The secret to successful lob defense

The PicklePod goes in on Jack Sock. Are golf brands taking a swing at pickleball?

June 13, 2025

The APP Tour is investing big internationally. Its recent partnership with Global Sports in India means the two tours will share top talent at marquee, global events in an effort to increase exposure — and prize money — for their best of the best.

Before you can be the best, or just crack into 4.0, you need to learn to defend against the lob. We’re guessing your game could use some work here (we know ours can). We divulge a few pro secrets, below.

In This Issue:
— Are golf brands looking to capitalize on pickleball?
— The secret to safely chasing down a lob
— The enduring enigma of Jack Sock

Nobody likes a lobber.

Our Picks ☝️

🔥 Fit Check: APP Style is MUEV-ing On Up

First, the St. Louis Shock, now this: Going forward, all APP staff will be decked out in uniforms furnished by MUEV, the pickleball-centric apparel brand founded by a former bigwig at Ralph Lauren. On-court fashion, now for the front office. 

📝 You Asked: Zane Navratil Answered

Does Martin Emmrich want to punch Ben Johns? Should MLP hold an All-Star event? Could Anna Leigh Waters break this Guinness World Record in her sleep? Zane dishes on these listener questions, and more, in this week’s PicklePod.

💰 Pay Up: ‘Pickleball Rocks’ Gets Rolled

The owner of a pickleball brand doing business as Pickleball Rocks fraudulently solicited investments from pickleball players and fans across the United States, the Dept. of Justice has found. Now he’s on the hook for $47 million.

🍾 Rulebound: No Partner Is Safe

We polled our audience about calling their own partner on a rec game kitchen violation. Turns out, you’re all a bunch of narcs. Just kidding — respect the game and karma could return the favor.

Pro Tips: How (and When) to Safely Run Down a Lob

Like most winning shots in pickleball, effectively (and safely) chasing down a lob is all about patterns. First, you need to recognize and communicate whose ball it is, then it’s a game of footwork.

Resist the urge to rush and focus on a quality return. Selkirk pro Susannah Barr shows the way:

1️⃣ Pivot in the direction of your paddle hand. If you’re right-handed, this means your first step after recognizing a lob is a hard pivot back with your right foot.

2️⃣ The righty playing on the left side of the court is responsible for most lobs, as their first pivot step will be toward the middle rather than the sideline. Obviously, situations vary. And a lefty on the right side can share the load here, too.

3️⃣ Partner communication is key. As soon as the ball is in the air, you need to call out who’s going to get it. You don’t have time to run into each other and recover.

4️⃣ Don’t rush the return. Chasing down a lob can be chaotic, but the return shot should be measured and controlled. Don’t ruin a successful pursuit with a sloppy drive. Favor a drop shot and work your way back to the net just like any other point.

5️⃣ Resist the urge to lob it back. Unless it’s your only option, avoid returning a lob with a lob. Since you’re so far back, it’s likely you’ll leave it short and face an overhead smash as a result. A drop over the middle of the net is your safest option.

6️⃣ If you're the partner, take some big steps back in case the lob return is high enough for a big hit towards your feet. But don't rush too far back to the baseline in case the opponents choose to drop it short into the kitchen.

Guess what we’re going to say now? That’s right: practice makes perfect. Grab a partner and switch off hitting lobs from the kitchen line, then playing the point out from there. Your game will thank you.

Yes, We’re Bringing This Up Again.

Because it’s Friday. And Father’s Day is Sunday. And Selkirk’s sale is still sitting here… waiting to bail you out.

Short sleeves, long sleeves, joggers, hats, bags, the bucket hat are all 30% off. Even a few sneaky paddle deals if you’re feeling bold.

Clock’s ticking. Be the favorite child.

Going Global: The APP Will Now ‘Share’ Its Top Talent Overseas

The Association of Pickleball Players (APP) is making a play to lure more top-tier talent and increase the competition level of their tour — by going global.

In addition to extending its partnership with Pickleball England for the fourth consecutive year, the APP is teaming up with Global Sports in India to create a collaborative player pool between the two organizations.

The top 12 men and women on the APP Tour will earn spots in Global Sports Pro and Challenger league events, including stops in India, Dubai, Vietnam and more. Conversely, high-ranking Global Sports pros will compete in APP Tour events in the U.S.

The goal, we’re told, is “cementing two of the most competitive tours in pickleball and paving a pathway for more players to earn prize money, elevate rankings, and showcase their skills to a worldwide audience.”

Jack Sock: The Pickleball Pro Who Just Wants to Play Tennis

Prolific X-user Nico the Lefty is proof-positive that it’s not about how many followers you have, it’s what you say to them that counts.

He joined Zane on this week’s PicklePod to air out some dirty laundry. While the two disagree on plenty, including the Anna Leigh vs. Serena debate, there’s one topic where they’re fully aligned: the untapped potential of Jack Sock.

The former tennis star has yet to find his stride in professional pickleball, which raises the question: Does he even want to?

He’s expected to play pickleball the way conventional pickleball pros do, but that could be the problem. When he’s hitting all the “wrong” shots — running around his forehand dink, tweeners because he wants to — he’s actually a better and far more entertaining player.

“The more he tries to play tennis, the better his pickleball game is,” says Zane.

Hear more on this — plus updates on the current MLP playoff race and why no one outworks Christian Alshon — on this week’s PicklePod.

Friday the 13th. Your Pickleballs Are Next.

It’s Friday the 13th. Bad bounces are in the air. Except not if you’re playing with Komodo’s BioBall™.

These things have been tested in summer heat and still feel fresh. No cracks. No squish. No bad juju. They’re also biodegradable, which is cool if you like the planet. Which you probably do.

The Golf x Pickleball Crossovers Nobody Saw Coming

Legacy sports brands like Head, Wilson, and adidas have all taken a swing at entering the pickleball space. Now, it’s golf’s turn.

Selkirk Sport has tapped this industry already, teaming with golf brands Troon and Invited to grow the sport through events and other activations. But a new contender is in the mix: Parsons Extreme Golf, aka PXG.

Founded in 2014 by Bob Parsons, a former Marine and self-proclaimed golf nut with a passion for technical innovation, PXG turned heads recently by releasing two new paddles: the PXG XP1, designed for all skill levels, and PXG XP2, geared toward experienced and pro-level players.

We’ll be the first to admit, they look pretty slick.

Could PXG become the latest crossover brand to carve out a foothold in the pro ranks? And will more golf brands follow suit?

PXG seems to think it’s inevitable: "It isn't a departure from golf — it’s a natural extension.”

👉 We dive deep into the topic — check it out here.

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