Are Opponents Targeting You on Purpose?

Plus: National Pickleball Day, foot fatigue, new rankings, and more.

Author

Empower Pickleball
August 06, 2026

How lucky are we that National Pickleball Day falls on a Saturday this year? Perfect timing.

Did you know a woman created it? Deirdre “Dee” Morris launched National Pickleball Day to bring more awareness to the sport and encourage players to give back through clinics, community events, fundraisers, and more.

Speaking of women making an impact on pickleball, we’ll be cheering on 99% Pickleball co-host Mari Humberg and the Atlanta Bouncers as they head into the MLP playoffs this weekend.

However you celebrate on Saturday—whether that’s getting out on the courts, introducing someone new to the game, volunteering, or supporting your local pickleball community—I hope you get a chance to be part of it.

But before then, here are a few stories to get you there.

TIPS & TRICKS

Why Women Get Targeted in Mixed Doubles

If you play mixed doubles, you’ve probably noticed a pattern: the woman gets more balls. Drives come her way, speed-ups are directed at her, and opponents keep applying pressure until something changes.

According to Senior Pro Gina Cilento, it’s usually a tournament strategy rather than a reflection of who the better player is. The key is expecting the extra pressure, staying composed, and using positioning, resets, and well-timed aggression to make targeting you a whole lot less effective.

💡 Why It Matters: Getting targeted can quickly become frustrating, which is exactly what your opponents want. Learning how to handle the extra balls without letting them affect your decision-making can turn their strategy against them.

👉 Learn how to handle being targeted in mixed doubles.

GEAR

The Best Pickleball Bottoms (According to Women Who Actually Play)

Every female pickleball player has been there. Shorts that ride up. Skorts with fake pockets. The awkward search for somewhere to stash an extra ball. And yes… “Chubby Rubby.”

From skorts and shorts to leggings and joggers, the right bottoms can help you stay comfortable, move freely, and stop thinking about your outfit between points.

💡 Why It Matters: When you’re comfortable on the court, it’s easier to focus on your footwork, your strategy, and the next point—not adjusting your clothes.

👉 Find the best pickleball bottoms for your playing style.

GEAR

Your Tired Legs Might Start With Your Feet

When you start slowing down after several games, it’s easy to blame your legs or conditioning. But every sprint, split step, pivot, and recovery starts at your feet, and as they fatigue, your movement can begin changing before you even realize it.

Foot fatigue can mean a slower first step, less stability during lateral movement, and poorer balance late in a session. Zelus Insoles are designed specifically for court sports to provide additional arch support and impact cushioning inside your shoes, helping reduce some of that unnecessary fatigue.

💡 Why It Matters: Small changes in balance and quickness can add up over a long day of pickleball. Giving your feet better support can help you maintain more consistent movement from your first game to your last.

COMMUNITY

When a Pickleball Group Chat Became a Lifeline

What started as a simple WhatsApp group to organize pickleball games in Altadena, California, took on a different purpose after the Eaton Fire in 2025. As neighbors evacuated, players began sharing updates, offering places to stay, replacing essentials, and checking on one another. That same community eventually grew into the nation’s largest survivor-led wildfire recovery network.

Today, Joy Chen and the Every Fire Survivor’s Network continue that mission through Rally for Recovery, a pickleball event that brings survivors together for a day of connection, laughter, and support.

💡 Why It Matters: Pickleball communities are built one game at a time. Sometimes, those friendships end up being there for something much bigger than the sport.

Recovery Isn’t Just Physical

After a long day on the pickleball court, most of us think about recovery in terms of hydration, stretching, and rest. But sometimes the best thing you can do is slow your mind down, too.

Founded by former anesthesiologist Dr. Liz Lehman, Aluminate Life creates doctor-developed, crystal-infused aromatherapy designed to support moments of focus, calm, sleep, energy, release, and more. Whether you’re winding down after a tournament or simply trying to leave the day behind, it’s an easy addition to your recovery routine.

Each product is hand-poured in the USA, vegan, cruelty-free, and made without phthalates or parabens.

👉 Shop the Signature Collection and save 25% with code PICKLE25.

  • Mother-Daughter Duo Builds 20-Court Pickleball Club 👩‍👧 Olympic silver medalist and Seattle Storm co-owner Ginny Gilder teamed up with her daughter, Sierra Keeler, to create Pickle at the Palms, a new 20-court indoor pickleball club opening this month in Seattle.

  • PPA Introduces New World Pickleball Rankings 🌎 Starting with the 2026–27 season, the PPA will rank the world’s best all-around players using results across gender doubles, mixed doubles, and singles. The new leaderboard will also help determine tournament entries, byes, and qualification for the PPA Finals.

  • Free Pickleball Court Kits Are Going to Communities Every Week 🎁 Anywhere Pickleball is giving one school, park, senior center, or community organization a free court kit each week. The kits use existing hard surfaces to create regulation pickleball courts in under 10 minutes, with the first set to be distributed in September.

What Working in Pickleball Looks Like

A tournament match or a 60-second video might be what you see. It's a very small part of the job.

This week on 99% Pickleball, Mari Humberg and Nikki Maldonado pull back the curtain on the very different careers they've built in pickleball.

Mari shares what life as a pro looks like beyond competition, including training, coaching, clinics, sponsorships, content, and a travel schedule that rarely slows down. Nikki shares the other side of the industry, from content creation and commentary to building community and turning an online platform into a career.

They also get into money, personal brands, work-life balance, creating your own opportunities, and what they both want their careers in pickleball to look like next.

📺 Watch it on YouTube
🎙️ Listen on Apple Podcasts or Spotify

Are We Wearing Pickleball Gloves Now?

I’ve been seeing pickleball players wearing gloves since I started playing, but apparently people have opinions. Some love the extra grip when their hands get sweaty, while others say a glove takes away too much paddle feel and would rather use a good overgrip.

If you’re on Team Glove (or curious enough to try one), the Aerow Recon Glove caught my attention. It uses leather and breathable mesh with exposed fingers, so you get some extra grip and cushioning without completely covering your hand. And at $18, it’s a pretty inexpensive way to test it out.

👉 Check out the Aerow Recon Glove.

Do you wear a glove when you play pickleball?

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Have something happening at your courts?

The wins, the drama, or the moments that stick with you—we’d love to hear it.

If people are talking about it, it’s probably worth sharing.