Welcome back to The Pickleball Clinic Newsletter!

It’s a little uncomfortable to discuss salaries, unless we’re talking about salaries for professional athletes — then it’s fun! Today, we’ll take a look at how the salaries of professional pickleball players stack up against athletes from other sports, visit the pickleball vs. tennis rivalry, learn a new speedup tactic, and a whole lot more.

Let’s do this! 👇

Let's talk about money — salaries to be more specific.

In a recent article published by CNBC, it was revealed that the average woman playing pickleball professionally on the PPA Tour and in Major League Pickleball (of which there are more than 60) makes $260,000. Not too shabby. 💪

But what's even more remarkable is the fact that this average salary is higher than not just the average WNBA player, but the highest paid WNBA player! And it's more than double the salary of the average National Women's Soccer League athlete.

Now there are a lot of factors to take into consideration here. First off, MLP and the PPA Tour recently merged to create the United Pickleball Association (UPA), even though both entities retained their own distinct brands.

The deal evidently created a ton of efficiencies and cross-promotional opportunities, which led to 50% growth in sponsorships. Plus, the deal brought in $75 million in outside investment.

But this money isn't just smoke and mirrors, as professional pickleball is in good position to keep growing because of strong viewership and interest.

In 2024, the UPA reported that 320,000 fans attended PPA Tour and MLP events, which was a 40% increase from 2023. Plus, pickleball was featured on television for 350 hours in 2024 across major platforms including Fox, CBS, ESPN, Amazon Prime, and Tennis Channel.

Perhaps most impressive is the fact that UPA's Chief Strategy Officer, Samin Odhwani, projects that UPA revenue will surpass $100 million in the next few years. That's incredible. Good luck, and go pickleball! 🥒

Film Yourself Playing to Find Out What You Need to Improve On

Many players don’t realize what they look like when they play until they watch video, so this can expose a lot of areas to improve upon. For example, I was watching a video of myself recently and realized that I stand a little too upright when I play, and sometimes hinge at the back instead of bending with my knees on my backhand. This is one reason why top players always watch film, it makes it much easier to see what they need to improve upon. Try setting up a tripod or cell phone mount next time you play, target where you’re making errors, and work on them next time you drill.

On the subject of filming yourself play, if you’d like US to review your video footage and give you feedback, feel free to email us a video and we’ll try to get to as many as we can!

Keep ‘em back for as long as you can — and if your opponents do get to the kitchen, don’t let them get comfortable. 💪

‘Tis the Season

Winter arrived this past week, bringing with it the shortest day of the year. Yes, it was a sad day for outdoor courts with no lights because it meant the least amount of pickleball you could play. 😢

But if you play indoors or have outdoor lights, then it doesn't matter how long the days are! The bottom line is, wherever and whenever you’re playing, the quality of play shouldn't have to be compromised. And the way to guarantee that is to use the same trusted Franklin X-40 pickleballs! Get some today, and use code “clinic15” for 15% off.

Riley Bohnert is a 20-year-old professional pickleball player based in Louisville, Kentucky. She first discovered pickleball when she was 15 and immediately fell in love with it. Today, Riley talks about staying positive while playing.

Staying positive on the court is key to playing your best, and a big part of that comes from positive self-talk. Instead of getting stuck on mistakes, remind yourself of your strengths. Saying things like "I’ve got this" or "I’ve put in the work" helps boost your confidence and keeps your head in the game. It’s all about shifting your mindset — focus on the positive and what you can control, not the stuff you can’t. In a recent tournament, I missed a few thirds in a row. In the past I would have gotten upset about those shots and let it affect the next few points. But this time, I just told myself, “You’ve got this. You know how to do this.”

Another important thing is to remember that PICKLEBALL IS FUN! Yeah, winning is great, but at the end of the day it’s about enjoying the game and having a good time with your teammates or opponents. When you focus on the fun side of things — whether it’s the thrill of a good rally, celebrating a small win, or just laughing with your partner — it makes it way easier to stay upbeat, even if the match gets tough. Instead of getting mad at yourself in the match, try telling yourself “It's ok, right back,” or “Great playing.”

You have to be your biggest cheerleader, you can’t count on anyone else to do it! Be nice to yourself. Trust me, I am probably the toughest on myself, but I still do my best to use all positive words on the court.

You can also follow Riley on Instagram!

Pickleball Down Under

We think it's fair to say that pickleball and tennis are siblings. Tennis was the older brother (or sister), pickleball the younger, and of course with it, came some sibling rivalry.

An older brother sometimes looks down at his younger brother, beats him up, ignores him, and doesn't let him hang out with any of his friends.

But what happens when said younger brother (pickleball) starts getting bigger, stronger and cooler than his older brother (tennis)? What happens then?

Well, that scenario may be playing itself out right now, as the Australian Open (one of the four biggest tennis tournaments of the year) just announced that it will host the inaugural AO Pickleball Slam at the end of January.

What is the "AO Pickleball Slam"? Technically, it appears to be some sort of event featuring pro pickleball players from around the world that will take place on the grounds of the Australian Open during the tournament's final weekend.

But we pickleballers know what it really is.

It's big brother saying to little brother, "Hey, I know I've beaten you up over the past few years, but now that the roles have reversed and you can now beat me up, I just want to invite you to one of my upcoming parties." 😂

It's the most wonderful time of the year. Actually, that's pretty debatable, especially if you like warm weather. But since it's a well-known holiday song, then perhaps some people feel that way? 

Regardless of whether you like this season or not, the holidays are a nice time for you to give gifts to your loved ones. That's why we made our 2024 Holiday Gift Guide! Check it out HERE.

That’s even worse than waiting an hour for a table. 😢

The Right Tool for the Right Job

Is it snowing where you are? If so, then you're going to want to wear some boots. But if it's warm and sunny outdoors, then you might want to go for sandals or flip-flops instead. That makes sense, right? You use the right shoe for the right situation.

So why on earth are people using shoes NOT made for pickleball to PLAY pickleball? It makes no sense. If you happen to be one of those people (don't worry, we won't tell anyone 😀), then please change your ways and get the best sneaker out there specifically made for pickleball. Of course that's the fast, stable, comfortable and stylish Diadem Court Burst. Get yours today, and use code “clinic10” at checkout for 10% off.

Part of what makes pickleball so great these days is that it’s constantly evolving. Since there are more and more people playing and studying the game (and getting better at it), new shots are being used that may have been discouraged just a year ago. Case in point, the backhand speedup off a bounce. Coach Matt will show you how to add this weapon to your arsenal. 👇

Key Takeaways:

• We recommend this backhand speedup off a bounce for two-handed backhands. Doing it with a one-handed backhand is extremely difficult to control.

• Brush under and up and finish your stroke at your ready position — don’t flick all the way over to the opposite side of your body because then you won’t be ready for the counter.

• Make sure that you select to speed up a dead dink, meaning one that sits up a bit so you can plant your feet and be in good position to deal with the counter attack.

In Oak Park, Illinois, just outside of Chicago, a resident named Don O’Brien plays pickleball every morning — as long as the courts are dry and it's not brutally cold. There are many people who play every morning, but we're writing about Don because he's 95 years old! “It’s just something to get my body going in the morning,” O’Brien said. “It’s something to do and to look forward to.” 

O'Brien looks forward to playing so much so that he keeps a squeegee and broom in his car and is known for arriving early so he can dry the courts when it rains. Now that's commitment! In November, fellow pickler Hooi Lim organized a celebration for Don’s 95th birthday. He was greeted by more than 30 pickleball players who sang “Happy Birthday” and presented him with a big cake and a new lawn chair to relax in between matches.   

A little while back, we wrote about a 95-year-old woman, Lois White, who plays pickleball regularly. We all know that women tend to live a little longer than men, so it's nice to see Don representing for the guys! 💪 

By the way, if anyone has any really cool pickleball stories about themselves or someone they know, email us or message us on Instagram or Facebook!

Hope you enjoyed the read. See you next week!

- Your Friends at The Pickleball Clinic

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