 picks for the first-ever ultimate NFL pickleball team. Pick No. 1 - Drew Brees No current or former NFL player is more involved in pickleball than future Hall of Fame quarterback Drew Brees. He was recently announced as the ambassador for Picklr, he’s ..read more

The APP, alongside the sport’s National Governing Body USA Pickleball, have unveiled the first three opportunities to earn a "Golden Ticket" to the 2025 Biofreeze USA Pickleball National Championships. This fall, pickleball players at the 2024 APP Tour events in Dallas (Oct. 9-13), Newport Beach (Oct. 23-27), and Boca Raton (Nov. 6-10) all have the chance to secure their spot for USAP’s premier event in 2025. "The APP is proud to offer pickleball fans across the nation the very first opportunities on the 'Path to Nationals' in 2025 with three this fall," said Ken Herrmann, APP founder. "We’re ..read more

When this headline came across Tuesday, I did a double-take so quickly that I think I permanently damaged my neck. It read: "Tyson McGuffin Signs Deal with Apple." "WOW!" I thought, "Pickleball has done it. We've hit the big time." Then, I actually read the headline, and what it says is, "The Perfect Match: Cosmic Crisp® Apples and Pickleball Pro Tyson McGuffin Unite." He didn't sign with Apple – the tech company. He signed with apples – the fruit. Scratch that. He didn't sign with apples at all. He signed with one apple. One variety of apples. The Cosmic Crisp® apple. (Hold pause to let that ..read more

Go to a busy park in the morning, noon, or evening, and you'll likely see a stack of paddles lined up across a chain-link fence and people waiting patiently for their turn to hop onto a pickleball court. This is open play pickleball. While it holds a special place in most of our hearts, we also have a strong love/hate relationship with it. We'll discusses some problems with open and recreational play and offer a handful of suggestions for fixing them. What is open play? Before we get too far, let's quickly define open play in pickleball. Some might call it rec play, and others paddle stack. B ..read more