Use your wrist wisely

Pickleball paradise for sale.

January 02, 2025

We asked last week in our newsletter what pickleball-themed New Year's resolutions our readers had, and you delivered.

Submissions included everything from health- and fitness-related goals to specific skills to improve this year. There are several on the list that we should all try to incorporate into our own games.

A few of the top submissions:

  • Play more! (This was our most popular answer)

  • Play to win and lose with a smile. (AKA don't be this guy)

  • Stretch more, before and after.

  • Don't chuck any paddles into or over the fence.

  • Let out balls go out!

Here’s to those and many others. Happy New Year from The Kitchen team!

Also in this issue:

  • Pickleball getting serious in China 🇨🇳

  • Use your wrist wisely 🧠

  • How pickleball changed last year 📊

  • The first PPA Tour event of 2025 🌴

  • You’ll want to see this house 🏠

Let’s cook. 🧑‍🍳

GIVEAWAY

GIVEAWAY — TEN brand new JOOLA 3S paddles of your choice!

Holiday presents aren’t over just yet! We are excited to partner with JOOLA to give away TEN of their 3S pickleball paddles. Only a few days left to ENTER.

THIS IS A NEWSLETTER ONLY GIVEAWAY… so CLICK HERE and follow the steps to enter! 

BONUS MULTIPLIER: INVITE 5 friends to this newsletter to earn additional bonus entries!

HIGHLIGHT OF THE WEEK

Pros on the other end of the globe

China’s presence in table tennis & badminton already looms large.

But this point (and the fact that over 100 million players are expected there by 2029) demonstrates China isn’t far from dominating pickleball, too.

Check it out: three shots made from one knee. Crazy good point.

Also, if you haven’t already seen it, here’s our most viral pickleball point of 2024.

POLL

🔍️ What’s the strangest thing you’ve seen on the pickleball court?

Reply to this email with your most unusual story from the court.

INSTRUCTION

Your wrist is full of power … use it wisely

Amateur pickleball players often get confused on when they should be using their wrist while hitting a shot and when they shouldn't.

In the James Ignatowich Newsletter last week, pro player Ryan Fu broke the decision down into two categories: "soft shots" and "hard shots."

Any shot that you are trying to have land inside the kitchen is considered a “soft shot,” such as dinks, resets and drops.

Adding wrist action increases the variance of these shots, while keeping a fixed wrist will help you be more consistent in this area.

“Hard shots” — such as serves, returns, drives, rolls and flicks — require more spin, and wrist action helps accomplish this.

These shots are usually hit when the ball is above the height of the net, so it's important to use the wrist in order to come over the top of the ball to generate topspin.

It's also important to accelerate quickly through the shot.

HOME SWEET HOME

Jaw-dropping pickleball estate for sale

This pickleball paradise just outside of Salt Lake City could be all yours.

A pickleball pro/coach is selling his 6,186 square foot house in American Fork, Utah … and it’s every pickleball fanatic’s dream.

The home has served as a training facility for many of the Utah-based pro players like Callie Smith, Etta Wright, Allyce Jones, Tyler Loong & many more!

An incredible list of amenities includes:

  • TWO pickleball courts (one indoor, one outdoor)

  • Attached 4-car garage with electric vehicle charging station

  • Ample patio/deck space

  • Home gym

  • Fully-fenced yard

Marketed by Equity Real Estate - Premier Elite. Contact Leanna Deherrera, (801) 688-4060 // [email protected] for inquiries.

FEATURED STORY

3 ways pickleball changed in 2024

Unlike older, more established sports, the mechanics of pickleball tend to evolve year over year ... which is part of what makes it so exciting to be a part of.

Pro Jack Munro was reflecting on the changes in pickleball he noticed in 2024, signaling where the game is going in 2025:

1) Right sider strategy shift

"Traditionally, the right-sider was seen as a 'steady Eddie,' content to play defense and keep the ball in play. But 2024 showed us that right-side players have to be ready to attack, too," Jack says.

→ Don’t box yourself in. Be prepared to seize the offensive moment when the pattern favors you.

2) Double down on forehands/rolls

"More and more players run around the ball to take a forehand dink, adding topspin to stay aggressive. We’re also seeing two-handed backhands and a 'roll-first' mentality to keep opponents guessing."

→ Rolling dinks can seamlessly blend into a speed-up. If every forehand dink looks like a potential attack, your opponents have to stay on their toes.

3) Poppy paddles, quicker points

"Control paddles are being overshadowed by ‘pop’ or ‘power’ paddles, and the game has sped up noticeably."

→ If you don’t have a power-oriented paddle, consider trying one to keep up with the metagame. At the very least, it’ll force you to re-learn control.

🔗 Check out some great power paddles here

PRODUCT OF THE WEEK

Take eye protection seriously this year

We’ve seen it over and over in recent years: Players taking an errant shot from their opponent or a deflection off of their partner’s paddle to the eye, sometimes resulting in serious injuries.

With more power in the game than ever before, eye protection is even more necessary.

Luckily for you Pickleball Central is offering a sale right now on all JOOLA eyewear. With three styles to choose from and multiple color options, we’re sure you can find something you like.

The two governing bodies in pickleball both made headlines late last week regarding equipment approval.

  • USA Pickleball announced that several power paddles will be "sunset" July 1 because they exceed updated testing standards. See the full list here.

  • And the UPA-A, which governs equipment standards at the pro level for the PPA Tour and Major League Pickleball, circulated the latest list of brands that have sent paddles in for provisional certification and are listed as "in good standing."

THE PROS

PPA Tour kicks off 2025 with stacked fields at The Masters

The first PPA Tour stop of the year is also the most iconic tournament on the calendar – The Masters in Palm Springs, California.

The visuals alone make this tournament stand out, with pros required to wear all white and the courts at Mission Hills Country Club painted all green.

The Masters is also the first Slam of the season, offering 2,000 ranking points toward the season-long race. That means the fields are stacked with all the top talent and plenty of new partnerships as players look to get their 2025 campaign off to a strong start.

Speaking of new partnerships: You may have heard last month that Ben Johns and Collin Johns had split up. Well, that’s apparently not the case (yet). The brothers will team up in men’s doubles for what is believed to be their final tournament together.

The tournament gets started on Jan. 6 with pro qualifying, then it will be a progressive draw (one round per day in each division) from Tuesday through Sunday.

Looking to catch the action in person? Tickets can be purchased here.

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