The 'correct' paddle shape

How pros recognize paddle position. NFL Today roasts pickleball.

January 15, 2025

What’s the perfect paddle shape? The ideal shape can differ depending on a player's preference and scenario.

Some players prefer an elongated paddle for singles to extend their reach. Others stick to a hybrid no matter the situation to stay consistent. After years of research, pro player James Ignatowich declares:

This might seem controversial because the square paddle is a rare occurrence on the rec court, but we want to know if you agree.

Is the square paddle shape (16x8 inches) the ideal shape for doubles?

Login or Subscribe to participate in polls.

In This Issue:

🔍 Recognize paddle position
🗳️ The Nike Dink Awards 48-hour extension
🏉 NFL Today roasts pickleball

Let’s ride.

Our Picks ☝️

📲 Milestone: DUPR App Reaches 1 Million Users

DUPR announced yesterday that the app officially reached 1 million users. While it’s difficult to quantify exactly how many players are dinking on the daily, the 1 million threshold is a major milestone in the game’s growth.

🐥 Tweet: The Game is Changing

Are you ready to bid farewell to the soft game? Zane posted his thoughts on the current trend in pickleball.

👟 Sneakerheads: Selkirk Unveils New Pickleball Shoes

Selkirk just rolled out their new CourtStrike and CourtStrike Pro shoe line and their 4-way grip will stop you in your tracks. They’re designed for optimal comfort and come with a 6-month sole warranty.

🎙️ Podcast: Collin Johns Answers Your Burning Questions

The Johns Bros ended their partnership with a championship at the PPA Masters last week. Collin will be the special guest on a new PicklePod this Friday where he shares who he is playing with in 2025 and why the breakup could pay off in the long run.

Recognizing Paddle Position

There are a ton of visual cues that higher-level players use to make decisions. An experienced player knows what to look for from their opponent’s outfit choice, court positioning, and swing path.

One visual cue you need to start paying attention to immediately is paddle position.

Pro player Ryan Fu breaks down exactly what he sees in this mixed doubles point to give him the upper hand.

Fu hits a drop for his team and looks to land the ball in the kitchen. While the ball is in the air he evaluates his opponent’s paddle position to determine her next move.

  • He sees her paddle drop low to play the ball out of the air

  • This tells Fu that she won’t be attacking and gives him free rein to crash forward

  • The advanced court position allows him to poach the next ball and get on the offensive

Fu counters the ball to her left shoulder setting up a putaway on the next shot. The key to flipping the point comes with his ability to recognize the advantage early. Instead of returning the point to neutral, he can turn the tables in his favor and finish the point.

When you’re hitting your next drop or reset, don’t wait until the ball bounces to move forward. Look at your opponent’s paddle position to determine the height where they will contact the ball, if it’s low, move in, if it’s net level or higher, retreat.

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Haven't Voted Yet? "Just Do It™"

The votes keep pouring in for The Nike Dink Awards so we’ve decided to extend the voting window. If you haven’t weighed in yet, there’s a tight race that needs your input.

For the past three years, the Men’s Player of the Year has belonged to Ben Johns. Johns dominated across all three disciplines and was an easy choice for voters. In 2024, the picture isn’t quite as clear.

To the surprise of most pickleball fans, Federico Staksrud not only unseated Ben for the No.1 spot in men’s singles, but also overperformed in men’s doubles racking up 4 titles of his own. But is it enough to earn him the accolade over Johns? That’s for you to decide.

Zane Navratil and Jim Kloss debated the issue on the PicklePod and both sided with Fed. The commenters however were not going to stand for it, they replied:

  • “Bruh yall are delusional! Fed had a great year but come on, Ben still end up getting more gold medals in men’s and mixed Number one in both and just second in singles. What are you talking about 😂” - @osagyfosa

  • “Agreed yall are crazy, Ben was more dominant in other divisions. and even tho Fed finished on top in singles he never beat Ben. Ben beat him in multiple finals throughout the year.” - @robaina1

The race for Fan Favorite MLP Premier Level Team is also coming down to the wire. A narrow 7-vote lead separates first place and second place.

Cast your vote before the window closes and be entered to win one of ten Project 007 paddles and performance outfits from Selkirk.

🤔 Newsletter getting clipped? Click ‘view entire message’ or click here to read online

The Air Fryer of Sports

NFL Today jumped out of the studio and onto the pickleball court to preview the Buffalo Bills vs Denver Broncos game last weekend. While on the court, host Kyle Brandt rallied off the analogies comparing pickleball to football.

He said that pickleball is the ‘air fryer of sports’ and that the Denver Broncos were the ‘pickleball of playoff teams’ for a number of reasons.

  • They both are fun, have a lot of buzz, and are not going away soon

  • They both are at their best when players wear their brightest colors

  • They both are multigenerational

  • And both have their fair share of skeptics

Brandt brings to analogy full circle claiming that the Buffalo Bills are more like tennis. Let’s hope that pickleball doesn’t share the same fate as the Broncos who lost to the Bills, 31-7.

Pickleball gets thrown into all types of cringey conversations these days but you have to applaud how it was done here. It’s worth a watch as the game is simultaneously praised and roasted being called the pet rock of pastimes, the Mazda Miata of hobbies, all the hype of CrossFit with half the injuries, none of the exercise, and it leads the league in paramedic emergencies.

Well done.

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The APP Housewarming Party

The APP is kicking off the new year in a big way. They will host the Fort Lauderdale Open at their new headquarters, The Fort. The Fort is a massive 43-court facility that will house the APP’s development programs and more.

In Pole Position
Megan Fudge and Chris Haworth enter the year as the No. 1 seed in women’s and men’s singles, respectively. Fudge won an impressive 10 gold medals in 2024 and Haworth snagged a staggering 7 titles in a deep singles field.

Double Trouble
In doubles, the top spot belongs to Will Howells in men’s and Jill Braverman in women’s. They will each get the benefit of a No.1 seed in gender doubles and will partner together in mixed.

The Fort Lauderdale Open is one of the Golden Ticket Qualifier events on the APP calendar. Winners at the amateur level earn a coveted position in the USA Pickleball National Championships later this year. Coverage for the event starts at 10 am ET on APPTV.

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