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Should Ben and Anna Leigh Split Up?
We break down our top 13 paddles on the market right now
We’ve got a secret to share with you in today’s newsletter: Almost all pickleball players, even the pros, get nervous and tight late in a close match. It happens to everybody, including your opponents, and it’s actually a good sign — it means you care.
Pro player Anna Bright recently gave a perfect demonstration of how to approach late-match scenarios when nerves are part of the equation. The lesson: Give yourself some extra margin for error, trust your partner and fall back on the hours or practice you’ve put in. Learn more below.
Also in this issue:
3rd shot lob for the W 🦞
Ben Johns scary mid-match moment breakdown 😳
The Kitchen founder on why Ben and Anna Leigh should split up 🎧
Send us your best amateur highlights 🎥
Our top 13 paddles on the market right now 🔥
Kitchen shirts, hoodies, and crewnecks! 👕
Let’s get cookin’. 🧑🍳
HIGHLIGHT OF THE WEEK
3rd shot lob drop for the W
The GOAT is back at it again. 🐐
As if Anna Leigh Waters needed another weapon, she has now developed a literally unstoppable shot. Folks meet the match-winning third shot drop. This literally might be the nastiest shot in pickleball and is definitely the most demoralizing way to lose a match. 🥵
PPA NEWPORT BEACH RECAP
Ben Johns SCARY mid-match moment!
Chris Cali from the Sorry Not Sorry pickleball show has joined team Kitchen where he’ll be breaking down all the best pro and amateur highlights from around the Picklesphere.
The PPA Newport Beach Open went down last week and we saw some absolutely crazy moments. Crashouts, body bags, upsets, cheating, flying umbrellas, and Ben Johns almost getting hit by a golf ball!
The only thing crazier than the action is Cali’s breakdown of it all. Enjoy!
THE KITCHEN MERCH
We have shirts, hoodies, and crewnecks too!
We know you guys love the classic Kitchen hats - but we just dropped a few new Kitchen tees and put the hoodies and crewnecks on sale. The tees are printed on a soft, heavyweight cotton shirt with a relaxed fit that holds its shape, gets better after a few washes, and has that subtle vintage feel.
PICKLEBALLERS
Should Ben and Anna Leigh split up?
In case you missed it last week, world No. 1 singles player Hunter Johnson joined Pickleballers and we discussed that it might actually be good for pickleball if Anna Leigh Waters and Ben Johns were treated as rivals, even though they dominate different divisions.
The Kitchen founder Jared Paul argued that every major sport thrives on clear rivalries between its biggest stars. Those rivalries create storylines, spark debate, and give fans something bigger to follow than just the results on the scoreboard.
This might be our hottest (and most accurate) take to date and would throw the entire pro pickleball world upside down. 🙃
SUBMIT YOUR HIGHLIGHT
Get featured on our Top 10 Amateur Highlights of the Month!
Got a highlight clip worth sharing? We’re looking for the best amateur pickleball moments to feature in The Kitchen’s Top 10 Amateur Pickleball Highlights of the Month on YouTube.
First place will receive a prize from a selection that includes:
A $500 DoorDash gift card
The Kitchen merch
Pickleball gear
HOW TO SUBMIT YOUR CLIPS
✍️ Fill out this google form. Make sure to include your email, name, location, Instagram handle, and WeTransfer video link.
🎥 Videos must be filmed horizontally.
🎬 Please limit submissions to two clips per person.
Whether it’s a clutch point, a wild rally, an insane trick shot or pure pickleball chaos, we want to see it!
INSTRUCTION
Learn from the pros: A high third-shot drop is much better than one into the net
There's a lesson we can all learn from what is so far the biggest upset of 2026 on the PPA Tour.
Last month at the PPA Tour Mesa Cup, Anna Bright/Hayden Patriquin stunned Ben Johns/Anna Leigh Waters by rolling to a three-game sweep in the gold-medal match.
On match point, Bright sent a third-shot drop high over the net to Johns, who hit an aggressive attack. At this point in the rally, Johns/Waters would have been heavy favorites to win the point, but Patriquin bailed his partner out with a very good dig and won them the point with a speedup down the middle a few shots later.
That sequence was in sharp contrast to what happened the previous week at the Cape Coral Open. Bright/Patriquin had a match point on Johns/Waters in Game 4 of the final at that tournament, but Bright missed a third-shot drop into the net. Johns/Waters went on to win that match.
Two match points. Two third shots. Two very different results.
In the first rally, the attempt at a perfect third shot drop goes into the net and ends the match.
In the second, the third floats a little high, gets attacked … and they still win the rally and take the championship.
The takeaway for amateur players: It’s better to hit a third-shot drop that gets attacked than a third that never makes it over.
PADDLES
Our top 13 paddles on the market right now
Already in 2026 we’ve seen the release of multiple paddles that have shaken up the market. Some brands have made tweaks to popular Gen 3 models, others have released durable grit technology and some smaller brands are making a serious push in the performance paddle scene.
We’ve tested the new releases, sought feedback from pros and put together a comprehensive list to help you find the perfect paddle for your game. Below you'll find what we believe to be the best paddles available right now.
JOOLA PRO V SERIES: JOOLA has introduced a new "KineticFrame" in its new Pro V models, which was inspired by kick-point engineering in hockey sticks and golf clubs. The KineticFrame is built to flex and recover during impact, and unlike prior paddles with a "diving board" neck flex, the KineticFrame allows the paddle head to move parallel to its original position. That is meant to produce a more predictable & repeatable exit trajectory. Shop here and get a FREE Kitchen hat of your choice with your purchase.
HONOLULU J6CR: We think the Honolulu J6CR is the best “full foam” paddle on the market right now. The paddle features an intricate core design with multiple layers and cutouts that allow the paddle to absorb and transfer energy to the ball in a more controlled way. It has more of a “pocketing” effect on contact compared to many other foam paddles, which makes it a breeze to shape the ball on shots from the baseline and flicks out of the air at the kitchen line. Shop here — use code “KITCHEN” at checkout for 10% off.
RPM FRICTION PRO: This paddle -- designed by pro player James Ignatowich -- has everything a player could want: Top-tier spin, great power and effortless control. Shop here — use code “KITCHEN” at checkout for 15% off.
STAY HYDRATED
GET FREE ELECTROLYTES AND ENERGY DRINKS TODAY!
Pickleball pros Anna Bright and Zane Navratil have launched a new pickleball hydration company. To celebrate their launch, SLAMIT Hydration is giving away 500 FREE SAMPLES of their premium electrolyte powder and energy drink mix made just for pickleball players.
Claim your FREE SAMPLE PACK of both today only and get 12 bonus pickleball training gifts from Anna Bright, Zane Navratil, Tanner Tomassi, Shea Underwood and That Pickleball Guy (Kyle Koszuta). Just pay shipping.
SLAMIT tastes great and helps you win!
QUICK HITS
Speechless: One of the nastiest shots we’ve ever seen
Bodybags: Chris Cali trolls Christian Alshon and Collin Johns
Grunts: Federico Staksrud annoyed by Hunter Johnson’s loud grunts
Expert Review: New Friday Aura and Aura Pro paddles
What did you think of this week's newsletter? |