Pickleball wins attention back.

OK, ok, technically we’re hitting a few countries in this issue. But the first story is less about a single nation’s pickleball scene and more about a much bigger question: what happens when governments start treating attention as a public health issue?

From Kuala Lumpur to London to Mumbai, pickleball is quietly being tested as something more than a sport and more like infrastructure for focus, movement, and social connection.

→ This Week: Pickleball vs. the attention economy | The year of the lob | How pickleball fits India’s crowded cities

When governments worry about kids’ screen time, they usually reach for limits. Malaysia reached for a paddle.

Beginning this past spring, every primary school student in Malaysia has free, weekday access to professional-grade pickleball courts and coaching at a new dedicated venue in Kuala Lumpur, part of a public-private initiative backed by the Ministry of Youth & Sports.

It’s a notable bet: not on elite performance, but on engagement during school hours, when inactivity is most entrenched.

Pickleball’s appeal here is structural. The sport is easy to learn, fast to enjoy, and fits where space is tight—qualities that matter when competing not just with football or badminton, but with phones, tablets, and gaming consoles.

And in the United Kingdom, youth tennis initiatives increasingly emphasize short formats and immediate play, principles pickleball was built on from day one.

The common thread here is attention.

Globally, pickleball is emerging as an anti-screen sport: fast-start, socially sticky, and scalable in dense cities. If its future is decided by young players, not retirees, these programs may matter more than any pro tour ever could.

This point from a recent PPA Tour Asia match is more evidence of our earlier point that pickleball at a high level will look more like badminton, with long, powerful overheads…but it’s also going to involve lobs, lots of lobs.

The lobs we see here are some of the highest we’ve ever seen, and definitely the highest we’ve seen at the pro level.

But while the lob is no stranger to former badminton players, back in the states, legendary pro Anna Leigh Waters is starting to experiment with a lob serve.

Let the year of the lob commence!

When the #1 men’s singles pro Hunter Johnson goes to work on the PPA Tour, his day doesn’t end when the last ball bounces—it ends after recovery.

That’s where Picklebalm comes in. Formulated specifically for pickleball players, Picklebalm is now a key part of Johnson’s routine between matches and tournaments, helping him manage soreness and stay ready for the next battle.

You don’t have to be a tour pro to treat your body like one. Use code pbclinic10 for 10% off.

That’s the average daily screen time for children globally, according to multiple international health and education studies and one of the core pressures driving governments to experiment with movement-first, low-barrier sports like pickleball.

Source: UNICEF / WHO aggregated child activity and screen-use data.

Interesting tidbits from within the pickleball community:

Josh from The Pickleball Clinic here. I’ve been using the RPM going on about three months now, and I’ve won two tournaments with it already! It’s one of the few paddles I’ve ever used that hasn’t broken down after a couple months of play and still feels incredibly responsive in my hands.

If you want to get your hands on one, use code clinic15 for 15%.

Can you guess where we’re headed? Respond to this email with your guess. First one to get it right will receive something nice!

Here’s a hint:

When we talk about pickleball’s global growth, we usually talk about courts, counts, and competition. This week is about something arguably more important.

In Malaysia, pickleball is being used as a policy tool. Not to create champions, but to solve a modern problem every government recognizes: kids are moving less, staring at screens more, and disengaging earlier. Instead of bans or limits, the response was access: courts, coaching, and a sport that’s easy to pick up.

India’s story reinforces the same idea from a different direction. In crowded cities where space is scarce and schedules are tight, pickleball succeeds not because it’s trendy, but because it fits. It asks little, delivers fast, and rewards participation right away.

Across continents, the pattern is hard to ignore. Pickleball thrives where attention is limited, patience is thin, and friction matters. It may never replace phones, but it doesn’t have to. It just has to win the first ten minutes.

That, increasingly, looks like enough.

Do not hesitate to email Adam or connect with him on LinkedIn with questions, concerns, or story ideas!