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- JOOLA sues several competitors over patent dispute
JOOLA sues several competitors over patent dispute
James Ignatowich reflects on Anna Bright breakup
The pickleball industry received a jolt Tuesday morning when news broke that JOOLA Pickleball has filed a patent infringement lawsuit against 11 competing paddle manufacturers.
The lawsuit alleges that the competitors copied JOOLA's "propulsion core technology,” which was the basis of “Gen 3” paddle tech and led to the rise of modern power paddles back in 2024. We’ve got all the details below.
Also in this issue:
He blew the ball over the net! 😯💨
James Ignatowich reflects on Anna Bright breakup 🎧
We’re giving away 10 brand-new 11six24 Vapor Power 2 paddles 🙌
Join a Honcho pickleball league near you TODAY 💪
The best budget paddle so far in 2026 👀
Top 10 amateur highlights of the month 🔥
Let’s get cookin’. 🧑🍳
INDUSTRY NEWS
JOOLA files patent infringement lawsuit against 11 other pickleball paddle manufacturers
JOOLA Pickleball this week filed a patent infringement lawsuit against 11 paddle companies, alleging that the competitors copied JOOLA's "propulsion core technology."
The paddle companies named in the litigation are: Franklin Sports, Proton Sports, RPM Pickleball, Engage Pickleball, Friday Labs, Diadem Sports, Facolos, ProXR Pickleball, Paddletek, Adidas Pickleball and Volair.
JOOLA is credited with creating the "Gen 3" category of pickleball paddles with the release of their Gen 3, MOD TA-15 and 3S models in 2024. The paddles featured an EVA foam perimeter around a polypropylene honeycomb core. It was a new innovation at the time that led to a noticeable increase in power, and JOOLA's paddles have been among the most powerful on the market ever since.
Many companies soon followed in JOOLA's footsteps, releasing paddles that were constructed in a similar way and produced similar performance. Today, "Gen 3" paddles are common across the pickleball paddle industry.
GIVEAWAY
We’re giving away 10 brand-new 11six24 Vapor Power 2 paddles!
We are partnering with 11SIX24 to give away 10 Vapor Power 2 pickleball paddles. ⚡️
HOW TO ENTER
LIKE this post
TAG a few friends (every tag is a new entry!)
FOLLOW @thekitchenpickleball and @11six24_pickleball
SHARE this post to your stories
***YOU MUST COMPLETE ALL STEPS TO BE ELIGIBLE***
We will choose 10 random winners on April 13! 🥳
🔗 Check out our review of the 11SIX24 Vapor Power 2 here or shop all 11SIX24 paddles here — use code “KITCHEN” for $10 off
HIGHLIGHT OF THE WEEK
He blew the ball over the net!
We’ve seen this “shot” a handful of times over the years, but this might be the most outrageous case of a player blowing a ball over the net in pickleball history. Eric Oncins pulled off the rare move at the PPA Tour Asia MB Hanoi Cup in Vietnam this weekend.
Oncins was outstretched for a dink and his shot clearly wasn’t going to go over the net — until he blew on it with all his might, changing the ball’s trajectory and sending it toward his opponents. And because we know you’re wondering — yes, this is legal.
🔗 Check out the replay on Instagram, Facebook or TikTok
HONCHO PICKLEBALL LEAGUES
Get the best price on upcoming Honcho leagues starting TODAY!
Honcho Pickleball offers multiple types of beginner-friendly-and-up leagues at more than 70 premier facilities across the U.S. They also recently added locations in Canada — so if you’re reading this newsletter, there’s a good chance there’s a Honcho league near you.
TYPES OF LEAGUES
Rotating-Partner Ladder-League: No Partner? No Problem! Join as an individual and each week you are paired with a foursome. Players rotate partners for a total of three games, with 3 different partner pairings.
Same-Partner Doubles-League: Have a best friend or partner you want to play with the whole season? Join as a team and compete in your appropriate division.
Same-Partner Ladder-League: The Perfect Blend! Join as a team, regardless of your skill level, and based off weekly performance, you move up or down the ladder, ensuring like-skilled and fair gameplay every week.
IMPORTANT DATES
April 6-May 10: The 5-week registration window for the Late-Spring season. Early bird pricing is available if you register in the first two weeks. Find locations and register here — use code “KITCHEN” at checkout for a discount.
May 25-Late July: Late-Spring Season dates.
PBALLERS
James Ignatowich on his breakup with Anna Bright
The James Ignatowich-Anna Bright breakup is well-documented. The former partners on and off the court were in the running for top pickleball power couple at one point. But they went their separate ways, and both have found great success since — Bright in the form of PPA Tour results and Ignatowich with his paddle brand RPM.
We recently had Ignatowich on our spinoff podcast — called PBallers — to learn more about how RPM became one of the hottest brands in the sport. We couldn’t help but ask about the AB situation, and Ignatowich gave a hilarious answer as always.
We also asked Bright for her side of the story … stay tuned for this week’s Pickleballers Episode to find out what she said.
AMATEUR HIGHLIGHTS OF THE MONTH
These insane plays made our Top 10 Amateur Pickleball Highlights for March
We recently published our Top 10 Amateur Pickleball Highlights for the month of March, powered by PodPlay Technologies. Submissions included insane ATPs, wild Erne attempts, body bags, great defensive gets and more.
Chris Cali from Sorry Not Sorry Pickleball helps us break it all down in this video.
HOW TO GET FEATURED
✍️ Fill out this google form.
🎥 Videos must be filmed horizontally.
🎬 Please limit submissions to two clips per person.
Whether it’s a clutch point, a wild rally, an insane trick shot or pure pickleball chaos, we want to see it!
GEAR
Is this the best budget paddle on the market?
Enhance Pickleball has been getting a lot of buzz in the paddle industry since the release of their new Turbo paddles.
The paddles were released in March and there are currently four models available in the Turbo line, all priced at $119.99 -- and $99.99 after using code "KITCHEN."
EPP Turbo: The EPP Turbo uses a full floating foam core with an EPP foam center and an EVA foam ring around the perimeter. This is a similar construction method to the Bread & Butter Loco series ($199) and the Selkirk Labs Project Boomstik ($333), and it produces a firm feel with high power and pop. The EPP Turbo is available in three shapes: Elongated, Widebody and Hybrid.
MPP Turbo: The MPP Turbo uses a full floating foam core with an MPP foam center and an EVA foam ring around the perimeter. MPP is a softer foam, which creates a more springy and smooth feel than the EPP Turbo models. The MPP/EVA construction is similar to the Luzz Pro 4 Inferno ($229). The MPP Turbo is only available in the elongated shape.
QUICK HITS
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