Vietnam Cup sets attendance record

JOOLA releases dual-certified 3S Series paddles

 

We’ve been saying it for years: Just wait until pickleball takes off in Asia.

Well, the future is now. Back-to-back PPA Tour Asia tournaments in Malaysia and Vietnam drew huge crowds recently and up-and-coming pros from the region put up a good fight against some of the top U.S.-based players.

This weekend's PPA Tour Asia Vietnam Cup -- held at the Tien Son Sports Arena in Da Nang -- officially set a Guinness World Record for the most people to attend a pickleball event, with 7,906 fans attending Saturday's matches. More details below.

Also in this issue:

  • Tennis shoes vs. pickleball shoes: What’s the real difference? 🤔

  • This guy refused to lose this hands battle 😮

  • PPA Tour Asia tournament sets new attendance record 🤯

  • JOOLA launches dual-approved 3S paddles 👀

  • Pickleball vacation to New Zealand? Yes, please ✈️

  • Everything you need to know about this week’s Virginia Beach Cup 🌊

Let’s get cookin’. 🧑‍🍳

AMATEUR HIGHLIGHT OF THE WEEK

Big dawg came to EAT in this hands battle

This is the kind of point every pickleball player dreams of: A fast-paced hands battle, a behind-the-back counter in the middle of it and a clean winner to finish it all off.

Both players involved in this highlight played a great point, but our guy in the white simply refused to let any ball get by him.

🔗 Check out this crazy hands battle on Instagram, Facebook or TikTok

GEAR

Tennis shoes vs. pickleball shoes: What’s the real difference?

Beginning pickleball players tend to underestimate the importance of their shoes when it comes to performance.

The wrong footwear can limit quickness and stability, increase fatigue on muscles and joints as well as contribute to injuries. Running shoes lack lateral support. Tennis shoes, while closer in function, aren’t optimized for the unique movements of pickleball — shorter sprints, quick stops and lateral movement on a smaller court.

We recently broke down the key differences between tennis shoes and pickleball shoes, and how those differences ultimately impact your game.

OUTSOLE DESIGN & TRACTION

Because many tennis players tend to slide or drag their feet before and after their shots, tennis shoes often have harder rubber outsoles. This means they won't wear out as fast, but it also means they aren't ideal for the quick starts and stops that are needed in pickleball. The DAPS pickleball shoes are made with a high-durability rubber outsole that hits the sweet spot — tough enough to last, but soft enough to grip.

STRAIGHT-LINE SPEED VS. LATERAL QUICKNESS

Tennis shoes are built for longer strides and baseline play. Pickleball requires quicker, shorter movements and abrupt stops. That’s why lateral stability is often a key feature in pickleball shoes.

What type of shoe do you wear to play pickleball?

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THE KITCHEN OPEN ATLANTA

$40 discount ends tonight at midnight!

We are LESS THAN THREE WEEKS away from TKO Atlanta! The biggest discount ends and price goes up at midnight TONIGHT!

Come join us for a weekend of pickleball, music, food, and drinks!

THE PROS

Will jet lag be a factor for top players at this week’s PPA Tour Virginia Beach Cup?

The PPA Tour is back in Virginia Beach this week for the second straight year.

The Virginia Beach Cup starts Tuesday, kicking off a stretch of three big events in the next five weeks (the Vegas Cup will be Oct. 20-26, followed by the Pickleball World Championships Nov. 3-9).

This week's tournament offers 1,500 standings points to the winners in each division, and most of the top players and teams are in the field.

TOP STORYLINES

Women’s doubles: No. 1 seed Anna Leigh Waters/Anna Bright have been beaten in the semifinals in their last two tournaments -- first by Jorja Johnson/Tyra Black in Las Vegas and then by Jade and Jackie Kawamoto in Cincinnati. While all of those players are in the field again this week, there’s been some partner shuffling among the 2-4 seeds.

Men’s doubles: Ben Johns/Gabe Tardio have won their last four tournaments together, and done it in convincing fashion as of late. There were times earlier this year when you could make a case for multiple teams to be the "favorites" in men's doubles, but it is now clearly this duo. There is a twist this week, however: Johns has spent the past two weeks playing over in Asia and flew back on Sunday. So he'll have had limited time to recover from the long trip before his first matches this week.

Mixed doubles: Waters and Johns have won the past five PPA Tour events in mixed doubles, with their last loss coming to Jorja Johnson/JW Johnson at the North Carolina Open in April. As long as jet lag isn't a huge factor for Johns, they’re expected to find the winner's circle again.

All of this week's matches can be viewed on Pickleballtv -- which is also now available on YouTube TV.

PICKLEBALL TRIPS

Take a pickleball vacation to New Zealand

This coming March you can travel with the Pickleball Trips team across the north Island of New Zealand on a one-of-a-kind pickleball/sightseeing excursion.

Destinations will include the serene Waiheke Island, known for its plethora of local wineries, the beautiful Lake Taupo with its classic Kiwi adventures, and ‘Hobbiton’, home of Frodo Baggins in the Lord of the Rings trilogy.

In between, travelers will encounter the breathtaking natural beauty of New Zealand as the group stops for various hikes and other local experiences. But of course, no Pickleball Trip would be complete without your go-to paddle, as the group will be playing recreationally with clubs in Auckland, Hawkes Bay, and Wellington.

TRENDING

This weekend's PPA Tour Asia Vietnam Cup -- held at the Tien Son Sports Arena in Da Nang -- officially set a Guinness World Record for the most people to attend a pickleball event, with 7,906 fans attending Saturday's matches.

The previous record for the largest attendance at a pickleball event was 5,522.

"This achievement reflects the strong coordination between local authorities, organizers, sponsors, athletes and especially the fans," Da Nang Pickleball Federation president Tran Phuoc Son told a local news outlet.

Several U.S.-based players were competing in the event, including Ben Johns, Dekel Bar, Tyson McGuffin, Eric Oncins, Zane Navratil, Jonathan Truong, Kaitlyn Christian, Chao Yi Wang, Alix Truong, Liz Truluck and Hannah Blatt. Many of the same players also competed in the PPA Tour Asia Malaysia Cup two weeks ago.

The two-week stretch in Asia further proved that countries like Vietnam, Malaysia, China and India could be the site of pickleball's next boom.

PADDLE CORNER

JOOLA releases dual-certified 3S paddles

One of the most popular paddles among pros and amateurs of the past two years — the JOOLA 3S Series — has now been re-released with new colorways and the stamp of approval from both USA Pickleball and the United Pickleball Association of America.

The paddles previously were not USAP certified. The dual-certification means that amateur players can now use the 3S paddles in any tournament setting, whether that's a PPA Tour/MLP event or a USAP sanctioned event.

There are 5 models that have been released as dual-certified versions of the 3S Series.

They all feature JOOLA’s Propulsion Core technology and textured carbon fiber surface, delivering great power and spin potential, with added quality assurance to meet current UPA-A and USAP standards.

Hyperion 3S Dual: Blue and green, fluid and controlled. This model features a curved top edge designed for more maneuverability.

Perseus 3S Dual 16mm: Teal and purple, sharp and unapologetic. Built for players who drive with precision but crave touch for drops and resets.

Perseus 3S Dual 14mm: Thinner core = more pop in hands battles at the net than its 16mm counterpart.

Scorpeus 3S Dual: Blazing yellow and orange. Standard paddle shape built for players who thrive on defense and strike back fast at the kitchen line.

Magnus 3S Dual: Electric yellow collides with hot pink. An elongated paddle face and a slightly shorter handle built for players with a one-handed backhand who don’t hold back on offense.

QUICK HITS

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