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From stay-at-home mom to Top 4
The most intense firefights you'll ever see
There are plenty of former tennis players in pro pickleball. But very few walked away from the sport, became a stay-at-home mom, and then, almost by accident, climbed to No. 4 in the world.
Brooke Buckner did exactly that. This week, she joins Pickleballers to share her unlikely journey from college tennis coach to one of the best singles players on the planet.
Also, we’re looking for 12-15 players to join Team Kitchen’s three teams at the JOOLA Celebration in Orlando. One of our favorite events of the year. Apply below!
In this issue:
The most INTENSE pickleball firefights you’ll ever see
Major League Pickleball heads to San Diego 🌴
How to keep your pickleball results in perspective 😎
We update our top 10 overall paddles for July 🚀
SLAMIT drink mixes are a perfect for pickleball players 💧
Let’s cook! 👨🏻🍳
HIGHLIGHTS OF THE WEEK
We compiled the most intense pickleball firefights 🔥
These pickleball firefights are absolutely insane. From Ben and Collin Johns battling across the net to Gabe Tardio and Hayden Patriquin putting on a hand-speed clinic, we compiled some of the fastest, craziest exchanges you'll ever see.
PICKLEBALLERS
From stay-at-home mom to world #4, and how to beat Anna Leigh Waters
Brooke Buckner, the world's No. 4 women's singles player, joins Roscoe and Jared to share her unlikely journey from junior tennis and college coaching to becoming one of pickleball's top singles players. She discusses training with Mike Wolf, her rise with the Dallas Flash, and nearly taking down Anna Leigh Waters after leading 9-4.
Brooke also reflects on leaving the pro tennis path, becoming a stay-at-home mom during COVID, and how her mom convinced her to give pickleball a try. She explains her rapid rise through the pro ranks, her relationship with Andre Agassi and Steffi Graf through JOOLA, her new doubles partnership with Caitlin Christian, and why she believes she'll beat Anna Leigh Waters at least once before she retires.
🔗 Check out the full episode on YouTube, Spotify or Apple Podcasts
PICKLEBALLERS GIVEAWAY: Each week we are doing a giveaway to celebrate the latest episode of Pickleballers. This week we are giving away a JOOLA Agassi Pro V paddle! Enter here!
FEATURED STORY
What makes SLAMIT electrolyte and energy drinks a perfect fit for pickleball players
When Mady Wolfe started playing pickleball competitively, she noticed that a lot of players – herself included – weren’t fully prepared from a nutrition standpoint for the long and often hot days that are common in the sport.
That led to playing great one match and being off her game the next – a frustrating cycle that many players have no doubt experienced. She was seeking answers that would help her be more consistent and win more matches on those tough tournament days that can last several hours.
With a degree in exercise science and years of experience as a collegiate athlete, Wolfe knew the key to better play wasn’t just more practice — it was smarter fueling.
So she teamed up with registered dietitian Shawn Wells – an expert in the supplement industry – to create SLAMIT, which makes science-backed electrolyte and energy drinks that are formulated to improve athletic performance.
The brand launched in January with pro players Anna Bright and Zane Navratil as founding members of the company. In the months since, thousands of players have used and benefited from the brand’s products, which have been proven to not only improve hydration, but focus and reaction time as well – two things that are extremely important in pickleball.
WHAT SETS SLAMIT APART
While most other electrolyte products on the market use processed table salt as their main ingredient, SLAMIT uses Baja Gold Sea Salt, which is harvested by hand from the Sea of Cortez in Mexico. It’s a premium salt that includes 90 different minerals, which is key in replenishing the nutrients and minerals that are lost through sweating.
“It’s the most expensive and most nutritious salt in the world, and was very important for us to have because we wanted to make a premium product,” Wolfe said. “It’s like the difference between wheat bread and white bread. Most salt has all the good stuff taken out of it during the processing. And so we went and found salt that keeps all the minerals in it that help with actually hydrating the body.”
🔗 Learn more about SLAMIT’S HYDRATE and FOCUS drink mixes — and use code “KITCHEN” for 15% off!
JOOLA PICKLEBALL CELEBRATION
Join Team Kitchen for the JOOLA Celebration amateur tournament!
JOOLA is hosting the fourth annual JOOLA Pickleball Celebration in early September this year, and spots are already filling up fast.
The event, which will be Sept. 4-7 at the upscale Gaylord Palms Resort & Convention Center in Orlando, features a unique amateur team tournament that guarantees players a ton of time on court.
Team Kitchen will have 3 teams competing in the tournament — a 3.5/4.0 team, a 4.5 team and 5.0+ team — and we’re holding a giveaway to fill those roster spots.
There are expected to be 140+ teams by the time registration ends, so this is sure to be a fun and competitive tournament. Our staff has played in it the past several years, and have had a blast every single time.
WHAT’S INCLUDED IF YOU WIN
The giveaway winners will have their registration covered ($1,499 per team), and will also get a free JOOLA paddle of their choice and a discounted rate at the resort.
THE PROS
Major League Pickleball San Diego 2026: Pools, schedule and viewing guide
Major League Pickleball is heading to San Diego this week as the regular season gets into the home stretch. There are three events remaining before the playoffs, so teams have a limited number of opportunities to improve their playoff seeding or get inside the playoff bubble (the Top 12 teams will make the postseason).
There are 11 teams in the field this week, and the event starts Thursday from Barnes Tennis Center.
Group A: Atlanta Bouncers, Bay Area Breakers, Dallas Flash, LA Mad Drops, Utah Black Diamonds.
Group B: California Black Bears, Columbus Sliders, Florida Smash, Orlando Squeeze, Phoenix Flames, SoCal Hard Eights.
GEAR
We updated our top 10 paddles on the market rankings for July
We just updated our top paddles list for July! These are the best pickleball paddles on the market based on our latest testing.
The July list includes a couple of new additions and a few notable changes throughout the top 10. Every paddle on the list has been tested by our team, with rankings based on overall performance and our on-court experience.
INSTRUCTION
Keeping your results in perspective will keep the game fun
We’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. We cannot get enough of it, and pickleball is a highlight of our lives that brings us joy. At the same time, however:
We are unhappy when we “underperform.”
We sometimes (or often) feel embarrassed, bad, or unworthy on the court.
The pressure may rise to a level that interferes with our willingness to even engage in the sport.
KEEP IT IN PERSPECTIVE
Each of us faces real-world decisions and actions that will have a real impact on our lives: Obtaining food, getting medical care, helping a family member in need. How we perform (or do not) in these areas can have actual real-life consequences for us and our loved ones.
On the other hand, unless you are a professional pickleball player, the outcome of a pickleball game has no real-life effects. Winning 11-0 is the same as losing 0-11. At least from a real-world perspective.
FOCUS ON WHAT MAKES PICKLEBALL GREAT
Instead of focusing on the score, what if we focused on the positives that got you hooked on pickleball to begin with? Such as:
Friends. What better social outlet is there?
Health. You are likely physically healthier now than before you began playing.
Growth/Learning. There is always more to learn in this sport.
Challenge. Go all in on being pushed by pickleball.
We all have control over what we choose to focus on. The better those choices, the healthier your pickleball relationship will be.
QUICK HITS
Volair launched a Spongebob paddle and other insane collabs
If you could change one rule in pickleball, what would it be? Answer here
Not pickleball, but these young ping pong players are UNREAL
SHOCKED: Anna Leigh Waters defeated in MLP showdown
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