We knew it was coming: JOOLA has filed a lawsuit against USA Pickleball. We are hearing the number is in the $200M range.

How did this happen? We unpack it below.

Also in this issue:

• Intense hands battle

• Epic response from Tyra Black

• The best time to lob

• Biden and Trump using pickleball in campaigns

• Are spin paddles for you?

Let’s go.

GIVEAWAY

GIVEAWAY — All-expense paid trip to The Kitchen Open in Austin, TX!

We are excited to partner with Chomps to give away the following:

GRAND PRIZE: All-expense paid trip for TWO to The Kitchen Open + Two JOOLA Ben Johns paddles + Free Chomps for a year!

2ND PLACE: $100 gift card to The Kitchen online shop + Free Chomps for a year!

3RD PLACE: Chomps for a year!

Enter here!

HIGHLIGHT OF THE WEEK

The Rubber Band Man Can STRETCH

We CAN NOT STOP watching this clip of Christian Alshon making one of the most impressive shots we’ve ever seen:

• The insane reaction speed

• The incredible reach

• The sharpest slice motion we think is humanly possible to place on a pickleball

• The casual “nice get” from an audience member at the end

Amazing.

FEATURED STORY

JOOLA Files Lawsuit Against USA Pickleball

There’s a lot to unpack here, and we’ve done so in our full blog. But here’s what you need to know:

• USA Pickleball de-listed JOOLA’s Gen3 & specific models of other brands’ paddles from their approved paddle list

• JOOLA maintains that the paddles they submitted for testing late last year and the ones that hit the market in April are materially and structurally the same

• USAP stands by its decision to de-list them

• JOOLA has filed a lawsuit against USAP addressing the decision

"We firmly believe our Gen3 paddles are compliant with all applicable published rules (as evidenced by their prior approval) and should not have been removed from the Approved Paddle List," JOOLA’s statement says.

What led to the litigation? Read more context here.

KITCHEN KONVERSATION

Where Is This Paddle Situation Going?

The Kitchen founders sat down recently, this time on opposite sides of the table, to discuss all of this paddle drama going on in pro pickleball.

Jason Aspes, the new President of UPA, digs in to the decision to fine top player Andrei Daescu, and provides his perspective on the JOOLA GEN3 paddle delisting.

Watch it here.

INSTRUCTION

When is the Best Time to Lob?

...We know that by posing this question, we'll have some of you shouting "NEVER!" at your screen. There are many strong opinions about the lob, and if the shot even has a place in the game.

Regardless, you should probably know at least a little about when to use it.

When to lob:

• Your opponent is leaning forward, taking balls out of the air

• Their shoulders are leaning toward the net and down

• You've moved them around the kitchen prior to lobbing

And if you’re STILL stuck on never using a lob, you probably should learn how to properly defend against it.

Find that and more in our complete guide to lobs featuring input from top pro players.

TRENDING

Tyra is Our New Favorite Player

At the last PPA Tour event, the bench's hot mic picked up some nastiness from Ben Johns while he was talking to Leigh & Anna Leigh Waters about the way balls were playing in high temps:

"It’s like a Tyra drive," you can hear Ben say, referring to fellow pro Tyra Black. "It’s [expletive], but what are you going to do with it?"

How Tyra responded sets her apart as a truly special person and athlete:

• Did she mention anything about how her drive seemed to do just fine when she beat Ben's doubles partner & World #1 Anna Leigh Waters last year? No.

• Did she call Ben out in some ill-fated, anger-fueled response post? Nope.

Instead, she took the humble, humorous route:

DON’T MISS THIS

BIDEN vs. TRUMP: Does it all come down to a few games of pickleball?

—> Seniors for Biden-Harris is hosting a pickleball tournament in Virginia this week, targeting a key battleground state.

—> The former president’s merch site sells a Trump-branded pickleball set for $118, likely part of his campaign’s fundraising.

Read the full story here.

PADDLES

Should I Buy a Spin Paddle?

You should see how many people ask me in rec play about my spin. I have fun with it, sure, but it's never something I attribute much success to.

If anything, spin can be a distraction from core fundamentals.

Zane Navratil, one of the pros known for his spin, agrees. He says spin is only something you should strive for once you have phenomenal execution on your flat shots:

"Certain players tend to see spin as more valuable than it actually is. Often, attempting spin leads to losing more points rather than winning more points."

Then again, you should probably pick your paddle based on your strengths, and if you come from a sport like ping pong and already feel confident with spin, a "spin paddle" could be for you.

We created a guide to spin paddles and who should use them - read it here.

QUICK HITS

• Tips: Why lefties should cover more middle balls

• Call it: Are these balls in or out?

• Heaven: A backyard court dream come true

• Whiff!: Even the GOAT whiffs it from time to time

• Wishlist: I should get one of these for my driveway

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