Just watched the Toys R Us PPA Finals and the level of play was genuinely some of the best pickleball I've ever seen. It keeps getting better every single week but At what point does that level of dominance become a problem for the growth of the sport? Is predictable greatness compelling to casual fans or does it drive them away? And what would you actually do to fix it?
The UPA-A just dropped their own rulebook for the first time and if you watch pro pickleball or play in amateur UPA events, there are some changes worth knowing about! The biggest shift is the serve rule. If foot placement, ball release, arm swing, point of contact, or paddle position can't be clearly confirmed as legal with certainty by visual observation, it's a fault. That's a massive change and I think it's going to cause some real confusion early on. Eric Oncins, Chris Haworth, and Tyson McGuffin are probably going to have to drastically change their service motions.
Other changes going into effect May 22nd.. Check out the video for the full breakdown and let me know what you think!
Tons to unpack from PPA Atlanta. 15 year old Tama shrugs after beating world #2, a cheating scandal that needs to be addressed, and me body bagging Jack Sock… and the response. Check out the full breakdown!
Huge day in the business of pickleball as several of the biggest properties merge together under one umbrella: MLP, PPA, Pickleball Central, Pickleball Play Solutions, Just Courts, Pickleball.com, Pickleball TV, and portions of the Picklr and DUPR.
I think good portions of the money will go towards dedicated venues for MLP and PPA, hiring new C-Suite Execs, enhancing production value of events to try and get that coveted TV deal, local grassroots programs, and further acquisitions, but I bet a good chunk of this goes towards the newest battleground: The international market. What do you think?
CNBC Article - https://www.cnbc.com/2026/05/01/apollo-sports-capital-tom-dundon-pickleball-investment.html
My Explanation - https://youtube.com/shorts/Agg9kwyx8GE?si=ngpqiFMKRXQ749mZ
Pickleball has a unique pay structure unlike any other sport. Players don’t actually get paid by their team owners, and many don’t even make prize money, but all the while, top players in the sport make more money than some NBA, NFL, and MLB players. Check out the full breakdown!
Why did the internet go after Nam's line call but completely ignore the same call from Megan Fudge and Sofia Sewing? Nam made a line call that blew up on social media. Memes everywhere. People were furious.
A nearly identical situation happened with Megan Fudge and Sofia Sewing. Crickets. So what's actually going on here? Is this a double standard, a visibility issue, or something else entirely? Genuinely curious what people think.