JW, Jorja Johnson sign new paddle deal

We're giving away 10 BRAND NEW limited-edition 11SIX24 paddles

July 07, 2026

 

At the beginning of 2026, several pro players made the switch to new paddle brands.

But there were two big names that have been paddle free agents for months: JW Johnson and Jorja Johnson. On Tuesday we found out which brand they’re teaming up with — PIKKL, which has been acquired by Paddletek Group.

We get into all the details below.

Also in this issue:

  • This point had it all 🤯

  • Hannah Blatt drops great advice on Pickleballers 🎧

  • 11SIX24 releases sweet new strawberry colorway 🍓

  • How VAIR can help you be a better player 😎

  • MLP Mid-Season Tournament starts Wednesday 📺

Let’s cook! 👨🏻‍🍳

GIVEAWAY

We’re giving away 10 BRAND NEW limited-edition 11SIX24 Power 2 strawberry paddles

We’re partnering with 11SIX24 to give away 10 BRAND NEW limited-edition strawberry Power 2 paddles.

The Power 2 Series has been one of the most popular paddle releases of 2026, and this latest colorway celebrates the season with a bold new look.

The strawberry collection includes the Hurache-X, Vapor and Pegasus shapes, all with the HexGrit surface that 11SIX24 introduced earlier this year.

HIGHLIGHT OF THE WEEK

Sometimes you just need to make one more ball than the other team

This week’s highlight is a high-flying, fast-paced absolute banger of a point.

There are huge overheads, impressive defensive plays, a behind-the-back counter, a possible kitchen violation and high energy from all four players.

We especially love seeing the lone woman on the court hold her own while fending off some very good attacks.

🔗 Check out this insane clip on Instagram, Facebook or TikTok

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE MONTH

The best amateur plays we saw in June

Each month, Chris Cali from Sorry Not Sorry Pickleball is breaking down the Top 10 amateur highlights from across the country (and world).

We sifted through hundreds of submissions and picked the best of the best from June, as well as our NOT Top 5 plays, featuring funny moments and embarrassing fails.

GOT A CLIP WORTH SHARING? Each month we showcase the Top 10 Amateur Pickleball Highlights of the Month on our YouTube page. Submit your BEST clips for a chance to be featured in next month’s video using this Google Form.

PICKLEBALLERS

Hannah Blatt on embracing life beyond pickleball

Every pickleball player needs a wake up call every now and then.

Hannah Blatt said it perfectly on Pickleballers recently: “It’s not the end of the world if you lose a match.”

That was one of the many candid moments from our episode with Blatt, who has become one of the most-followed players in the sport on social media. She walks us through her time as an elite junior and college squash player at Drexel, including a brutal sophomore season playing the No. 1 spot where she lost nearly every match, and how that experience shaped her decision to eventually walk away from the sport and throw herself into pickleball instead.

She also opens up about how a mixed doubles partnership with Grayson Goldin turned into an engagement, and her goals to crack the top 20 in all three divisions.

🔗 Check out the full episode on YouTube, Spotify or Apple Podcasts

PADDLE CORNER

Paddletek Group announces acquisition of PIKKL, signing of Johnsons and Tyra Black

Paddletek on Tuesday announced a major acquisition of paddle brand PIKKL, as well as the signing of pro players JW Johnson, Jorja Johnson, Julie Johnson and Tyra Black.

It’s the second time in the past 8 months that Paddletek has brought another paddle brand under the Paddletek Group umbrella — in December they acquired ProXR and Yobow, which makes gear designed to help athletes with muscle activation and recovery.

JW and Jorja Johnson have used several different paddle models in 2026 after their longtime contract with Franklin expired earlier this year, including JOOLA, Selkirk, Paddletek and PIKKL. In the past month or two the siblings have been using PIKKL paddles consistently. Tyra Black has been a longtime PIKKL player and uses her signature Hurricane Pro paddle.

“We were looking for teammates who share our passion for the sport. The Johnsons were on a monthslong journey looking for the paddle and the brand that would help them win,” said Ron Saslow, Founder and Managing Partner of Thirty-5 Capital, which manages the Paddletek Group. “The two paths came together, and we didn’t hesitate at the opportunity to put together one of the most talented groups in pickleball.”

PIKKL was founded in Minnesota in 2023 by Dan Martinson and Mike Strommen, who said they were excited to work with Paddletek to continue to innovate and push the performance of pickleball paddles forward.

“What Dan and I started years ago has grown into something far bigger than we imagined,” said Strommen. “Joining Paddletek gives us the opportunity to bring our expertise and passion to a group that shares our commitment to growing the sport, pushing performance forward and supporting our athletes.”

THE PROS

Major League Pickleball Mid-Season Tournament: Bracket, schedule, TV information

The Major League Pickleball Mid-Season Tournament starts Wednesday at Belknap Park in Grand Rapids, Michigan, which has hosted the event alongside the annual Beer City Open for the past 3 years.

It’s the only event on the schedule this season that features all 20 MLP teams, as well as four additional teams in the bracket: Collegiate All-Stars, Team Europe, Team Australia and Team Canada.

The format is double elimination with no come-around, meaning that once a team loses in the main draw, the best they can finish is third place. Standings points will be awarded to the Top 3 teams as follows:

First place: 10 points
Second place: 6 points
Third place: 4 points

Seeding was determined by the current regular-season points standings using each team’s average points per event. The Top 8 seeds get a first-round bye.

NEXT LEVEL

VAIR doesn’t just tell you what your rating is — it tells you HOW to be a better player

VAIR — a performance-based rating platform that uses visual assessment as its primary starting point — does more than just assign players a number indicating their skill level.

It doubles as a coaching tool that is helping thousands of players learn more about their game and what they need to work on.

HOW IT WORKS

Players can simply record games with their friends, upload them to the VAIR platform and get a detailed report on how they did in terms of court positioning and shot selection, what rally patterns resulted in success or failure, as well as insights on specific shots for all four players — serves, drives, dinks, resets, etc.

VAIR also uses adaptive modeling to accurately account for age, gender, mixed play and wheelchair classifications, which gives players even more data on their strengths and weaknesses.

QUICK HITS

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