Contents
VOLUME 10 / ISSUE 6 NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2025
28 features
28 USA Pickleball National Championships: The Pinnacle of
Competitive Excellence
The 2025 USA Pickleball National Championships delivered on all fronts: massive participation— with players from
47 states and 20 countries— high-level competition, and a picturesque host city. By Drew Wathey
36 World-Class Event Delivers in Dallas
History was made at the 2025 Jenius Bank Pickleball World Championships with record-setting attendance, participation and viewership, as well as a thrilling Triple Crown performance. By Matt Cudzinowski
42 Peak Performance: How to Dominate the Court at High Elevation
Playing pickleball at elevation changes the game. Meet Jayson Harris, director of pickleball in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, to learn why and how to adjust. By Trish Zornio
44 Huntsman Games Has it All!
Pickleball’ s premier senior tournament brings more than 1,100 participants. By Alice Tym
DEPARTMENTS
8 Publisher’ s Playbook 10 Editor’ s Letter 16 Dinks: PPA Tour Asia— Uniting Players and Expanding Pickleball’ s Global Reach by Laura Gainor
18 Sweet Spot: The Hottest Finds in Pickleball by Kate Mohns
24 Destination Pickleball: Wild Dunes Resort on South Carolina’ s Isle of Palms by Laura Gainor
50 In the Club: Austin Pickle Ranch in Austin, Texas by Drew Wathey 68 Gear Reviews by Jack Bandel 74 In the Kitchen: Pickleball Players Can Give the Gift of Food by Brandi Givens, RD, CPT 80 PRO-file: Behind the Scenes with Eric Oncins by Alice Tym
FROM USA PICKLEBALL
12 Message from USA Pickleball CEO Mike Nealy 54 Drop Shots 56 Feature: Holli Boyce and Kaylee Whitfield Looked Like Seasoned Veterans at Their Nationals Debut by Steve Drumwright
60 Feature: Emerald Valley Pickleball Foundation Wants to See TrackTown USA Become a Haven for Pickleball by Steve Drumwright
62 Referee Corner: Extraordinary Referees Helped Bring the 2025 USA Pickleball National Championships to Life 64 Recently Approved Equipment 66 Calendar: Upcoming Sanctioned Events
INSTRUCTION
20 The Blueprint to Winning More Points as the
Serving Team by Kyle McMakin 26 Variations on the Backhand Serve by Alice Tym 48 Making Pickleball Fun for Kids by Jason Jamison 70 Is Your Game One of Substance or is it
Reactionary? By Alice Tym 6 TO SUBSCRIBE, CALL 412.914.8294 OR GO TO PICKLEBALLMAGAZINE. COM