Chicken N Pickle didn’t treat community impact as a side project. Through its Our Hearts Are Local™ initiative, the pickleball venue built giving back directly into daily operations, reinvesting more than $1.5 million into local communities in 2025 alone. From adaptive sports and nonprofit partnerships to nationwide volunteer efforts, their model shows what’s possible when pickleball spaces are designed to serve more than just the game.

2025 was the year pickleball stopped feeling temporary. From standardized systems and serious sponsorship dollars to global leagues drawing stadium-sized crowds, the sport moved from rapid growth into long-term legitimacy. These were the moments that changed the game—and set the direction for what comes next.

As pickleball play ramped up in 2025, players quietly changed how they trained, recovered, and managed their bodies. From strength training and Pilates to wearables and smarter warm-ups, the year’s biggest fitness trends reshaped how players stay on the court.

Building a pickleball court can cost far more—or far less—than what you’ll find in a quick Google search. From backyard setups to public and commercial builds, here’s what pickleball courts actually cost and why online estimates so often miss the mark.

Power in pickleball isn’t about swinging harder. It comes from how efficiently your body rotates and transfers energy from the ground up. Understanding rotational strength can help players generate more consistent power, improve control, and reduce strain on the body.

Indoor pickleball facilities are expanding rapidly across the U.S., driven by demand for year-round play, organized programming, and better amenities. From franchise growth to rising membership options, here’s how indoor courts are reshaping where and how players play.

Susan Swern is heading to Africa with more than paddles and balls. Through Operation PaddleLift™, she’s helping deliver pickleball equipment to communities where the sport is growing fast but access to gear remains a barrier. The mission is simple: remove obstacles and put equipment directly into the hands of players ready to build something bigger.

For many women, mental health improves when they carve out something that’s just theirs. Pickleball offers a rare mix of movement, focus, and connection that fits into busy lives, making it easier to stay consistent and feel better mentally over time.

Pickleball looks simple, but improvement stalls fast when players rely on just one style of play. Whether it’s nonstop power or constant softness, being one-dimensional makes you predictable and easy to beat. The real edge comes from knowing when to control the ball and when to attack.

Pickleball touches every part of life differently. For one coach, parent, and industry leader, the sport has become a source of balance, connection, and purpose, shaping family bonds, community, career, and personal growth both on and off the court.

Empower Pickleball was built to tell the stories most pickleball media ignored. Founded by Kim Bastien in 2024, the platform focuses on everyday players, local communities, and the people shaping the sport beyond the pro spotlight.

Every December, pickleball players brace for chaos. Facebook debates heat up, group chats spiral, and half the internet is convinced the serve is about to be outlawed. Now that USA Pickleball has officially released the 2026 Rulebook, it’s time to separate fact from speculation. Here’s what actually changed, what didn’t, and what players need to know heading into the new year.

Tile courts have earned a reputation that no longer reflects reality. As pickleball grows, modern tile courts are helping communities add more playable, joint-friendly, and consistent surfaces faster than traditional concrete.

Most pickleball points are lost, not won. The “80% Shot” rule helps players reduce unforced errors by choosing high-percentage shots, leading to faster improvement, smarter aggression, and more consistent wins.

College pickleball may look male-dominated from the outside, but women across the country are stepping into leadership roles, reshaping campus clubs, and turning courts into communities where they can actually belong.

If you keep hanging back after your return of serve, you’re giving your opponents the edge. Here’s why claiming the kitchen line immediately changes your entire pickleball game.

Pickleball is booming on the court, but television is a different battlefield. Pro tours air on major networks, a reality show is on the way, and Hollywood is lining up its own pickleball stories—but the real question is whether non-players are actually sticking around to watch. We break down what’s working, what isn’t, and whether pickleball can survive as entertainment, not just participation.

Pickleball is officially playing outside the lines. From rooftop courts and cruise ship decks to jungle clearings and abandoned malls, the sport is showing up in places nobody expected. And somehow, it works everywhere.

Pickleheads just rolled out Plus and refreshed Pro, two updates designed to make finding games easier for players and running them easier for organizers. From smarter matching and cleaner discovery to real tools for leagues and hosts, here’s how Pickleheads is quietly reshaping how pickleball happens on the ground.

USA Pickleball has officially adopted DUPR as its exclusive rating system for all USA Pickleball-owned events. While DUPR itself isn’t new, this move makes it the national standard for sanctioned play, changing how tournaments are seeded, how ratings travel, and how players are placed across leagues and competitions.