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Is this the best paddle of 2025?
Christian Alshon: From trick shot specialist to PPA champion
The beach town of Carmel could soon become the first city in California to permanently ban pickleball, setting a precedent that other cities across the state and country could follow as noise complaints persist in some public parks.
The town's city council unanimously voted in late November to review a permanent ban on pickleball at the only public courts in the area after initially enacting a temporary ban in October. The city attorney will now draft the permanent pickleball ban for the city council to vote on.
Carmel is far from the first municipality to hear complaints from neighbors about pickleball noise, but the town is one of the first in the nation to reach the point of permanently banning the sport. We dive more into the issue below.
Also in this issue:
Christian Alshon: From trick shot specialist to PPA champion 🎧
We’re giving away TWO JOOLA paddles 🙌
When a 3.0 hits a 6.0 shot 👀
LeBron takes first-round loss in Lakers pickleball tournament 😅
Expert review of the RPM Friction Pro 🔥
Let’s get cookin’. 🧑🍳
GIVEAWAY
GIVE THANKS GIVEAWAY: Get 2 JOOLA paddles … one for you and one for a friend
We are excited to partner with JOOLA to give away 20 of their BRAND NEW Vision series paddles!
EACH WINNER will receive TWO paddles … one for themselves and one for a friend!
- FOLLOW STEPS 1 & 2 TO ENTER -
1. Sign up here & RECEIVE up to 500 additional bonus entries 👊
2. LIKE this post & COMMENT “VISION” once you've signed up 🙌
*** You MUST complete steps 1 & 2 to be eligible. ***
BONUS MULTIPLIER: INVITE 5 friends to our Facebook community and ALL of your entries are DOUBLED! ✅
We will choose 10 random winners on 12/8!
AMATEUR HIGHLIGHT OF THE WEEK
There’s no way they could have seen this coming
Take a look at the screenshot above for a second. Does something seem off? Maybe that the guy on the left is facing the wrong way?
He was on his way back into the court after hitting an Erne and was caught out of position, but now he’s about to hit one of the nastiest behind-the-back shots we’ve ever seen.
It would have been a great shot no matter where in the court he hit it, but to add a little more flair he absolutely PAINTED the line, leaving his opponent stunned. You’ve got to see this one.
🔗 Check out this amazing shot on Instagram, Facebook or TikTok
PICKLEBALLERS
Christian Alshon on faith, family & pickleball
Christian “Tweener King” Alshon grew up in a high-achieving Florida tennis family, went 18–0 at the University of Chicago and won a D3 national title. Then he found pickleball, and everything changed.
He built a brand of trick shots early on, battled for two years before winning his first singles title and eventually transformed into one of the most aggressive and emotional players in the sport. But now he’s dropped the Tweener King nickname, leaned heavily into faith and reordered his life: God, family, pickleball.
In this episode of Pickleballers, Christian sits down with Roscoe and Jared to talk about the rise, the maturity, why he shows so much emotion on court, how Lee Waters shaped his game and what he actually wants in the next 2–5 years. He’s honest, real and way deeper than people think.
PADDLE CORNER
Expert review: RPM Friction Pro is elite in multiple categories
The RPM Friction Pro has been getting a lot of buzz since its release earlier this fall.
Pro player James Ignatowich launched the paddle brand in late 2025, and it has been met with many players and paddle reviewers praising its performance.
As it turns out, the hype is for good reason. We recently reviewed the RPM Friction Pro and after two weeks of play testing seriously considered moving it all the way to No. 1 on our list of the Top 10 paddles on the market. It's that good.
It currently comes in three models:
While the RPM Friction Pro uses a similar construction to the JOOLA Pro IV, there are a few subtle differences in feel and performance. The RPM Friction Pro feels slightly more muted and plush, while the JOOLA is a little more firm. This will mostly come down to personal preference for many players.
Ignatowich, who designed the paddles, attributes that difference in feel to using a softer foam around the perimeter of the paddle and also using a bit more foam in the throat area.
The secret sauce for the JOOLA Pro IV has always been the ability to have great touch on third-shot drops and resets in the transition zone -- while also getting top-tier power on third-shot drives, serves and putaways.
The RPM Friction Pro excels in the same way, and both paddles are above the pack in this sense. There are other paddles that have more overall firepower or more control, but none offer the "full package" to the same extent as these two.
FEATURED STORY
California town of Carmel votes to ban pickleball over noise complaints
The California beach town of Carmel is likely to permanently ban pickleball after years of noise complaints from neighbors who live near the only public courts in the area.
The town's city council unanimously voted earlier this month to review a permanent ban on pickleball at the courts in Forest Hill Park after initially enacting a temporary ban in October, according to news reports.
The city attorney will now draft the permanent pickleball ban for the city council to vote on at a later date.
Carmel Mayor Dale Byrne told ABC News that the town's government has tried to find a solution to the noise issues for two years, including limiting hours of play and providing quiet paddles for players to use at the park.
"Unfortunately, consistent enforcement proved impossible, and the topic continued to consume significant staff, commission and Council time," Byrne said. "As I said at the meeting, it’s disappointing that we couldn’t find a solution that balanced everyone’s interests. We fully recognize the health benefits and joy that pickleball provides. However, those benefits must be weighed against the peace and quiet of the surrounding neighborhood, something that remains a core priority for our village."
A NEW KIND OF COURT
LA Lakers host pickleball tournament featuring LeBron James, Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves
The Los Angeles Lakers held a team pickleball tournament recently during a 5-day break in their NBA schedule.
While the Lakers have some of the best players in all of basketball on their roster -- LeBron James, Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves to name a few -- the tournament was won by bench player Jake LaRavia and assistant coach Beau Levesque.
In the final, LaRavia and Levesque met Dončić -- who has made headlines in the past for his love of pickleball -- and assistant coach Ty Abbott.
James, Rui Hachimura and assistant coach Greg St. Jean formed a three-man team, but lost in the first round to Reaves and Jarred Vanderbilt.
Dončić said during a press conference that his team took down Lakers head coach JJ Redick's team in the semifinals, and Redick was "pissed" afterward.
"I loved it," Dončić said. "Every second of it."
Like most true pickleball players, Dončić threw his partner under the bus after the loss in the final, saying Abbott was "all power, no touch."
QUICK HITS
Incredible: You should get two points for this shot
Love it: This MLP point has stuck with us
Throwback: We’re thankful this point happened
Uh oh: Was he cheated on this call?
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