Pickleball Con at the Kansas City Convention Center proved to be more than just a gathering for pickleball enthusiasts—it became a powerful event that brought together veterans, athletes, and fans of all ages to celebrate the unifying nature of the sport. Gabriel George, a retired Navy veteran, highlighted how pickleball has become more than just a game for him. "This is therapy for me," George said, emphasizing how the social aspect of pickleball helps him give back and connect with others. The event featured teams from across the nation, including a military adaptive sports pickleball team, showcasing the sport’s accessibility and appeal to veterans and disabled athletes.

Tyra "Hurricane" Black's journey from the world of professional tennis to becoming one of the first Black stars in pro pickleball is nothing short of remarkable. A near-death experience during a devastating earthquake in Turkey in 2023 led Black to reevaluate her life and career. Realizing that she no longer found joy in tennis, she made the bold decision to switch to pickleball, a sport that brought her genuine happiness. Within just three months of going pro, Black not only found success but also made history by defeating the world’s No. 1 player, Anna Leigh Waters, and securing her place as one of the top 10 picks in the 2024 Major League Pickleball draft.

Scoring points on your serve is arguably the most important skill for winning more games in pickleball. However, if you're struggling to get from the baseline to the kitchen after your serve or you're constantly on defense, you're likely missing out on scoring streaks and losing more games than necessary. Fortunately, there are six common mistakes that are causing this issue, and they're super easy to fix, making a massive difference in your game.

Today we delve into the intricacies of the third shot drive in pickleball, focusing on where to hit it and how to execute the famous shake and bake. Understanding the strategic targets for your third shot drive can significantly enhance your game. The three primary targets include hitting to the player on the move, targeting the weaker player, and aiming for the middle to create confusion. Each of these strategies, when combined with a well-executed dipping drive, can give you a substantial advantage on the court.

In the dynamic fitness landscape, pickleball – a sport that combines tennis, badminton, and table tennis elements – has become a favorite among the younger generation in Asia, shedding its image as a sport for seniors. For 27-year-old Jeremy Soh and his fiancée Jeovanne Poernomo, pickleball started as a sport for their parents but quickly became their passion. They began traveling to play in competitions across Asia and even established their own pickleball academy, Performance Pickleball, in Singapore. Their facility offers lessons for all ages and has seen a growing interest from companies looking to engage their staff in the sport.

Cantiere delle Marche (CdM) is crafting a unique experience for a fortunate U.S. client by building a 165-foot explorer yacht that includes a full-size pickleball court. This yacht, the second Flexplorer 165 model sold by the Italian shipyard, has been customized to meet the owner's distinct preferences, making it a standout within the explorer range.

There seems to be no middle ground on pickleball. People either love it or they hate it. We’ll leave it to others to debate pickleball’s merits as a sport, but it is good for us as a society. That’s because you can’t play pickleball alone.

Over the years, social scientists have criticized and bemoaned younger generations’ substitution of technology and social media for in-person social interactions. However, the decline in social interaction is older than millennials and Generation Z. People have been talking about the lack of civic engagement in every sphere of life at least as far back as the 1990s, when political scientist Robert Putnam published his essay “Bowling Alone: America’s Declining Social Capital.”

Vince Vaughn has acquired a majority ownership stake in the Coachella Valley Scorpions, one of 12 teams in the two-year-old National Pickleball League (NPL). Vaughn, a known pickleball enthusiast and actor, joins co-owner and team member Kim Jagd, who retains a minority share. The NPL, a professional league for players aged 50 and over, has seen significant growth, doubling its teams since its debut season.

Coco Gauff, the American tennis star, found herself in an awkward situation at the Olympics when U.S. rugby player Ilona Maher brought up pickleball. Known for her social media presence, Maher approached Gauff on the street before the Opening Ceremonies in Paris. The conversation turned tense when Maher mentioned pickleball, prompting Gauff to try and walk away before Maher pulled her back. While their interaction was playful, it highlighted Gauff's serious disdain for the rapidly growing paddle sport.

Imagine playing pickleball on a yacht, where every dink and drop shot is performed over the water. That's the unique experience offered by M/Y Aretha, a luxury yacht cruising the Adriatic, which features a full-sized, inflatable pickleball court attached to its side. This floating court has captured attention and raised some playful questions. What happens if the court drifts away? Do paddles double as oars? And does the "kitchen" offer gourmet delights like steak tartar and caviar?

Starting this fall semester, all 25 high schools in the Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) system will offer pickleball as a varsity sport, according to an announcement made by the school system on Monday. This initiative expands on last year's groundbreaking move when Montgomery County became the first in the nation to introduce varsity pickleball, initially launching teams at 11 schools. The inclusion of pickleball is part of the county’s corollary sports program, which aims to enhance interscholastic athletic opportunities for all students, particularly those with disabilities.

Club in El Segundo. Scheduled to open later this year, the club aims to blend competition with social interaction in a fully converted indoor warehouse. Founder Brett Drogmund, who discovered pickleball during the pandemic, is spearheading this project to create a community-centric space that combines live music, a dance floor, and a full-service bar and restaurant with ten pickleball courts. The club will offer rentable courts, paddles, and balls, and will not require membership fees, making it accessible to all.

Christy’s of Indiana is currently holding an online auction to sell off the entire inventory of the now-defunct Pickleball Rocks business. Jack Christy, Jr., the owner of the Indiana auction house, anticipates a successful auction due to the current high demand for pickleball gear. Spread across 7,000 square feet of storage space at Christy’s, the inventory includes a wide array of pickleball items such as hats, shirts, balls, nets, promotional magnets, license plate frames, and a significant number of paddles. Notably, there are 3,200 carbon fiber paddles, mostly bundled in lots of four to attract individual buyers and players.

Pickleball has been gaining traction as one of the fastest-growing sports in the United States, often touted for its health benefits and potential as a solid workout. To understand how pickleball stacks up against other racquet sports, a comprehensive analysis by measuring physical activity across various sports, including pickleball singles and doubles, tennis singles and doubles, squash singles, and racquetball singles. Using an Apple Watch to track metrics such as calories burned and heart rate, data from 70 different sessions to draw meaningful comparisons.

While College Football 25 may not be available for PC gamers, pickleball enthusiasts have something new to celebrate. The rapidly growing sport has made its way into the gaming world with the release of PPA Pickleball Tour 2025 by FarSight Studios. This new game aims to capture the excitement and competitiveness of pickleball, featuring career and quick play modes, a character generator, and even motion-captured pickleball professionals like Anna Leigh Waters and Ben Johns.

Stance: One common mistake is standing too tall at the kitchen line. This reduces your mobility and forces you to bend over to hit the ball, leading to popped-up dinks. Stay low, with your feet shoulder-width apart and your body in an athletic stance. Always play lower than your opponent.

Sunday, July 14th, was a monumental day in global sports, featuring the Wimbledon Gentlemen’s final, the European Championship final, the Copa America final, and the MLB draft. Amidst this frenzy, the 2024 Major League Pickleball mid-season tournament hosted its finals, broadcasted on ESPN2 and the Tennis Channel. The tournament, officially titled the 2024 Advil Targeted Relief MLP Mid-Season Tournament, reverted to an end-to-end competition format, culminating in winners being awarded and money disbursed by the weekend's end.

Pickleball players in Los Angeles will have a new facility to relish later this year. California Smash Pickleball and Social Club have signed a new 25,300-square-foot lease at 815 North Nash Street in El Segundo. JLL’s Gary Horwitz, Caroline Bethel, and Kamil Agha represented California Smash in the deal, while Gateway Business Properties’ Jim Sullivan and Andrew Hardin represented landlord Gretchen B. Farrell Trust. The new complex, currently an industrial building, is set to open with 10 padded indoor pickleball courts, a full-service bar, restaurant, and a dance floor.

Amazon Prime Day 2024 has brought some notable deals, including a significant discount on the Diadem Edge 18K pickleball paddle, a favorite among CBS Sports Essentials readers. This popular paddle, which is usually priced at $230, is now available for $154, offering an opportunity for pickleball enthusiasts to upgrade their gear at a reduced price.

Rick Barry, the 12-time NBA All-Star and 1975 Finals MVP, has channeled his competitive spirit into pickleball, achieving remarkable success at the age of 80. Over the weekend, he showcased his skills at the Golden State Warriors' pickleball tournament at Chase Center’s Thrive City. Barry’s passion for the sport has earned him numerous accolades, including a triple crown at the U.S. Open in Naples, Florida, where he won gold medals in singles, doubles, and mixed doubles in his age group.