🤨 Who won this rally?

This week’s epic point is packed with high-level play! Sharp split steps, clutch resets, patient dinks, even an ATP attempt. Everything you’d expect from a top-tier rally… and then some.

But here’s the twist… who actually won the point?

Did you spot something others might’ve missed? 👀

Have a filthy point caught on cam? 📸

Reply to this email or submit yours to [email protected]. The most epic one will feature in next week’s newsletter!

And if we pick your submission, we’ll send you a free Pickleheads t-shirt 🙌

Over 70% of pickleball players are between 18 and 44.

The average player age is now 34.8. And dropping every year.

😲 Wait! Is your paddle at the center of a patent war?

Big news dropped this week—and it could reshape the paddle market. JOOLA filed a patent infringement case against 11 paddle brands, claiming they copied the Propulsion Core technology that makes their Gen 3 paddles so powerful.

The brands named? Franklin, Paddletek, Engage, Adidas, Diadem, ProXR, RPM, Proton, Volair, Friday Labs, and Facolos. Basically, a chunk of the paddles sitting in bags at your local courts.

First things first: if you already own one of these paddles, relax. Your paddle is fine. This doesn't affect anything already in the country.

Here's what could get interesting. If JOOLA wins, other brands with patents will probably line up to do the same thing. That could mean more investment in original designs, which is good.

It could also mean higher prices and fewer options, which is not so good. Pickleball blew up because anyone could afford to play. Anything that chips away at that matters.

JOOLA's CEO says the brands shaping pickleball's future are the ones willing to actually innovate. Hard to argue with that. But there's a difference between protecting real innovation and using patents to squeeze out competition.

Where this one lands is still very much to be decided.

🎾 McEnroe just had a meltdown on a pickleball court!

🗺️ Seattle just drew a line between pickleball and tennis

Seattle Parks released a draft strategy this week proposing dedicated hub sites for each sport, acknowledging the two genuinely don't coexist well.

It's one of the first plans of its kind in the US, and other cities are watching. Read more. 

👁️ Pickleball sends record numbers to the eye doctor

A 2026 study found pickleball eye injuries hit an estimated 1,262 in 2024 alone, growing by roughly 400 new cases every year since 2021.

It does beg the question: why is there still no mandatory eye protection rule at any level of play? Worth thinking about before your next session. Read the study | Our best pickleball glasses.

Got a burning pickleball question? About rules, our app, the sport, a news story, anything goes.

If so, click Yes! Drop it in the comments and we'll pick our favorite to answer in next week's newsletter.

🤔 “If an opponent hits a ball two feet past my baseline and it hits me (standing outside the back line) does my getting hit make it their point?” – Tom, Fort Thomas, KY

Yes — it's their point.

If the ball hits you before it bounces, it's a fault against you regardless of where it was heading. The only way to benefit from a ball going out is to let it bounce out without touching it. If you get hit, the "it was going out" argument disappears.

And if your opponent did it on purpose? That's called a body bag — aiming directly at your opponent's body to win the point. It's a legal and common strategy, especially at the NVZ line where there's no time to react. Same rule applies either way: ball hits player before the bounce = fault against the player who got hit.

Fresh takes, spicy debates, and the latest hot paddles & gear: catch up on our latest Court Talk highlights:

• 👑 We just crowned a new king of spin

• 😲 This paddle hits like it costs twice as much

• 👌 The best all-court power paddle available right now!

• 🫶 An elite paddle under $200 that keeps up with your game

Skipped a scroll or two? No worries — here are the last few editions we sent your way:

• 🤾 The most controversial shot in pickleball

• 🥳 The world's biggest pickleball party turns 10 this week

• 🤾 5 simple fixes that instantly improve your game

• 🤪 Chaos, counters & comebacks