The Steph Curry of pickleball shots

Shoe scientists analyze our new DAPS pickleball shoes

June 12, 2025

 

Most of us, at some point in our pickleball journey, have encountered a player who simply overwhelms us with raw power and aggressive shotmaking. And let’s face it — with today’s paddles more powerful than ever and dinking on the decline, this style of play is only becoming more common.

While it might be tempting to label that player “just a banger” with no soft game, we’ve got a better idea: embrace the challenge.

Learn how to place your shots in spots they can’t attack from — or beat them at their own game and match pace with pace. We’ve got a few tips below that are sure to help.

Also in this issue:

  • The Steph Curry of pickleball shots ⛹️‍♂️

  • Shoe scientists analyze our new DAPS pickleball shoes 🧑‍🔬

  • We get rowdy with Jack Munro on episode 4 of Pickleballers 😂

  • Franklin releases their highly anticipated new C45 paddle models 👀

Let’s cook. 🧑‍🍳

GIVEAWAY

3 DAYS LEFT — WIN DAPS PICKLEBALL SHOES FOR A YEAR

We've helped create the BEST PICKLEBALL SHOE EVER and are so excited to give away DAPS shoes for a year to one winner and a pair of DAPS shoes to 10 winners.

Winners can choose from their style of shoe! 👊

THIS IS A NEWSLETTER ONLY GIVEAWAY… so SUBSCRIBE to our FREE newsletter HERE & RECEIVE up to 100 additional entries! 👊

If you’ve already subscribed, just enter your email again and follow the bonus steps to register.

BONUS MULTIPLIER: INVITE 5 friends to our Facebook community (The Kitchen - A Pickleball Community) and ALL of your entries are DOUBLED! ✅

AMATEUR HIGHLIGHT OF THE WEEK

This is what we call AURA farming

Ever seen Steph Curry turn around before his three-pointer even hits the net? This pickleball point is the rec-level equivalent — the guy knows it’s over and walks away before the ball even bounces twice. Just look at the crowd’s reaction — jaws dropped and eyes wide.

SHOE SCIENCE

The science behind our new DAPS pickleball shoes explained by actual shoe scientists

Last week we told you the story of how two brothers and their childhood friend created DAPS, a new high-performance brand of pickleball shoes. We also shared an in-depth review breaking down our own personal experiences with the sneakers.

But what do the experts have to say about the DAPS?

We recently caught up with Dr. Geoffrey Gray, who runs the Heeluxe Performance Lab, an independent research facility dedicated to testing all kinds of shoes, from high heels to hiking boots to athletic sneakers. He ran the DAPS through his full slate of testing, compared them to other pickleball and tennis shoes and shared his key findings with us this week.

The metric where the DAPS pickleball shoes stood out in Dr. Gray’s research the most compared to other brands was in change of direction, which is tested by how quick a player can complete a change of direction and how much force they can put into the ground while executing the movement. Those two factors combine to help a player cover more distance with their first step.

“That’s where the DAPS were head and shoulders above everything else that we have tested,” Dr. Gray said. “In a lot of other categories it met or exceeded the performance of the top competitors, which is good, but it’s that change of direction where they really excelled.”

PICKLEBALLERS PODCAST

The Secret to Pickleball Excellence, Youngest 5.0 in History, & PB Squid Games

The Pickleballers crew is joined by Jack Munro, the ambidextrous pickleball pro who was the YOUNGEST 5.0 PICKLEBALL PRO IN HISTORY! They chop it up about all the latest happenings in pickleball, discuss Anna Leigh Water's Times Square billboard, dive into if ALW is the greatest athlete in the world, break down strategies to improve your game, and a whole lot more.

🔗 Watch the full episode on YouTube, Spotify, or Apple

INSTRUCTIONAL

How to deal with power players

Playing a softer, more strategic game is great, but to advance up the ranks in pickleball, you’ll eventually have to face power players. Rather than shying away from them or labeling them as "just bangers," embrace the challenge. These aggressive players rely on relentless drives to dominate, and their fast-paced style can feel overwhelming.

But here’s the good news: even though many come from tennis and look like they were born with a racquet in hand, they’re not unbeatable. If you play a softer game, stick to your game plan and force them into a slower, more strategic game, one they’re less comfortable with.

Here are a few tips to help you counter power players ⬇️

Strong serves and returns: Hit deep, lofted serves and returns to give yourself time to prepare for their serve returns and third-shot drives. Aim for their backhand and hope they have to use it. Watching them struggle with it can feel oddly satisfying.

Let out balls go out: Watch for signs they’re overhitting, such as a big backswing or attempting to drive a low ball while moving forward. A drive shot angled upward, even if it’s just above the net, may fly long thanks to their powerful swing or forward momentum. With practice, you’ll instinctively know when to step aside and let them hand you the point.

Avoid the shake and bake: Power players will drive the third shot right at you and attack forward looking for anything coming back at them. Block their drive down at their feet to prevent them from rushing the net to finish the point.

PRODUCT OF THE WEEK

Expert review: Franklin releases new C45 models

Just a few months after releasing arguably their best and most popular paddle ever -- the C45 hybrid -- Franklin is at it again, adding two new shapes in multiple thicknesses to the C45 lineup.

Much like the original C45 hybrid (you can find an in-depth review of that specific paddle here), the new elongated and widebody shapes generally offer low swingweights and good pop at the kitchen line. But the different shapes -- Tempo (widebody), Dynasty (elongated) and hybrid -- have slightly different performance characteristics.

Heres what you need to know ⬇️

Franklin C45 Dynasty — Best for players who want to play a more aggressive and offensive game. The elongated shape of the Dynasty paddles allows players to generate more power and spin, which also makes this paddle a great option for singles players.

Franklin C45 hybrid — Best for players who want a lot of pop at the kitchen line and prefer a lighter paddle or want a lot of wiggle room in terms of how much they can customize the weight.

Franklin C45 Tempo — Best for players who prefer to play a patient style and rely on resets and moving dinks around to win points. The 16mm version of this paddle is one of the best control-focused paddles on the market.

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