Pickleball has been on a wild ride for the past decade.

Exploding popularity and community-driven growth. An emerging pro scene that led to the “Tour Wars.” Noise complaints that have pitted neighbors against each other. Too many battles with the tennis community to count.

A new documentary captures it all, and aims to put the cultural phenomenon that is pickleball into perspective. Watch the trailer here and learn more below.

Also in this issue:

• What’s it like to play with and against Ben Johns? We asked Matt Wright 🎧

• International stars shined at most recent PPA Tour Asia event 🌏

• Automatic line calls coming to pro pickleball next year 🤖

• Understanding what type of third shot to hit, and when 🧠

Let’s get cookin’. 🧑‍🍳

GIVEAWAY

Win a new JOOLA paddle or SLAMIT hydration mix

Pro player Anna Bright announced Tuesday that she’s now a minority owner of SLAMIT Hydration, a new sports drink engineered to support hydration, power, energy and focus for pickleball players.

To celebrate, we’ve teamed up with Bright & JOOLA to offer a huge SLAMIT giveaway!

PRIZES

2 winners: A signed JOOLA Anna Bright Scorpeus paddle

5 winners: Each win 4 bags of SLAMIT FOCUS Energy & Electrolyte Drink

HOW TO ENTER

1️⃣ Like & comment “WIN” on this post.

2️⃣ Follow @SlamitHydration @AnnaBright.pb @JoolaPickleball and @TheKitchenPickleball on Instagram.

No purchase necessary. Seven winners will be selected from following steps 1 & 2 above. All winners announced on the @SlamitHydration Instagram page.

BONUS

Find a golden ticket in SLAMIT products for another chance to win these prizes!

HIGHLIGHT OF THE WEEK

This is the elite of elite pickleball

The most recent PPA Tour Asia event — the Hangzhou Open in China — proved yet again that the rest of the world is closing the talent gap, and fast.

Hoang Nam Ly defeated Federico Staksrud in the men’s singles semifinals (11-7, 12-10) before going on to win the event. In the bronze medal match (the clip above), Hien Truong also gave Staksrud a stiff test, pushing the match to a deciding third game (which Staksrud won 11-8).

The next thing we want to see is the top Asian players coming over to play in the U.S. on a more regular basis. We hope 2026 is the year that happens.

🔗 Check out this highlight on Instagram, Facebook or TikTok

PICKLEBALLERS

We asked Matt Wright what it’s like to play with (and against) Ben Johns

In case you missed it last week, pickleball OG Matt Wright joined Pickleballers for a wide-ranging discussion about the current state of the game, where the sport is heading and what it’s like to still be making PPA finals at age 48.

Wright also opens up about the first U.S. Open, early days with Lucy Kovalova, his loyalty to Connor Pardoe and the PPA Tour through the years, the Riley Newman breakup, what it was really like playing with Ben Johns, the Julian Arnold rivalry, cheating vs. trash talk and more.

🔗 Check out the latest episode of Pickleballers on YouTube or Spotify

PICKLEBALLERS DOORDASH & PROTON GIVEAWAY: Each week we’re doing a Pickleballers giveaway to celebrate the latest episode. This week we are giving away a $500 DoorDash gift card & a Proton pickleball paddle. Enter here!

FEATURED STORY

New documentary 'The Power of Pickleball' dives deep into sport's cultural explosion

A new documentary called “The Power of Pickleball” is now streaming on Documentary+ and will be coming to more streaming platforms in early 2026.

The film, directed by Alexander Jeffery, is billed as an in-depth exploration of the fastest growing sport in the U.S. and the cultural wave it has been riding for the past decade.

Some of the biggest names in the sport – such as pro players Ben Johns and Catherine Parenteau, Major League Pickleball founder Steve Kuhn and The Kitchen founder Jared Paul – appear in the documentary, as well as others who helped build the sport behind the scenes for years before it exploded in popularity in the 2020s.

Jeffery, who has released several narrative feature films since the early 2020s, was inspired to pursue a documentary about pickleball by several family members who had become obsessed with the sport.

“Both my mom and my aunt are two of pickleball’s biggest cheerleaders, and I became exceedingly curious about where this sport came from and how it expanded into the cultural phenomenon that it is today,” he said. “Most of my work is about heartfelt, human relationships, so the community aspect of pickleball really intrigued me as a storyteller.”

Jeffery said the film crew traveled all over the U.S. to create the documentary, following a diverse cast of players – from former tennis pros to aging athletes to first-time players and rising young stars – as they navigate the competitive, social and often surprising world of pickleball.

“Pickleball has changed so many lives in a really positive way, both from a health standpoint and helping people find community, and I think those are the aspects of the sport that everybody who has played can relate to,” Jeffery said.

🔗 Learn more about the documentary and watch the trailer here

TRENDING

Major League Pickleball last week announced that the league has partnered with sports technology company Owl AI to bring automatic line calling to the league’s matches in 2026.

MLP will become a member of Owl AI’s “trailblazer program,” in which proprietary technologies will be used for automatic line calling and the league’s in-match challenge system.

The new technology will be used in partnership with the league’s referees to provide more accurate calls as well as faster and more consistent turnaround times for challenged plays, according to a news release from MLP.

🔗 Learn more about how MLP will use Owl AI line call technology

INSTRUCTION

Understanding what type of third shot to hit, and when

If you’ve ever felt like the third shot in pickleball is a mysterious rite of passage, you’re not alone. Many players stumble their way through the progression, discovering what works (and what really doesn’t) through trial and error.

So let’s break it down, and maybe laugh a little, while we figure out where you are on your pickleball third-shot journey.

THE DRIVE

Ah, the third-shot drive. It’s powerful, satisfying and feels oh-so-right when you nail it. With a good forehand drive, you feel unstoppable. But here’s the catch: as fun as it is to whack the ball with all your might, advanced opponents at the kitchen line will block it like pros at Wimbledon, or let it sail out. So, while your inner Hulk loves the power, it’s not always the smartest move against savvy players.

THE LOB

For many, the lob shot becomes the next “aha!” moment. You realize, “If I can’t hit past them, I’ll hit over them!” This works great, until it doesn’t. Skilled opponents will smash those lobs back faster than you can say “third shot.” Lobs can be a sneaky surprise against weaker players, but when overused, they scream desperation. Use sparingly.

THE DROP

The third-shot drop is where things get real. You’ve seen it. You’ve tried it. You’ve cursed it. Let’s face it, mastering this shot can feel like trying to thread a needle with oven mitts on. But when it works, it’s pure poetry. Drop shots may not look flashy, but they’re the secret sauce to advancing in pickleball. They neutralize your opponents at the net, turning their smug aggression into confused defense.

🔗 More on understanding what type of third shot to hit, and when

QUICK HITS

• Debatable: Who said this was 4.0 rec play?

• POV: When your partner doesn’t listen to your out calls

• WOW: Props to these two ladies for putting in the work

• We made it: South Park pokes fun at pickleball

• Hmm: Is this mixed doubles or mixed singles?