Aaron Trost has spent the last four years teaching pickleball around the world—from Asia to Europe—and now, he’s headed somewhere few would expect: an active war zone in Ukraine.

There, he’ll bring the game to youth and adaptive athletes who’ve been injured in the conflict with Russia—offering not just instruction, but joy, connection, and a rare chance to play.

At a time when mental health challenges are rising globally, stories like this are a powerful reminder: pickleball isn’t just a sport—it’s a form of healing.

We caught up with Trost before he left for Ukraine, and we’re also diving deep into the science behind why this game helps people feel better—physically, emotionally, and mentally. Get both stories below.

Also in this issue:

• Mad drives not drops

• How Ben Johns customizes his JOOLA paddle

• Anna Leigh Waters explains her fear of losing

• Major League Pickleball week 5 power rankings

• Amish pickleball for the win

Let’s cook. 🧑‍🍳

HIGHLIGHT OF THE WEEK

Pickleball as we know it is dead

LA Mad Drops? More like the LA Mad Drives. There are two dozen shots in this highlight and not a single drop in sight. Quang Duong and Hunter Johnson are forced back to the baseline and hit drive after drive after drive to stay alive.

🔗 See what happens here

BEHIND THE SCENES

How Ben Johns customizes his JOOLA paddle

World No. 1 pickleball player Ben Johns recently posted a video demonstrating how he customizes his JOOLA pickleball paddle.

For starters, he uses the JOOLA Perseus Pro IV 16mm paddle. (You can find our in-depth review of the Perseus Pro IV here.)

Here are the modifications Johns makes to his paddle from how it comes out of the box:

Step 1: He adds 1 JOOLA overgrip, which you can buy here. This makes the grip slightly thicker and is easily replaceable to keep it fresh and tacky. He also wraps it a little higher up on the throat than how the grip comes standard, giving him more room on the handle for two-handed backhands.

Step 2: Johns uses tungsten tape to add weight to the throat and bottom corners of the paddle. He uses 1/2-inch width tape that weighs .5 grams per inch of length. You can buy it here, and it also comes in 1 gram per inch density. He adds a 5.5-inch piece of the tungsten tape to each edge of the paddle (5.5 grams total of additional weight), starting about an inch above the grip and ending just below the halfway point up the side of the paddle. The Perseus Pro IV 16mm comes stock at 8.2 ounces, so this brings his total paddle weight up to about 8.4 ounces (5.5 grams = 0.2 ounces).

🔗 Learn more about how these changes can impact a paddle’s performance

PICKLEBALLERS PODCAST

Anna Leigh Waters shares why she HATES to lose

Last week, Anna Leigh Waters joined our new podcast PICKLEBALLERS for what people say is the best interview she’s ever done.

Here’s one of our favorite clips of the episode, where Anna Leigh goes in-depth about her intense drive to win and fear of failure. She discusses how losing fuels her training, her mental routine to stay focused, the pressure of being at the top of her game, and that her willingness to embrace discomfort sets her apart as a rising pickleball superstar.

🔗 Catch the full episode on YouTube or Spotify

POLL

PICKLEBALL IN A WAR ZONE

U.S. instructor traveling to Ukraine this month to teach pickleball

Pickleball has taken Aaron Trost all over the world.

He’s taught the game in dozens of countries since he started his nonprofit – Pickleball Planter – four years ago, including Vietnam, Laos, China, Thailand, Honduras, the Philippines, Hungary, England and more.

So you could say he’s well traveled.

But this month he’ll embark on a unique experience: Teaching pickleball in Ukraine, where there is an active war going on with neighbor Russia.

For his trip this month he teamed up with the Ukrainian Pickleball Federation and other local organizers to arrange several camps, clinics and demos from June 13-July 2 in multiple cities throughout Ukraine.

“They have a lot of programs with youth and adaptive athletes who have unfortunately been disabled due to the war,” Trost said in an interview with The Kitchen last week. “This is an opportunity to kind of bring some joy and fun to the area and to take people's mind off of some of the stuff that's happened there.”

🔗 Learn more about Trost’s pickleball trip to Ukraine

TRENDING

The Los Angeles Mad Drops are surging. After playing without Hunter Johnson (finger injury) at MLP Orlando and without Quang Duong (suspension) for 4 matches at MLP Phoenix, the Mad Drops seem to be clicking now that their starters have spent more time on court together.

LA went undefeated last week at MLP Daytona Beach, including impressive wins over the Texas Ranchers and the previously unbeaten St. Louis Shock in a Dreambreaker. Their 5 wins on the week rocketed the Mad Drops up the league standings, and we moved them up to No. 4 in our updated power rankings.

🔗 See where the other teams landed in our weekly MLP Power Rankings

MENTAL HEALTH

Pickleball proving to have HUGE mental health benefits

According to recent studies, pickleball is proving to have incredible mental health benefits. One study reported that pickleball cuts the odds of signs of depressed mood by 60.1% compared to the general population. Another found that among youth players (ages 8-18), 90% say it improves their mood and 98% say it positively impacts their lives.

An additional review of adults (mostly 50+) found significant boosts in well-being, life satisfaction, reduced stress, depression, and happiness.

Sources: Apple Heart & Movement Study (2023), Pickleball Participation and Perceived Benefits Among Youth (2024), & Frontiers in Psychology (2023), and more.

🔗 We break down all the recent studies here

QUICK HITS

• Close call: Guy barely dodges thrown paddle

• Ouch: Man gets hit in head twice in same game

• Yeehaw: Amish family plays pickleball in a wooden barn

• DAPS: Win pickleball shoes for a year