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- New report details pickleball player spending habits
New report details pickleball player spending habits
Highlights from USA vs. Hong Kong at the Pickleball World Cup
A new study conducted through a partnership between the Sports & Fitness Industry Association and DUPR provides new insights into pickleball player behavior — and specifically “core” players.
How often they play. Where they play. Who they play with. What they buy. How much they spend. And what’s motivating them.
It’s a report unlike any other, and we break it all down below.
Also in this issue:
Andrei Daescu discusses chasing Ben Johns for world No. 1 🎧
Highlights from the Pickleball World Cup 🌎
How Patriquin and Staksrud got over the hump 🐫
Every pickleball player can learn from this point 🧐
These grips stay dry in even the hottest conditions 🌵
Let’s get cookin’. 🧑🍳
GIVEAWAY
Veteran’s Day Paddletek camo edition paddles
We are excited to join forces with Paddletek to honor our Veterans by giving away 10 of their BRAND NEW Camo Edition Bantam series pickleball paddles! 🇺🇸
THIS IS A NEWSLETTER ONLY GIVEAWAY … so follow the steps below to enter!
1. Enter your information HERE & RECEIVE up to 500 additional bonus entries 👊
2. LIKE this post & COMMENT “PADDLETEK” once you've SUBSCRIBED 🙌
*** 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 Nov. 21!
HIGHLIGHT OF THE WEEK
This is textbook pickleball
There was no pro pickleball this weekend, so we were digging around in our archives and found this point from earlier this year, which every pickleball player can learn something from.
It features four of the best players in the world — Ben Johns, Gabe Tardio, Andrei Daescu and Christian Alshon — playing one of the most technically sound pickleball points you will find, right down to the final shot. Watch and learn, friends.
🔗 Check out this point on Instagram, Facebook or TikTok
PICKLEBALLERS
Andrei Daescu on Chasing Ben Johns for World No. 1
In case you missed it last week, Andrei Daescu joined Pickleballers to discuss his relentless rise up the pickleball ranks. The 37-year-old Romanian has been called "the best pickleball player not named Ben Johns.” Daescu gave us an inside look at grind of being one of the best players in the world and how he continues to improve his game.
We also talked about his journey from pro tennis to pro pickleball, what life was like growing up in Romania, his love for inspirational tweets and more.
PICKLEBALL WORLD CUP
Highlights from the USA vs. Hong Kong final
The Pickleball World Cup earlier this month saw Team USA and Hong Kong emerge from nearly 70 teams to play in the final.
Spoiler alert: Team USA got the win, but the match featured plenty of great points from both teams. We recently put together some of the highlights from the epic conclusion to the biggest Pickleball World Cup yet.
FEATURED STORY
New report details playing and spending habits among avid pickleball players
A new study conducted through a partnership between the Sports & Fitness Industry Association and DUPR provides new insights into pickleball player behavior, including how often people play, what they buy, how much they spend and what’s motivating them.
It's the first study that looks at consumer-level spending and behavior data tied directly to highly engaged, avid players (not general participants).
Of the nearly 20 million people who played pickleball in 2024, a little over 6 million were identified as "core" players -- this study was focused on those players.
The study -- called the 2025 Pickleball Market Playbook -- was conducted from April 22-June 3, 2025, using a random sample of the DUPR database of U.S. players ages 13 and over. There were 1,102 players included in the study. Here were a few of the key findings:
📈 MOTIVATIONS & TRENDS
Health is the primary driver: Nearly 94% cited physical benefits as a key reason for playing.
Other major motivators included the joy of the game and competition.
🚧 CHALLENGES & BARRIERS
Players point to court overcrowding, scheduling conflicts and lack of similar-skill opponents as key barriers to play.
44.4% of players report overcrowded courts.
💸 GEAR & PURCHASING INSIGHTS
Among those who reported their annual expenses, the highest individual cost was facility fees, averaging $913 per year. Other commonly reported expenses included lessons ($688), tournament fees ($517), and equipment, which exceeded $600 annually.
Average annual equipment spend: $318 on paddles, $240 on court shoes, $110 on balls.
THE PROS
How Hayden Patriquin and Federico Staksrud got over the hump in biggest event of the year
Federico Staksrud and Hayden Patriquin won gold last weekend at the PPA Tour Pickleball World Championships (and the 3,000 ranking points that came with the title) after handily beating the No. 1 seed Ben Johns/Gabe Tardio in the semifinals and then pretty decisively following that up with a win over the No. 4 seed JW Johnson/CJ Klinger in the final.
Here are a few key takeaways that propelled Staksrud and Patriquin to the top of the podium in Dallas, and what you can learn from the adjustments they made late in the season:
STAKSRUD SET EGO ASIDE
In the pro game, there is this idea that the left side player is the “alpha.” In mixed doubles – unless the male player is left-handed – the male player plays the left side. In men’s doubles, the “dominant” player plays the left side. It had been clear for a while now that Hayden was potentially a better fit on the left, as it better utilizes his skillset. But … him playing on the left would require Staksrud — a top doubles player — to move to the right side. Credit to him, he agreed to it and this allowed his team to play out of its strongest formation.
Coaching tip: This is an oft overlooked aspect of doubles pickleball. We are playing a team sport. Granted a small team of two, but a team nonetheless. If you want to have the best chance to succeed in doubles pickleball, structure your team in its strongest formation. If that puts you on the right, then you are on the right. Big props to Staksrud for setting ego aside and helping his team play its best.
HAYDEN WAS HIS DISRUPTIVE BEST
Patriquin is one of the most dynamic male players on the tour. He can attack out of the air or bounce. Forehand or backhand. Playing on the left allowed him to roam free. He would regularly step in front of Staksrud (who, again, is a TOP pro) to take a shot. Sometimes he would just dink it back. But sometimes he would rip it into the opponent. There is a line here that Patriquin must walk. There are times when being “big” and aggressive can be too much and backfire a bit. But in Dallas, Big H lived up to his nickname.
PRODUCT OF THE WEEK
These grips stay dry in even the hottest conditions
Do your hands sweat when you play pickleball, causing your grip to become slick and ultimately resulting in you gripping the handle like the paddle could fly out of your hand at any moment (because it might)?
UDrippin has a solution: Their Pro Dry Grips are made with premium moisture absorbing material that gives players unmatched feel and comfort. Their dry grips have been the overgrip of choice for many pros and amateurs who demand peak performance, even in the sweatiest conditions.
QUICK HITS
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