Our staff has had this weekend circled on our calendars for months.

When we took over an MLP team last fall, it seemed like forever until the Nashville Chefs would actually take the court. But we made it, and the Chefs will make their season debut alongside the 5 other Challenger Level teams this weekend at MLP Austin.

And that’s not all. Our new podcast, PICKLEBALLERS, officially launched Friday morning. Episode 1 covers how we built The Kitchen, and we’ve recorded several more with celebrities and pickleball A-listers that will be dropping in the coming weeks. Subscribe to our YouTube channel to keep up with the latest from cohosts Jared Paul (The Kitchen’s founder) and pro player Roscoe Bellamy.

Also in this issue:

• Predict your opponent’s next shot 🔮

• This guy is a highlight machine 👀

• Pickleball handshake etiquette 🤝

• The JOOLA Hyperion Pro IV deserves more love ❤️

Let’s cook. 🧑‍🍳

HIGHLIGHT OF THE WEEK

The best point in pickleball history (no, really)

Do you notice anything unusual about the screenshot above? Like, maybe that there’s a player missing from the court?

That’s because the player in question, Matthew Barlow, just sprinted from the baseline to track down a nasty drop shot, and then ended up off the screen on HIS OPPONENTS’ side of the court during a pro qualifier match this week.

Barlow, a 2-time runner up of The Kitchen Open who has been featured multiple times on our socials for his insane athleticism, gets bailed out by his partner, 14-year-old Emma Nelson, and they eventually recover and win the point. It’s truly wild stuff.

🔗 Check out Barlow’s wheels

PICKLEBALLERS PODCAST

EP1: The crazy origin story of The Kitchen

We’ve teased it for months and even posted a few clips on Instagram, but today we FINALLY released the first full episode of our brand new podcast called PICKLEBALLERS. Hosted by Jared Paul (The Kitchen’s founder) and Roscoe Bellamy (top pickleball pro), this episode focuses on the crazy origin story of The Kitchen during the pandemic, a pickleball royal rumble, celebrities in pickleball (hi Dua Lipa) and a lot more.

We couldn’t be more excited to bring this podcast to life. Please let us know how you like the first episode in the YouTube comments. More episodes to come every week!

🔗 Check out the first episode on YouTube or Spotify

INSTRUCTIONAL

How to predict where your opponent's next shot is going

The term “good hands” gets thrown around a lot, but in many cases anticipation is actually more important to setting yourself up for success in hands battles.

In a recent article we discussed a few ways you can learn to anticipate when and where attacks are coming.

STEP 1: IDENTIFY YOUR OPPONENT’S ‘TELL’

Lower-level players might take a bigger backswing before a speed up or do something out of the norm with their footwork, but almost all amateurs will give some kind of clue that they're looking to be aggressive with their next shot. It's up to you to identify their tell -- so pay attention to not just their shots, but their body language before their shots.

STEP 2: USE PRIOR SPEED UPS TO PREDICT FUTURE LOCATION

Good players (let's say 4.5+ and even some 4.0+ players) have probably done some reading or watched videos on how and where to speed up off the bounce. They've been told they should vary the location of their speed ups and they've probably been drilling speed ups down the line and through the middle and trying to make them look the same.

So if they beat you down the middle once, have a 5-second conversation with your partner that says something like, "Hey, next time we put the ball there I'm going to cover line and you're going to cover middle."

STEP 3: BAIT THEM INTO ANOTHER SPEED UP

Now you have the upper hand from a strategy standpoint because A) you've seen what their speed up looks like, and B) you and your partner have discussed how you're going to defend it.

Because they have been told by popular pickleball theory that they need to vary the location of their speed ups, there's a good chance that the next time they go for an attack, they will change their location and send a speed up down the line -- right into your deadly backhand counter.

🔗 More tips on how to read your opponents and defend their attacks

THE PROS

Major League Pickleball returns to its roots with Austin event

Major League Pickleball is back where it all started this weekend: Austin, Texas.

Austin has long been one of the most well-known pickleball hotspots in the country and the first-ever Major League Pickleball event was held in nearby Dripping Springs. MLP Austin -- the third event of the 2025 season -- is being hosted by the Texas Ranchers and held on two brand-new outdoor courts at Austin Pickle Ranch. There are several matches each day from Friday through Monday (Memorial Day).

Premier Level teams participating: Dallas, Miami, New Jersey, Texas and Orlando.

Challenger Level teams participating: Nashville, California, Bay Area, D.C., Florida and Las Vegas.

It's an exciting week for us at The Kitchen because it's the first time we'll see the Nashville Chefs in action since our staff took over operations of the franchise late last year. You can catch us on Championship Court on Friday afternoon — we’ll be the rowdy ones on the sideline.

We previously caught up with each player on the experienced Chefs roster ahead of the season. All four players — Ewa Radzikowska, Michelle Esquivel, Anderson Scarpa and Marshall Brown — said they were optimistic about the team’s chances this season.

Looking to come support The Kitchen's MLP team in person? Buy tickets here.

🔗 Full match schedule and storylines heading into MLP Austin

POLL

PRODUCT OF THE WEEK

JOOLA Hyperion Pro IV strikes great balance of power, maneuverability

When the JOOLA Ben Johns Perseus was released earlier this year, it came with much fanfare. It’s one of the most powerful paddles on the market, but also has an amazingly plush feel.

The only downside: For some, the higher swingweight of the Perseus makes it less maneuverable in fast hands battles at the kitchen line.

Enter the JOOLA Hyperion Pro IV — the original shape of choice for players like Ben Johns and Simone Jardim. It has a slightly lower swingweight, which makes it feel faster in the hand (combined with the curved top edge). The power is also dialed back ever so slightly, making this a great paddle for players who want good power but also want to prioritize shot placement.

For those reasons, we’ve moved it all the way up to #1B (the Perseus is still #1A) on our list of the top 10 paddles on the market today.

🔗 Shop the JOOLA Hyperion Pro IV

QUICK HITS

• No way: How did he get that?

• Youth movement: This kid is 7 and would beat most of us

• Wow: Overheads just keep coming back these days

• Lob city: Creativity on full display