One of tennis' most celebrated athletes is also a bit of a drama queen, in our humble opinion.

Novak Djokovic recently said pickleball and padel are threatening tennis at the club level.

But isn’t that just a little ridiculous, if you think about it? More below.

Also in this issue:

• A barn-burner point with a lesson

• Pickleball’s fastest-growing demographic

• Why the offensive drop isn’t that great

Let’s go.

GIVEAWAY

3 DAYS LEFT — 20 Engage American Flag & Camo Edition Paddles!

We’re excited to partner with Engage to give away 20 NEW Engage Pursuit Pro1 Limited-Edition American Flag and Camo Paddles! 

We’ll be giving away 10 paddles of each design. So 20 winners total!

Enter the giveaway here.

(And if you just can’t stand the idea of not winning the giveaway, buy the Pro1 6.0 here).

HIGHLIGHT OF THE WEEK

Who Needs a Drop Shot?

Thomas Wilson, front left, says he wasn't sure if his brain or his arm was more tired after this point. We can see why:

• Everyone on this court goes for aggressive dinks and resets; the ball switches sides more than a fence-sitting voter.

• Then, there's all the slams from Thomas...

...About those slams: read the comments in that post and you'll see plenty of people – presumably in the 3.0-3.5 range, if they're even pickleball players – haughtily mentioning how many "opportunities" there were for drops to "end the point" instead of slams.

We explain why you SHOULD NOT listen to these keyboard warriors in our instructional segment below.

POLL

FEATURED STORY

Gen Z's Takeover is Imminent

We tend to think about our sport as something that just went viral over the last few years. That figure of speech is especially apt considering pickleball's popularity soared during (and as a result of) COVID-19.

In reality, though, it took a few pandemic years for pickleball to switch from an "elderly" sport in terms of participation to one with an average age of 34.

But new research suggests Gen Z's pickleball takeover will happen much quicker (side note: Gen Z in this study is defined as 18-24 years of age).

According to Civic Science, the percentage of U.S. adults who played pickleball within 30 days of being surveyed during Q1 of 2024 skewed most heavily towards those aged 18-24.

Why is this a record scratch moment?

• The most comprehensive research on pickleball demographics from 2023 found the average age of a pickleball player was 34.8 years old - so, Millennial, not Gen Z.

• The 2023 study found Gen Z to be the least likely to play, meaning pickleball made serious inroads with the 18-24 crowd within the last year.

Read more on this story here.

TRENDING

Djokovic Scared for Tennis

As respectable of a competitor as he is, Novak Djokovic’s recent comments re: the growth of pickleball (and Padel) paint the picture of a real alarmist.

We can't help but laugh at the frantic nature of Djokovic's words and all the similar headlines we've seen over the past couple of years.

Tennis has been around in one form or another since the 1100s. Even one of its earliest forms, so-called "Real Tennis," still exists today.

They may just be separate from pickle & padel spaces.

DON’T MISS THIS

Versace is joining Chick-fil-A in pushing out a branded pickleball set (though theirs is a bit more chic than chick). See the Italian brand’s set here.

We’re not buying it, of course. But at $250, we’re just surprised it’s not even more expensive.

INSTRUCTION

Use The Offensive Drop Sparingly

We see tons of comments like that on our pro highlight Instagram posts, so let's put this issue to bed.

Sure, at lower levels, the drop shot made while opponents are back is an arrow to keep in your quiver.

But that's only if you have exceptional control over your drops.

Here's what you should think about when considering an offensive drop:

• If your opponents are back, they may try to drive the ball, which means a soft, controlled drop will be more difficult.

  —> If you want to drop, look for a slower drive, and punish the hard ones to keep them back.

• If your opponent(s) is athletic and/or has long legs, the offensive drop becomes infinitely more risky.

  —> You may think they have no chance of getting to it, but you'd be surprised.

• Are you good at fake-outs? Can you convince your opponents you're about to slam it and then change it up?

  —> Have your opponents fell for any of your misdirects before? If so, the drop is a go.

All of this is compounded at higher levels of play. There's a reason you see pros keeping their opponents back instead of trying to trick them with offensive drops.

Doing so opens up more angles and offensive opportunities, whereas dropping in these scenarios is like a Hail Mary.

(If you find yourself on the far end of the court in the opposite position, follow these tips for getting back to the kitchen successfully).

PADDLES

Rep the USA with these Patriotic Paddles from Engage

Fourth of July may have come and gone, but these limited-edition patriotic designs from Engage are still available for a short time. Buy them here before they are sold out.

QUICK HITS

• Interdisciplinary: WNBA’s Caitlin Clark on the pickleball court

• LOL: Chivalry is not dead

• Impressive: You can’t mess with these overheads

• Commitment: The wedding of your dreams

REFERRALS

Earn swag while helping us grow 💌 

Earn free pickleball gear for referring friends & family to our newsletter.

• 15 referrals = The Kitchen hat

• 30 referrals = The Kitchen shirt

• 60 referrals = JOOLA bag

• More rewards to come

You currently have 0 referrals, only 15 away from receiving A Kitchen Hat.

Copy & paste this link to share with your family, friends, & in social media posts: https://thekitchenpickle.beehiiv.com/subscribe?ref=PLACEHOLDER