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Dekel Bar shares secrets to hitting big serves
Growth of pickleball slows slightly -- but maybe that's good?
After seeing explosive growth each year from 2021-24, the rise in pickleball participation has leveled off slightly, according to a new report from the Sports & Fitness Industry Association.
The SFIA recently released its mid-year participation report, which shows that pickleball still remains the fastest growing sport in the U.S. with a 14.7% increase in participation this year. That growth rate is notably down from prior years, when the sport had been seeing closer to 50% year-over-year growth.
But the report is not cause for panic. Pickleball is still extremely popular, and the slower growth rate this year might actually be a good thing. We explain below.
Also in this issue:
Dekel Bar shares secrets to hitting big serves 🎙️
Can anybody beat Anna Leigh Waters and Anna Bright? 🤔
Now this shot is just ridiculous 🤯
MLP Finals draw near record viewership đź‘€
Coming soon: Franklin Parris Todd signature paddle ✍️
Let’s get cookin’. 🧑‍🍳
AMATEUR HIGHLIGHT OF THE WEEK
This guy is an absolute stud for pulling this off
This week we bring you one of the most graceful behind-the-back shots we’ve ever seen — and we’ve seen our fair share.
Even the way he walks it off like it’s no big deal is badass. We highly recommend hitting that play button above.
PICKLEBALLERS PODCAST
The gentle giant of pickleball discusses journey from Israel to the PPA Tour
On this week’s episode of the Pickleballers Podcast, we sit down with Dekel Bar, one of the best pickleball players in the world who has more than 30 PPA Tour medals to his name. Dekel shares his journey growing up in Israel, battling through the brutal grind of professional tennis and eventually finding pickleball through his close ties with the Johns family.
We dive into his struggles with injuries, his rise on the pickleball tour, what it’s like to have one of the most feared serves in the game, his thoughts on paddle technology and more.
PICKLEBALLERS DOORDASH & PROTON GIVEAWAY: Each week we’re doing a Pickleballers giveaway to celebrate the latest episode. This week we are giving away a $500 DoorDash gift card & a Proton pickleball paddle. Enter here!
INDUSTRY REPORT
Report: Pickleball participation remains strong, but growth levels off from post-2020 spike
The Sports & Fitness Industry Association recently released its mid-year participation report, which shows that pickleball still remains the fastest growing sport in the U.S. with a 14.7% increase in participation this year. But that growth rate is notably down from prior years -- there were 19.8 million players in the U.S. in 2024, which represented an increase of 45.8% from the previous year and a 311% jump over the past three years.
Here are the number of players at the end of each year over the past 5 years:
2020: 4.20 million
2021: 4.82 million
2022: 8.95 million
2023: 13.58 million
2024: 19.81 million
The new data -- which was gathered from a sample of roughly 20,000 online interviews conducted nationwide -- indicates that there are now about 22.7 million players.
"Pickleball remains the fastest-growing sport, though early indicators suggest its explosive growth may be slowing ... potentially signaling a new phase of stabilization for the sport," the report said. "This is only an early snapshot. Because many sports and activities are seasonal, there is still time for these numbers to shift."
A slight slowdown in growth might actually be a blessing in disguise for the sport, as it will allow supply of new courts to catch up with demand.
Despite an impressive 55% growth in dedicated pickleball facilities and a 23% increase in total courts year-over-year in 2024, the shortage of dedicated courts remains a concern. According to a separate SFIA report focused specifically on pickleball that was released late last year, the industry needs $855 million to fund 24,500 new courts over the next 5-7 years.
This investment is essential to prevent future bottlenecks in the sport’s growth, which might be what we’re seeing this year.
When did you start playing pickleball? |
THE PROS
Can anybody beat Anna Leigh Waters and Anna Bright? A look at who could do it — and how
Anna Leigh Waters and Anna Bright have been dominant since teaming up earlier this season, playing in three tournaments together and winning each of them handily. They have yet to drop even a single game in women's doubles.
As the PPA Tour heads into its closing stretch of tournaments in 2025 -- starting with this week's Las Vegas Open -- we wanted to take a look at which players/teams have the best chance of pulling off the upset, and what strategies they could use to find success.
Regardless of who is in front of them, Waters and Bright will be heavy favorites in every match for the remainder of the season. They have taken care of business against several formidable opponents already, so defeating (and even coming close) will be a tough climb for any team.
But is it doable? Some combination of the following four players might have best chance to get it done ⬇️
JORJA JOHNSON
Arguably the fastest hands at the net on the women’s side.
Incredible offensive vision and creativity.
TYRA BLACK
One of the best defensive players in pickleball.
Proven success with Johnson in MLP and PPA.
PARRIS TODD
Has arguably the most well-rounded game outside of Waters/Bright.
Already has a gold medal this season with Black — but that was before Waters and Bright teamed up.
RACHEL ROHRABACHER
Another offensively gifted player.
Has a fearless attitude and doesn’t appear to be intimidated by the top duo.
TRENDING
Saturday’s Major League Pickleball Finals match between the Columbus Sliders and New Jersey 5s, which was broadcast on CBS, drew an average of 433,000 viewers, per Nielsen.
That makes it the second-most watched pro pickleball match ever, capping off an MLP season that saw strong year-over-year growth across a multitude of business and fan engagement areas, according to the league.
Highlights included increased sponsor revenue (more than double last year’s total), ticket revenue (+28%), social media impressions (+277%), YouTube views (+156%), total minutes viewed on Pickleballtv (+105%), and telecast hours (+83% on linear TV across national, RSN, and local partnerships).
Speaking of MLP: There was a controversial call over the weekend on a ball that was initially ruled out during one of the New Jersey-Columbus matches and later overturned upon video review. We took a closer look at how that call was reversed here.
PRODUCT OF THE WEEK
Franklin adds to C45 series with Parris Todd signature paddle
Franklin Pickleball released its original C45 hybrid earlier this year to much fan fare. Players loved it’s maneuverability and pop at the net, and in the months since the company has released several different variations of the C45 line — you can find our breakdown of the different shapes here.
Now, Franklin has teamed up with pro player Parris Todd to create her signature paddle, which offers distinct characteristics that set it apart from the rest of the C45 series.
It features a 13.25mm thick PowerFlex polymer core and an elongated 5.7-inch handle for players who like to rip two-handed backhands. The paddle is now available for pre-oder and will ship in the middle of September.
QUICK HITS
Smooth: A little slice is oh so nice
The dream: This is what it’s all about
Throwback: Hayden Patriquin was a baller even at 15
Thomas Wilson update: This warms our hearts
What did you think of this week's newsletter? |