📝 The Blog
Pickleball Tips, Guides & Reviews
Original how-tos, paddle picks, and New England pickleball coverage — written to actually help your game.
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Sep 28, 2026
Pickleball Bad Habits: The 3 Keeping You Stuck at Your Level
The pickleball bad habits that cap players at 3.0, 3.5 and 4.0+ — and the exact fix for each so you can finally break through your plateau.
Sep 28, 2026
What Paddles Are College Players Using? (2026 Massachusetts Regional)
Joola, Selkirk and more: the paddles college players used at the 2026 NCPA Massachusetts Regional, plus the NCPA official ball. Find your match.
Sep 28, 2026
What Is NCPA Sudden Death? The College Team Format, Explained
How NCPA college pickleball works: the best-of-7 team match, the sudden-death tiebreaker, and how regional bids and divisions decide Nationals.
Sep 28, 2026
Why College Pickleball Is Booming in New England
College pickleball is exploding in New England — 21 clubs across six states, a first-ever regional, and four teams headed to NCPA Nationals. Here is why.
Sep 28, 2026
4 New England Teams Punched Their Ticket to NCPA Nationals
Harvard, UConn, Tufts and Boston University all earned Division 1 NCPA Nationals bids at the 2026 Massachusetts Regional. What it means for New England.
Sep 28, 2026
Harvard Wins the First-Ever NCPA Massachusetts Regional — an All-New England Final Four
Harvard won the first-ever NCPA Massachusetts collegiate pickleball regional at RT.12 Pickle, topping an all-New England final four. Full 2026 recap.
Sep 26, 2026
Pickleball in Cold Weather: How to Keep Playing Outdoors Through a New England Fall
Pickleball in cold weather is doable with the right ball, thin layers and a longer warm-up. A New England guide to cracked balls, slick courts and wind chill.
Sep 26, 2026
Spin Durability in Pickleball: the Tier 1-4 System, and Why New Spin Is Not the Number That Matters
Every paddle spins when it is new. The one that matters is how much spin it keeps months later. Here is the Tier 1-4 spin-durability system reviewers use, and how to buy a paddle that lasts.
Sep 25, 2026
T700 Pickleball Paddles: What 139 Toray-Labeled Faces Actually Measure
T700 pickleball paddles look spinnier than raw carbon until you compare like with like. What 139 Toray-labeled paddles in our 781-paddle catalog really show.
Sep 25, 2026
Gen 3 vs. Gen 4 Pickleball Paddles: What Actually Changed (and Which One You Need)
Gen 4 "full-foam" paddles are the hottest thing in pickleball, but are they actually better than Gen 3? A plain-English guide to what changed, who each is for, and whether to upgrade.
Sep 24, 2026
Can You Leave Your Gen 4 Paddle in a Hot Car? What Heat Really Does to It
A hot car hits 140 to 170F and softens the resin and foam in modern Gen 4 paddles, causing delamination, dead spots and warping. Here is what heat does and how to prevent it.
Sep 24, 2026
How to Defend Against Stacking in Pickleball: Read the Score, Not the Bodies
Defend against stacking in pickleball by reading the score, not the bodies. Plus the rule that says opponents must tell you who is serving.
Sep 24, 2026
Does a Longer Pickleball Paddle Hit Harder? We Checked 678 of Them
Pickleball paddle length is capped at 17 inches. We checked 678 paddles: longer really does hit harder, but it buys no spin and costs no extra money.
Sep 24, 2026
Pickleball in Augusta, ME: The $2 Drop-In, Calumet Park and the Indoor Club That Takes Non-Members
Pickleball in Augusta ME: a $2 city drop-in at the Buker gym, 2 courts at Calumet Park, and KVTA indoor open play with no membership needed.
Sep 24, 2026
Boston Pickle Club Windsor: A 12-Court Indoor Club Is Coming to Connecticut
Boston Pickle Club Windsor: a 37,000 sq ft, 12-court indoor club at 20 Day Hill Road, announced for October. What we know about pricing and opening.
Sep 24, 2026
The Fourth Shot in Pickleball: How to Read the Third and Win the Rally
The fourth shot in pickleball is the first legal volley of the rally. How to read the third, who to hit it to, and the kitchen rule that catches players.
Sep 24, 2026
14mm vs 16mm Pickleball Paddle: What 56 Models Sold in Both Thicknesses Show
14mm vs 16mm pickleball paddle: we paired 56 models sold in both thicknesses. The 16mm rated more powerful in 48 of 55, and weight explains most of it.
Sep 24, 2026
Fantasy Pickleball, Explained: How It Works and the Best Games to Play in 2026
Fantasy pickleball lets you draft pro players and score points off their real PPA and MLP results. How it works, the scoring, the formats, and the best games to play in 2026.
Sep 24, 2026
What Paddle Does Hunter Johnson Use? (2026)
Hunter Johnson left Paddletek for the new HIT Hand Cannon HC-01. What the paddle is, why it is hard to buy, and tournament-ready alternatives.
Sep 23, 2026
Golden Ticket National Qualifiers: Nine New 2027 Stops, and What They Mean for New England
USA Pickleball added nine Golden Ticket National Qualifiers for 2027. The full schedule, the first Eastern stops, and what it means for New England players.
Sep 23, 2026
What Paddle Does Hayden Patriquin Use? (2026)
Hayden Patriquin plays his signature Franklin C45 Dynasty. What is in the paddle, how it fits his all-court game, and buyable alternatives.
Sep 22, 2026
Pickleball in Laconia, NH: New Indoor Hours, Two Summer Parks and 8 Courts Next Door
Pickleball in Laconia NH: the city's new indoor drop-in hours, Leavitt and Memorial Park courts, prices, and 8 indoor courts at Club Piklbal in Belmont.
Sep 22, 2026
Pickleball in Lebanon, NH: Three Indoor Options in the Upper Valley
Pickleball in Lebanon NH is unusually indoor-heavy: Paddleworks, the CCBA and River Valley Club all run year-round courts. Where to play and what to check.
Sep 21, 2026
Pickleball’s New Paddle Rules for 2026: the 2,100 RPM Spin Cap and USAP vs. UPA-A, Explained
On Oct 1, 2026 USA Pickleball swaps its old grit test for a 2,100 RPM spin cap, and there are now two paddle certifications (USAP and UPA-A). What changed and whether your paddle is still legal.
Sep 21, 2026
Fastest Growing Pickleball States: Connecticut Makes DUPR’s Top 10
The fastest growing pickleball states by DUPR users, and why Connecticut, New England's only entry, has one of the region's lowest court counts per resident.
Sep 21, 2026
Pickleball in Brattleboro, VT: Six New Courts and a $141,375 Community Build
Pickleball in Brattleboro: 6 free dedicated courts at Living Memorial Park, plus indoor hours and fees at the Gibson-Aiken Center, Sept 15 to April 30.
Sep 21, 2026
PPA Campus at Arizona Athletic Grounds: 41 Courts, and the New England Gap It Exposes
The PPA Campus at Arizona Athletic Grounds gives a pro tour 41 courts and a permanent home. Here is how that compares to New England's 1,132 venues.
Sep 21, 2026
Scorpion Shot in Pickleball: The Fix That Finally Kills Your Chicken Wing
The scorpion shot in pickleball stops you chicken-winging balls hit at your body. The trigger, the technique, the kitchen-fault trap, and how to drill it.
Sep 21, 2026
Expensive Pickleball Paddles: Does Paying More Actually Buy Better Play?
Do expensive pickleball paddles play better? We priced 765 of them. Nearly all the measurable gain sits below $150, and power does not track price at all.
Sep 21, 2026
Pickleball in Lewiston, Maine: Four Dedicated Courts and an Indoor Season Starting October 5
Pickleball in Lewiston, ME: four dedicated courts at North Temple, free high school courts and $3 indoor drop-in at the Armory from October 5.