If your pickleball journey has been life changing, heartwarming, or even just weirdly inspiring, it might land you on a temporary court set up between the Washington Monument and the Capitol. The National Mall of Pickleball returns for its third year, and this time it comes with a twist. Eight lucky duos from across the country will be flown in for a free weekend in Washington DC, culminating in a high profile match on center court, and all you have to do is submit the best story about how pickleball changed your life.

Winning at higher levels of pickleball means creating your own offense. You can’t wait around for your opponent to hand you an easy point. Instead, it’s about recognizing patterns, exploiting weaknesses, and converting soft balls into sharp, strategic attacks. One of the most effective ways to generate offense is by using smart placement of dinks to pull opponents out wide and then attack their inside foot. By using a crosscourt dink to stretch them and following with a hard roll to their center line, you control both space and timing. That sequence not only makes it hard for them to reset but also opens up the court for your next move.

Flicks, rolls, and poke volleys are the flashy shots everyone wants to master, but timing is everything. Use them wrong and you hand away points. Use them right and you dictate the pace of play. The roll is your best friend when opponents are back, perfect for a fourth shot out of the air to keep them deep. Flicks are for attacking from below the net when your opponents are already pressed forward. Pokes create instant pressure in hand battles, especially when the ball sits low and you’re toe-to-toe at the kitchen. All three have their moment, but they are only effective when used with precision and purpose.

Major League Pickleball’s midseason waiver period brought fireworks, and none more explosive than the Carolina Hogs cutting Collin Johns. Once viewed as a fixture beside his brother Ben on the court, Collin was surprisingly waived and replaced by Roscoe Bellamy. The move stunned fans and raised eyebrows across the league. While Bellamy brings youthful fire and raw power, few expected Carolina to walk away from the tactical, right-side reliability that Collin offered. The whispers were already there: Collin was never thrilled about his team setup or the league’s structure. Now it seems Carolina decided to stop pretending everything was fine.

The third shot drop is the most misunderstood shot in recreational pickleball. For many players, it feels like a coin toss between brilliance and disaster. But that inconsistency usually comes down to missing just one or two fundamental principles. The truth is, mastering this shot has little to do with natural talent and everything to do with mechanics, preparation, and discipline. If you’re still sending balls into the net or floating them up for easy putaways, the fix starts with understanding paddle positioning, timing, and footwork—not buying a more expensive paddle.

Eight years after their last tennis clash, Jack Sock and Donald Young are back on opposite sides of the net, but this time it is in San Clemente and they are holding pickleball paddles. Competing in the PPA Select Medical Orange County Cup, both former tennis pros are part of an elite bracket filled with familiar names from the ATP and WTA tours. Sock’s narrow victory and Young’s rapid win in their opening matches have set the stage for a second-round singles showdown that promises more than just nostalgia.

There are five rookie mistakes that seem to follow new pickleball players like a shadow, and correcting them is one of the fastest ways to upgrade your game. These aren’t minor technicalities either—they’re the kinds of habits that sabotage rallies, frustrate partners, and keep you stuck at the same level no matter how often you play. The good news? Each one is easy to fix once you know what to look for.

With demand for court space often far exceeding supply, a growing number of pickleball enthusiasts across the country are solving the problem the old-fashioned way—by pouring concrete in their own backyards. Faced with long wait times at local parks and tension over court-sharing with tennis players, more and more players are transforming private property into personal pickleball oases. What used to be the domain of the especially obsessed is now becoming a full-blown trend, and the results are as practical as they are personal.

ESPN is heading to Michigan this July, and for once it’s not for a football rivalry or a Red Wings update. As part of its ambitious “50 States in 50 Days” SportsCenter tour, the network is landing in Grand Rapids to spotlight the Edward Jones Major League Pickleball Midseason Tournament at the Beer City Open. Set to air live on July 10 during a 2 p.m. broadcast, the segment will be anchored by Christine Williamson directly from Belknap Park, offering national exposure to a tournament already recognized as a fan favorite on the pro tour.

The Association of Pickleball Players (APP) has fired a significant shot in the ongoing battle to globalize the sport by expanding its international footprint through new and extended partnerships. The organization announced on June 11th its collaboration with Global Sports Pickleball (GSP), India’s leading pickleball body, and a renewed agreement with Pickleball England, which operates the continent’s largest tournament, the English Open. These moves signal a strategic effort by the APP to not only export American expertise but to nurture reciprocal development that brings international talent into U.S. training academies and tours.

If you’re serious about stopping opponents from marching to the kitchen line, you need more than just hustle—you need the right kind of aggression. In pickleball, not all volleys are created equal. There are four distinct shots—the roll, the flick, the poke, and the punch—that each serve a different tactical purpose depending on your opponent’s position. Learning when and how to use each one is the difference between a passive redirect and a point-ending play.

Major League Pickleball’s Daytona Beach stop delivered fireworks—and perhaps its biggest surprise of the season—as the LA Mad Drops surged from mid-table mediocrity to title contention. With dominant showings against league leaders St. Louis and Texas, LA finished the weekend undefeated, powered by elite singles play and standout performances from Parenteau and Kawamoto. Meanwhile, other top contenders faltered—St. Louis dropped their first match of the year, and New Jersey fell to a feisty Utah squad in a DreamBreaker stunner.

A new player is entering the court-side social scene—big time. Ballers, a high-concept racket-sports social club, just secured $20 million in Series A funding from a stacked lineup of pro athletes and industry investors, including Andre Agassi, Sloane Stephens, and sports magnate David Blitzer. With plans to open over 50 locations nationwide, the concept blends premium pickleball, padel, and other court sports with upscale dining, craft cocktails, and nightlife vibes—all under one luxurious roof. First up: a flagship in Philadelphia’s historic Turbine Hall, followed quickly by Boston, L.A., and Miami.

Palm Springs could soon become a top-tier destination for dinks, drops, and post-match drinks with a new pickleball complex proposed just steps from the airport. If approved, Pickle Park Palm Springs would offer 16 courts, extended daily hours, and an on-site bar—turning a patch of land near Ramon Road into a serious hotspot for locals and traveling players alike. The city’s planning commission is set to vote on the project June 10, and so far, city staff is backing the plan.

Venice Beach got a little less casual this week when Andy Roddick and Terrell Owens showed up swinging—and not for selfies. The former tennis world No. 1 and the six-time Pro Bowl receiver teamed up for a promo event and proceeded to dismantle unsuspecting civilians on the pickleball court. Roddick’s laser serves and Owens’ freakish athleticism made it clear: even when they’re off-duty, these guys aren’t in the mood to “go easy.” Call it a friendly match if you want, but from the scoreboard’s point of view, it was target practice.

The transition zone isn’t a sprint to the kitchen—it’s a battlefield, and rushing through it guarantees you’ll lose the skirmish. Success in this middle ground comes down to four critical habits: stopping your feet before your opponent strikes, adopting a wide, catcher-like stance, lowering your paddle to expect foot attacks, and keeping that paddle in front like a shield. Most players blow through this area like it’s lava. But the real secret to smoother points and fewer errors is learning to control the chaos right there in the middle

A paddle is only as good as the hand that holds it—and most hands are getting it wrong. Grip choice might be the most overlooked aspect of the average player’s game, but it has an outsized effect on every shot you take. From backhands to serves, volleys to smashes, how you hold the paddle determines your mechanics, control, and ceiling as a player. Fixing your grip now saves you from a mountain of frustration later—and opens the door to cleaner technique and stronger results.

Burger King Japan has teamed up with the Pickleball Japan Federation to debut the Pickleball Burger—an eyebrow-raising concoction of three beef patties, 11 pickles, and rice-patty buns. Designed to ride the wave of pickleball’s global boom, the burger’s over-the-top build is equal parts fast food marketing gimmick and protein-packed spectacle. While it’s unclear how much actual “pickleball” inspiration went into the design beyond the pickles, it’s definitely catching attention—and a few sideways glances

Pickleball isn’t just a sport anymore—it’s now officially a muse. In an unexpected but entirely delightful turn, a Minnesota writer has published Pickles and Paradise, a collection of 80 poems devoted solely to the joys, quirks, and calamities of pickleball life. With everything from haikus to limericks, the book taps into the absurdity and beauty of the court, proving that paddle play can inspire just as much reflection as it does sweat. Complete with illustrations and observations drawn from real court time, it’s quickly becoming a must-have for anyone who’s ever shouted “nice shot!” and then immediately said “sorry.”

Performance meets personality in a bold collaboration that’s turning heads on and off the court. Diadem Sports has teamed up with Los Angeles-based art duo Shelby and Sandy to release a limited-edition pickleball paddle collection that blends tournament-grade engineering with playful, pop-inspired design. Dropping during National Pickleball Month, the three-paddle lineup celebrates individuality, craftsmanship, and the rising cultural tide of the sport. From vibrant visuals to collector-level packaging, these paddles were made to rally—both in spirit and in gameplay.