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Pro tip: Set process goals, not outcome goals
These 5 new paddles have impressed us lately
You and your pickleball partner have goals. Win the bracket. Hit 4.0 by fall.
But here’s what the best competitors in every sport already know: Outcome goals don’t drive performance — process goals do.
In today’s newsletter we’re breaking down how you and your partner can set process-oriented goals together and let the winning take care of itself. Learn more below.
In this issue:
We love a good flying Erne 🪽
The best amateur highlights from August 😮
Upsets & drama at PPA Tour season opener 👀
5 new paddles that have impressed us 🔥
Get faster hands with this training tool ⚡️
Let’s cook! 👨🏻🍳
HIGHLIGHT OF THE WEEK
Jorja Johnson puts on her Superwoman cape
She has one of the best nicknames in all of pickleball: Jorja Freaking Johnson.
It’s shots like this one that make it a fitting moniker, as Johnson put on her Superwoman cape and executed a flying Erne to absolute perfection in a mixed doubles match against Ben Johns and Anna Leigh Waters this weekend.
We wouldn’t recommend trying this one at home, but it is a thing of beauty to watch.
🔗 Check out this week’s highlight on Instagram, Facebook or TikTok
HIGHLIGHTS OF THE MONTH
Top 10 amateur pickleball highlights (August 2026)
Each month we are featuring the Top 10 amateur pickleball highlights of the month on our YouTube page. This month’s Top 10, powered by PodPlay, features wild defensive plays, ATPs, Ernes, crazy hands battles and more.
Chris Cali of Sorry Not Sorry Pickleball breaks down all the plays, and also throws in his NOT Top 5 amateur plays of the month. Submit your BEST clips for a chance to be featured in next month’s video using this form.
THE PROS
Hayden Patriquin, Anna Bright win second mixed title at PPA Tour Pickleball National Championships
The PPA Tour kicked off its 2026-27 season last week with one of the biggest events on the calendar — a 2,000 point slam in Cary, North Carolina, newly dubbed the Veolia Pickleball National Championships.
For players the event was an opportunity to make a significant jump in the new World Pickleball Rankings, which combine results from all three divisions — gender doubles, mixed doubles and singles.
For fans it was a chance to see some new — and old — partnerships in action for the first time since the PPA Tour wrapped up its spring season at the PPA Tour Finals in May (there has only been Major League Pickleball events in the months since prior to last week).
The biggest story of the week: Ben Johns and Anna Leigh Waters were upset in the mixed doubles semifinals by JW and Jorja Johnson, 4-11, 11-9, 11-6.
It was the first loss for Johns/Waters since they were beaten by Hayden Patriquin/Anna Bright at the PPA Tour Mesa Cup in February, and the upset of the No. 1 seeds opened the door for Patriquin/Bright to swoop in on Sunday and win their second title as a partnership. The St. Louis Shock teammates defeated the Johnson siblings 11-9, 11-3, 11-7 in the final.
“This one means a ton,” said Bright. “We just came from a pretty painful loss in the MLP Finals in New York, so I’m really proud of us for bouncing back.”
Patriquin said the loss in New York “lit a fire under my butt,” and he played one of the best mixed matches of his career in Sunday’s final. There were several moments in Game 3 vs. the Johnsons where Patriquin came up with amazing defensive plays to keep rallies alive and ultimately close out the match.
Here’s the final results from the other divisions at the PPA Tour Pickleball National Championships ⬇️
MEN’S DOUBLES: Ben Johns/Gabe Tardio def. Christian Alshon/Andrei Daescu.
WOMEN’S DOUBLES: Anna Leigh Waters/Anna Bright def. Tyra Black/Jorja Johnson.
MEN’S SINGLES: Hunter Johnson def. Federico Staksrud.
WOMEN’S SINGLES: Anna Leigh Waters def. Kate Fahey.
PADDLE CORNER
5 new paddles that have impressed us
There are a LOT of pickleball paddles that have been released in the past few weeks, but a handful of them have genuinely stood out to us in our play testing.
In this paddle roundup, we’re taking a look at those five paddles, which offer very different playing characteristics and will be a good fit for a wide range of players. You can also use code “KITCHEN” at checkout to get a discount on all of these paddles.
From control and feel to serious power, each of these paddles brings something different to the table, and we break down how they play, what makes each one unique, and who should consider adding each paddle to their bag.
INSTRUCTION
Stop setting outcome goals with your pickleball partner. Set process goals instead.
Remember this the next time you think about your goals in pickleball: The score is the byproduct. The process is the job in front of you.
So instead of saying you want to win the match or win the tournament or move up a level, think about the things that will help you reach that end result — improving your thirds, more consistent dinking, more offense, etc.
FOCUSING ON THE PROCESS TOGETHER
As doubles players we have an advantage here that singles players would kill for: A built-in accountability partner. When you set process goals together, your partner keeps you honest on your individual goals on top of the goals you set as a team. Nobody drifts.
When a match starts going badly, shared process goals do something even more important: They keep you on the same side. Instead of two frustrated individuals silently auditing each other, you’re a team checking the same list. It never becomes you versus your partner — it stays the two of you vs. the work.
HOW PROCESS GOALS HELP THE PARTNERSHIP
1. They redistribute the pressure
A huge amount of tightness in doubles comes from each player silently carrying the outcome: I have to play well or I’m letting them down. A process goal changes the assignment. You’re not responsible for winning — neither of you is. You’re responsible for executing the things, and the things are doable.
2. They end the post-match blame game
“Why did we lose?” turns partners into prosecutors. “Did we hit our process goals?” is a question two teammates answer together, looking at the same list, without anyone getting defensive. The debrief stops being a trial and becomes a review.
3. They actually produce results
The team that runs its plays under pressure, moves to the kitchen as a unit, and keeps feedback out of the heat of competition simply plays better pickleball over a season than the team that just tries hard to win. Process goals aren’t instead of winning. They’re how winning gets built.
GEAR
This is still the most effective training tool out there
The Dink Master 3.0 takes everything players loved about the original and adds a whole new level of versatility. It’s now designed for both solo and partner training — thanks to a detachable mini net that transforms your board into a two-person drill station.
Enhance also upgraded the surface with two unique rebound materials: one side provides a fast bounce for improving hand speed and reaction time, while the other offers a slower, more absorbent feel for soft-game control drills. Combined, they let you train every aspect of your game — from resets and dinks to volleys and drives.
The Dink Master 3.0 also includes a free mini-course covering dozens of pro-designed drills to help you get the most out of your setup. So if you’re serious about improving your consistency and touch, this is the ultimate at-home training partner.
🔗 Shop the Dink Master Pro here — use code “KITCHEN” at checkout for $20 off!
QUICK HITS
Shot of a lifetime: It doesn’t get better than this
Crazy: This shot should be illegal
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