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How pickleball changed Andre Agassi's life
In-depth review of the new JOOLA Kosmos paddle
Do you feel like your DUPR is too low? If you’re nodding your head, now is your chance to prove it.
The rating platform this week announced a new feature called DUPR Reset that was created for pickleball players who want a way to reassess their rating using recent match results.
The best part: If you participate in the DUPR Reset and your rating goes down, you will revert back to your current rating. In other words, only good things can happen. More below.
Also in this issue:
Ben Johns absolutely destroyed this ball 💣
How pickleball changed Andre Agassi’s life 🎧
Previewing the Major League Pickleball draft 📋
In-depth review of the JOOLA Kosmos Pro V 🤓
New pickleball “mockumentary” releases next month 🤣
Let’s get cookin’. 🧑🍳
HIGHLIGHT OF THE WEEK
Ben Johns didn’t hold back on this Erne
Because Ben Johns is the most fundamentally sound pickleball player on the planet, it can be easy to forget that he also has all the flashy shots at his disposal as well.
He reminded us of that last week at the PPA Tour Mesa Cup with this flying Erne. Johns hit a perfect third-shot drop right at his opponent’s feet, and he knew exactly where the next ball was going to be.
So he sprinted from the baseline, took off from the middle of his box and absolutely destroyed the Erne.
🔗 Check out this highlight on Instagram, Facebook or TikTok
PICKLEBALLERS
Andre Agassi: How pickleball changed his life
Andre Agassi is one of the most iconic athletes of all time — an 8-time Grand Slam champion, Olympic gold medalist and a legend who changed tennis forever.
In this episode of Pickleballers, Andre sits down with Roscoe and Jared to explain why he’s gone all-in on pickleball — not as a gimmick, not as a cameo, but because the sport genuinely hooked him. He breaks down what tennis players don’t understand yet: pickleball isn’t just “easy” — it’s insanely nuanced, mentally exhausting and filled with tiny variables that change everything in real time.
PICKLEBALLERS & JOOLA GIVEAWAY: Each week we’re doing a Pickleballers giveaway to celebrate the latest episode. This week we are giving away a brand new JOOLA Agassi Pro V. Enter here!
GEAR
Expert review: JOOLA's first true hybrid — the Kosmos Pro V — checks all the boxes
With the launch of the Pro V series, JOOLA has introduced a new hybrid shape to their paddle lineup called the Kosmos.
The Kosmos is a blend between the popular Perseus and Scorpeus shapes and is being used by pros Federico Staksrud (16mm) and Tyson McGuffin (14mm). Notably, JOOLA designed its hybrid paddle with a flat top, compared to most hybrids from other companies that have a curved top. While the curved top might offer more maneuverability, JOOLA's engineers said having a flat top meant more stability and forgiveness.
All of the Pro V models feature a new “KineticFrame” that is built to flex and recover during impact. Unlike prior paddles with a "diving board" neck flex, the KineticFrame allows the paddle head to move parallel to its original position. This results in a more predictable & repeatable exit trajectory as well as more precise power (the more you put in, the more you get out).
DUPR RESET
DUPR introduces new feature that will reevaluate player ratings
DUPR this week announced a new feature called DUPR Reset that was created for pickleball players who want a way to reassess their rating using recent match results.
The initiative is a structured performance review based entirely on the most recent results.
For players who believe their level has improved or outdated results are holding their DUPR back, they can prove it during the upcoming Reset Period, which is March 16-May 17.
The DUPR Reset is completely optional and completely risk-free. After the Reset Period ends, a player’s DUPR is set to whichever is higher -- their Reset rating or their original rating. Nothing is lost by participating.
THE PROS
Ranking the best players available in the 2026 Major League Pickleball free-agency draft
The Major League Pickleball free-agency draft is scheduled for Friday at 10 a.m. ET.
All teams made their keeper selections earlier this month, and there are now 66 open roster spots to fill during the draft. The order will be determined by a bidding process similar to past years.
The initial 28 picks of the draft will be dedicated to filling the first two female and first two male roster slots on teams that did not keep at least two of each (16 female / 12 male to be selected).
The final 38 picks will be used toward open 5th and 6th roster slots (18 female / 20 male to be selected).
Following the draft: Trade Window #2 will open on Monday, March 2, at 10 a.m. ET.
New this season, teams can use all six players on their roster in a match. That means we will likely see teams use their picks for their 5th/6th players to draft "singles specialists." We also could see instances where one player only plays men's doubles and not mixed doubles, or other flexible roster configurations.
BEST AVAILABLE WOMEN
Anna Bright -- We fully expect the St. Louis Shock to try to get her back, but they will likely be bidding against Dallas, Columbus, New Jersey and Texas (and potentially other wild-card teams).
Jorja Johnson -- Dallas is in basically the same position as St. Louis. They will want Johnson back, but they will have competition in the bidding from the same teams listed above.
Meghan Dizon -- Last year for the New Jersey 5s, Dizon went 29-3 with Anna Leigh Waters in women's doubles and 7-6 with Noe Khlif in mixed (who joined the 5s at the trade deadline). If New Jersey isn't able to land one of the top two players, we expect them to try to get Dizon back. She is arguably more valuable now with the new lineup rules, because she wouldn't have to play singles, which she rarely plays on the PPA Tour.
BEST AVAILABLE MEN
Dylan Frazier -- He's currently No. 10 in the world in men's doubles, No. 11 in mixed doubles and No. 13 in men's singles on the PPA Tour. I suspect several teams will be going after him, including Palm Beach, Orlando (his previous team), Brooklyn, Utah and potentially others.
Tyson McGuffin -- He's close behind Frazier in the men's doubles and mixed doubles rankings on the PPA Tour, but has fallen down to No. 47 in singles. Even so, I still think teams would like their chances with him in Dreambreaker scenarios.
Jonathan Truong -- He has quietly been putting together solid doubles results in recent months. He's consistently in the Round of 16 in men's doubles and mixed doubles in U.S. PPA Tour events and also picked up a couple golds in PPA Tour Asia events last fall.
PICKLEBALL ‘MOCKUMENTARY’
New film PICKLEHEADS to be released next month
You may have heard of the Hollywood-produced pickleball comedy "The Dink," which will feature Ben Stiller, has been acquired by Apple Original Films and is set to be released this summer.
But there is a lesser-known pickleball "mockumentary" film that is set to make its debut next month in Los Angeles.
"PICKLEHEADS," directed by Josh Flanagan and written by Jared Bonner, follows a disgraced ping pong star, Barney “The Butcher” Bardot, who is dragged back into the limelight by a documentary crew hoping to capture his redemption tale in a plucky new sport -- pickleball.
The film, shot in Austin, Texas, received a positive reaction from attendees at the Austin Film Festival last fall, according to the film's promoters. PICKLEHEADS will premiere in Los Angeles on Sunday, March 1 at the TCL Chinese Theatres.
QUICK HITS
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