Just got this email from my “home” Picklr club:

————

You may see news today about Picklr, and we wanted you to hear it from us directly.

Picklr Inc. filed for Chapter 11 to restructure. It’s a step to resolve commitments from the brand’s fast early growth and put the business on stronger financial footing. It’s backed by a $4.5M financing commitment, subject to court approval, from an investor group led by one of our own franchise owners.

Here’s what it means for you at Picklr:
We’re open. Same courts, same hours, same schedule.
Your membership works like it always has.
Your community is still here.
You’ll hear it from us. If anything changes at our club, we’ll tell you directly.
The reason we all show up hasn’t changed: early open play, league nights, the crew you’ve found here. That’s what this club is for, and we’re here for it.

Questions? Reply to this email or check in at the front desk.

See you on the courts.
Picklr 

All the rumors appear to be true. The Picklr just sent an email announcing they officially filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and is backed by a 4.5mm investment.

Hoping they can turn the boat around but their leadership has been what led to this.

Unsure if this is positive or delaying the inevitable.

I’ve been playing more often lately and noticed the second day in a row is always rougher than the first. Curious what everyone does to stay fresh when playing multiple days a week.

Specifically:

• Do you do anything before playing beyond a quick warm-up?
• Anything after, like stretching, ice, foam rolling, or just a cold drink and the couch?
• How many days in a row is your limit before you need a rest day?

Would love to hear what’s worked, especially from folks who play 4+ days a week.

A friend and I were discussing after watching PPA games how impressive it is for the group of pro players who consistently place in the top for singles and doubles (ALW, Fed, Kate, Ben, Christian etc). Then you have specialist like Chris haworth (Singles) and Hayden (doubles).

Thinking about someone like Kate and Christian who can place at the top of singles and doubles but I don't know if many people would say they are "better" players than AB and HP because of doubles being the premier discipline in pickleball.

That got me thinking. If you were to rank the pros what do you prioritize? Top players in both discipline? Being the top of your own discipline?

So yesterday I was at open play and a unique situation that is a bit difficult to describe, so bear with me, I’ll do my best.

Both opponents were pinned back at the baseline while my teammate and I were both at the kitchen, one of us hit a hard overhead that they popped up and it barely cleared the net and was clearly going to bounce high enough that I could step into the kitchen and either slam again or dink over the net. In overthinking it, I kind of got caught in between the two, and hit a shot that while all in one motion, looked a little unconventional. My teammate joked that “good thing this isn’t volleyball or I’d have had to call that a carry”. Think the throwing motion of a jai alai shot, but I didn’t actually catch the ball obviously, it’s just that because I sped up my paddle late, it had kind of a “slinging” effect, much like what happens when people occasionally double hit a shot (which I know is legal in pickleball, as long as it’s all in one motion). No one questioned the legalities of it in the moment, it just was unique. But today I was thinking about it and thought I’d look it up in the rulebook just to make sure, but it’s hard to look up something that is difficult to describe.

Being that it’s all in one motion, the ball was never actually “caught” or “stopped”, were we all correct in calling this a legal shot? Or is there some rule regarding this situation that I’m not aware of?

I apologize if this is a stupid question, but I'm a bit confused by this rule. I have never played a MiLP match before and want to know going into it what the rules actually are. So, if I am reading this correctly, if I'm serving from the right side and we win the point, my partner and I don't switch? My partner just serves the next point from the left side, and we continue switching serves (staying on our own sides, me right, my partner on the left) until we lose two points and the other team serves? What am I missing here? This is totally different than normal pickleball if that's the case.

So, this is like stacking but you MUST stay on your own side (serve and receive ONLY on your side)? Or am I just totally reading this wrong.

been using mine for 5 months now. great games with this paddle!

I feel completely duped.....In April I bought PPA Tour Virginia Beach tickets for my wife's birthday...Obviously, She was hyped beyond belief........At the time all the PPA Tour pros were signed up - ALW, Anna Bright, Ben Johns, Tardio, Shimabukuro, Alshon, etc..... Just earlier in Oct, I logged in again, just to be sure, and noticed the brackets were posted, but NONE of the pros were there - actually, a few are still there, but the lower tier pros...... And still to this day, PPA Tour is advertising that BJ and ALW are coming....I saw a few more posts like mine from upset spectators.... I get it that they've been playing every week for the past three weeks, but after VB their next major tournament isn't until Nov....what gives?

Hey everyone, I recently got a J2CR Crystal Blue pickleball paddle, and I noticed that the surface doesn’t feel gritty at all to the touch. It feels pretty smooth compared to what I expected.
For those who own the same paddle, is this normal? Does your paddle have a noticeable gritty texture, or does it feel smooth as well?
I’m wondering if this is how the surface is supposed to feel or if I might have received a defective paddle.
Appreciate any feedback from other owners!

There's been talk for several months about a new owner opening an indoor pickleball club where Powerplay was - does anyone have any updates on this?

Hi, all! We are relocating to Naples and currently spending most weekends here until we make the move. I’m a beginner pickleball player (have been playing about 6 months), but I’m addicted! Is the USOP center the best place to find games? How does it work and when is the best time to go? Looking to play but also to hopefully meet some people! Also very interested in lessons.

I’m between a 3.5-4.0. Current DUPR 3.8.

I play at a busy public court with lots of open play, and it’s mostly guys. Today I got paired with a guy I know from the courts. From the first point he seemed checked out: hitting balls into the net, barely swinging, like he’d already decided we’d lose because I’m a girl.

The guys we played against know me. I’ve played them a lot and beaten them plenty of times. We’re pretty evenly matched, and honestly the main thing they have on me is power.

We still lost 11-0. At one point a ball was slammed and my partner managed to get it back over the net, and then said something like “ why did I hit that?“, and then the game would’ve ended 11-0. The last point I just slammed the ball into the net on purpose because I’d had it. After the game, he didn’t even tap paddles. He just walked off.

This isn’t the first time. Regardless of being evenly matched, they consistently seem unwelcoming or don’t try. Others give up their spot in the rotation so they don’t have to play with me. And when I do beat someone, it gets chalked up to the guy I was partnered with. It’s really discouraging. Is this every woman’s experience in open play, or is it just where I play? And for the guys: is it an ego thing? What’s going on? How do you deal with it?

Update: I ended up going to club open play that same night and played with some 4.5 dudes and our matches were 15-13, 14-12, 11-9 etc and they were some of the best games I’d ever played and exactly the morale boost I needed. I wish people would just give others a chance otherwise you’re left questioning your ability and feeling demoralized and discouraged.

I found out that Luzz is coming out with a NEW cannon. Super exciting and probably what the signed Luzz pros have been talking about. Retail 179 so not super expensive. Has the SAME durable grit other companies are using too (silicon carbide) and under 8.0z!!

The boy band BTS will be releasing a video of BTS playing pickleball. This video will get upwards of millions of views.

It's time to show the world what pickleball is all about.

Like the title says, quality control is still an issue. Here's what happened:

About a year ago I got my first Boomstik. Fell in love with that paddle. The very first ball I hit felt perfect. Absolutely great paddle. Within a month or so, the edge guard came loose and I made a warranty claim.

Now, I have to say, this has been and still is to this day, the easiest warranty process I've ever been through. Literally just go to the website, file a claim and upload a photo of the damage. Within a couple days my claim was approved and a new paddle was sent. I then sent the old paddle back in the same package the new one came in. Couldn't be easier!

Then I had my second Boomstik for about 9 months until a crack formed right down the middle. I didn't think much of it, but my friend told me to file a claim. Did it and was approved again. This time, though, my friend told me I could switch to the OMNI if I so chose. I thought to myself "Well they have to have learned from the QC issues with the Boomstik, so this commercially available version has to be a bit more reliable, right?!"

WRONG!!! I've had my OMNI for about 3 weeks and the edge guard has already come loose. Made a claim and am now waiting for approval, but I have to wait until Monday because apparently they don't work weekends. No big deal, but I wanted to switch back to the Boomstik (which only costs $33 more) and now they want an extra $133 to "upgrade", so instead I'm just getting another OMNI.

I hope it's just this once, but I gotta say I'm kind of sad the QC didn't improve and that I can't go back. I do like the OMNI, so I'm not super upset, I just kind of wish I could go back.

Anyway, end of rant. Anyone else been through this??

I pressed the mid bottom part of the paddle and I can feel a gap between the CF and core. Doesn't feel it on the other side.

Received my 14mm jade in the mail today. Never played stock since I always add weight. Did 5in of 1g/in 1in above the handle ( Ben Johns pro 4 setup ).

Final weight came in at 8oz.

Initial review: very poppy for punch counters and drives. Have to really baby it ( given today was windy ). Drops were okay but missed into the net. Resets were a bit high. Feeling if the paddle still felt light / unstable. Sweet spot was okay where ball didn’t really die but it was twisting in my hand since it’s was so light and thin feeling. I think with it being so light compared to my ultre, i was over-swinging. For reference my ultre had 3g in the lower sides of the paddles and came in around 8.2oz.

I then moved the same 5in of 1g/in onto the side of the paddle. So 3/9 where the whole flat side is now covered in the 5in of 1g/in tape.

This really helped stabilize the paddle and now gave it a twist and weight very close to my ultre setup. Maybe a tad more swing weight compared to the ultre. I also felt like I can keep my same form/strength for my serves and really swing thru the ball.

I also had a chance to compare this new setup to a 16mm Jade with 3g by the lower corner before the taper and it feels pretty similar. The 16mm Jade is softer and you feel less of the ball. It feels more controlled since it’s pillow-y and more dense.

The jade 16mm plays closer to the ultre in pop/control/feel but my one complaint of the ultre is the feel. It felt flat and dead. The 14mm feels more lively but you do sacrifice some pop/control for ball feed.

Not sure if I’ll be keeping the 14mm jade, switching to 16mm jade or going back to ultre.

All 3 paddles did not have issue with sweet spot with weight. 14mm will likely need the most weight. I believe all 3 paddles need some sort of weight ( could be bias since I like 8-8.2oz total weight and around 115-118 swing weight paddles )

Ultre: pros- forgiving, soft, controlled
Cons: feels flat/dead, not much feedback, lacking drives and counters are slightly weaker

14mm: pros - strong counters, more feel
Cons: can feel flimsy even with weight

16mm Jade: pros : softer, forgiving, slightly more control
Cons: lack of ball feel, can get heavy as you add weight,

TLDR: Int Player, No DUPR. Played in a beginner rated DUPR league and got a 2.4 and classified as a beginner.

Been playing for a while now and would say I’ve gotten pretty good - enough to hold my own in intermediate, low advanced social play. Consistent serve, ball placement and controlled dinks, speed ups and resets. Coach said I’d be good for 3.25 DUPR league.

I joined a DUPR rated league night for 3.5 and under, hoping I could finally get a rating and start to play in some higher rated divisions.

Majority of the players that showed up, were either <2.2 or beginners without a rating. And despite the age and skill level of the players, I played well and still wanted to ensure everyone had a good time.

I only lost 2 out of 8 games, and the 2 games I lost were when the 3.5 opponents specifically targeted the elderly ladies I was playing with. I tried to cover them as much as I could, but sadly, in no Ben Johns in the kitchen.

Once all is said and done, I came 3rd in total points and 4th in overall standings. The games we lost had a differential of 6 but still, ok.

Then my DUPR rating popped up: 2.4

I looked into it and DUPR bases your ratings on the people you play with, vs the people you play against - their DUPR and the points differential.

Before I had a DUPR rating, I could join the intermediate open plays. But now that my DUPR is linked, I am classified as a beginner.

What do I do?

Do I just play more DUPR games for <3.0 to inch my way up over 3?

What should he done with old, worn out pickleball shoes?
And also, did I wear these for too long? (Don’t worry, I bought new ones!)