Our stories and guides, plus the latest from around pickleball, in one place.
Better pickleball players often use more net clearance than intermediates expect. The goal isn’t to skim the tape—it’s to create a ball that clears safely, then drops into a difficult contact zone. More margin can improve drops, topspin drives, resets, and dinks while reducing cheap errors. A 3.8-rated player recently described a coaching change that
Read at Pickleball Union ↗The Vara Performance Rating (VPR) is a free skill rating built from the matches you play here. What moves it, what reliable and provisional mean, how the leaderboard works, and where DUPR fits.
Vara PerformanceFour ways to play pickleball regularly, from drop-in games to a season with standings. What each one asks of you, what you get back, and how to pick.
Vara PerformanceThree players and a court is the most frustrating number in pickleball. Here's how to fill the last spot quickly: post a Need a 4th, lean on a group, and find players at your level.
Vara PerformanceOpen play is the easiest way into pickleball: show up, put your paddle in line and play with whoever is next. Here's how it works, what to bring and how to find a session near you.
Vara PerformanceTwo rulebooks govern most organized pickleball in the US. Most of the game is the same under both. Here are the differences you might actually run into at open play, with the section numbers to check.
Vara PerformanceWhat the pickleball injury research says about your feet, ankles and knees, a 60-second foot check, and the insole our reviewers keep in every court shoe.
Read at Pickleball Union ↗Fourteen months after the original Boomstik shook up the power paddle market, Selkirk is preparing its next big release. Here's a first look ahead of the November 10 launch.
Read at The Dink ↗Two versions. Two very different personalities. The new Nightblade 001 and 002 put explosive power and controlled stability on opposite sides of the same battlefield — for just $150 apiece.
Read at The Dink ↗Pickleball Union argues that players should step into the non-volley zone for short dinks instead of stretching from behind the line. Here is the rule, the footwork and a simple drill.
Vara Performance · Source: Pickleball UnionAfter 50, back-to-back pickleball is less about age and more about recovery. If soreness improves during a 5–10 minute warm-up and you’re moving normally, a lighter second day may be fine. If pain worsens, movement changes, or fatigue lingers, take a rest day before playing hard again. A recent r/Pickleball thread asked a wonderfully simple
Read at Pickleball Union ↗The returner is often a smart third-shot target because they’re still moving forward. But as players improve, don’t target them automatically. Read the return, their footwork, the middle, and available space. The best third shot is the one that forces a weaker fourth and gives you an easier fifth. You’ve probably heard this third-shot rule:
Read at Pickleball Union ↗The Dink, citing coach Kyle Koszuta, says dashing to the kitchen after every drop leads to pop-ups. Here are the one stop and two stop patterns and how to time your split step.
Vara Performance · Source: The DinkA disagreement over a tournament format allegedly turned physical at an Ave Maria pickleball facility, with a slow cooker becoming an unlikely part of the confrontation. Or was it?
Read at The Dink ↗Pickleball's explosive growth isn't slowing down. But as clubs face mounting financial pressure, the difference between thriving and surviving may come down to location, community and a defensible business model.
Read at The Dink ↗PPA Hong Kong was a 1500-point event with slow courts, surprising exits, and a fresh debate about singles versus doubles. Here are the seven takeaways that matter most for players and fans.
Read at The Dink ↗Your two-handed backhand volley depends on thoracic rotation and a healthy rotator cuff, two things most players never train. Here are two simple drills that fix both.
Read at The Dink ↗We're teaming up with DUPR for a Halloween costume contest, and three winners are walking away with prizes. Dress up, send DUPR your photo, and you could be one of them.
Read at The Dink ↗Major League Pickleball says Houston is getting a team in 2027, with an ownership group headed by Hugh Zhang. Here is what the league shared and how it could matter to everyday players.
Vara Performance · Source: Major League PickleballWe've mapped pickleball courts across the US using OpenStreetMap. Here's where the data comes from and how to help verify the courts you play.
Vara PerformanceHow the Dynamic Universal Pickleball Rating works, why it changes, and how to get one, in plain language.
Vara PerformanceFree lighted courts, rec center open play most mornings, and indoor options: a local guide to every place to play in Clarksville and Fort Campbell.
Vara PerformanceEvery court near you, open play you can trust, and a profile that's yours. Free for players, and built privacy-first.
Vara PerformanceThe punch volley is the shot that keeps hard hitters from crowding the kitchen. Here are five keys to hit it deep, balanced, and with confidence.
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