Fix Your Return Before Your Next Game

Fix your return, rethink your gear, and a few things you probably missed this week.

Author

Empower Pickleball
April 23, 2026

Earth Day was yesterday—and it’s got me thinking about how pickleball impacts the environment.

Roughly 500 million balls are made every year, creating over 770K pounds of plastic waste that mostly ends up in landfills. Most last just a few games before cracking, and they’re not easy to recycle.

It adds up fast. It’s one of those things you don’t really think about when you’re playing… but it’s worth thinking about where your next cracked ball ends up.

On a more positive note, there’s also a lot of effort going into growing the game the right way.

We’ve partnered with the National Women’s Pickleball Foundation to be part of the America250 National Pickleball Challenge—a nationwide initiative designed to get more people on the court and build connections through the game.

It’s simple: sign up, log your sessions, and be part of something happening across all 50 states leading up to America’s 250th birthday.

We’ll share more on this soon, but if you want to check it out early, you can sign up here.

TIPS & TRICKS

You’re Probably Doing This on Your Return

Senior Pro Gina Cilento sees this all the time—players rushing the return or trying to do too much with it.

The fix is simpler than you think:

  • Hit it deep (not hard)

  • Add height to buy time

  • Be intentional with placement

  • Use pace selectively, not every time

💡 Why It Matters: Your return decides who controls the point before it even starts.

👉 Fix your return before your next game.

GEAR

Top Sports Bras for Pickleball

Pickleball might look simple, but the movement says otherwise.

Quick direction changes, long rallies, constant resets—if your gear isn’t keeping up, you feel it fast.

This guide breaks down what matters in a sports bra, plus a few that consistently hold up on court:

  • SHEFIT Ultimate Sports Bra → fully adjustable, high-impact support

  • Gymshark Everyday Seamless → lightweight, minimal, and easy to move in

  • PB5star Racer Back → built specifically with pickleball movement in mind

💡 Why It Matters: If you’re adjusting mid-point, you’re already distracted.

👉 Find the right fit so you can stop thinking about it during games.

GEAR

Why Your Feet Might Be Slipping (Even If You Don’t Notice)

This started as a baby sock problem—and ended up on Shark Tank.

Squid Socks built a solution to stop socks from slipping off. But what they uncovered applies just as much to performance: small, constant movement inside your shoe that most players never notice.

In pickleball, that shows up fast—split steps, lateral pushes, quick resets. If your foot is shifting even slightly, you’re adjusting instead of reacting.

Squid Socks is built to lock everything in place so your foot, sock, and shoe work together.

💡 Why It Matters: Less slipping means better balance, cleaner movement, and fewer adjustments when the game speeds up.

👉 See how Squid Socks is rethinking what socks do.

You’re the One Who Runs the Games

Every pickleball group has one person doing everything.

Setting it up. Managing the group chat. Fixing matchups when they’re off. Keeping it all moving.

If that’s you, this makes your life way easier.

Pickleheads Pro handles scheduling, payments, waitlists, and even DUPR scoring—all in one place—so you’re not juggling texts and spreadsheets.

Less back-and-forth. Better games. Way less work on your end.

Our friends at Pickleheads are giving Empower Pickleball readers a free 30-day trial.

👉 Use code EMPOWER30 to start your free trial.

  • Jill Zarin Sued Over Pickleball Product Dispute ⚖️ A lawsuit claims the RHONY alum sold a pickleball machine without authorization, raising questions around ownership and business dealings.

  • AED Installed at Pickleball Courts After Medical Emergency 🚑 A local pickleball group added life-saving equipment following a past collapse to help protect players and the community.

  • First Pediatric Pickleball Medicine Program Launches in Texas 🧠 A sports medicine physician created a first-of-its-kind program to help young pickleball players prevent injuries and stay healthy.

  • USA Pickleball Expands Into Youth Programs Nationwide 🏫 A new partnership with Boys & Girls Clubs of America will expand access to millions of kids through equipment, coaching, and structured programming.

What Does Pickleball Even Smell Like?

I’ve been trying to convince myself to buy a pickleball candle.

Homesick has one that sounds kind of perfect—cucumber, sunscreen, even “concrete.” Like… yeah, that checks out. That’s basically a summer court.

Problem is, it’s been sold out for months. So now I’m stuck wondering if that scent even exists in real life.

I found another one from Literie that’s supposed to smell like lemonade and mint. Which I get… but also don’t?

When I think about pickleball, I’m not immediately thinking citrus.

But maybe that’s the point. Maybe it’s not about recreating the exact smell—it’s just about the feeling of it.

👉 I still don’t know if pickleball smells like lemonade… but I might find out.

When you think of pickleball... what scent comes to mind?

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