Not All Pickleballs Play the Same

The one skill you didn't know needed training. Who's been eliminated from the MLP Playoffs?

Author

Empower Pickleball
August 11, 2026

"This stupid thing" that's "killing" old people and keeping doctors "in heaven"? Charles Barkley's take on pickleball dropped this week on George Kittle's podcast. Let’s stick to basketball, Chuck.

Kittle didn't defend the sport either, flatly saying he's never stepping on a court. Sir Charles clearly hasn't seen a 4.5 bracket. Read the full rant.

Inside:

  • The favorites survive Dallas, playoffs head to Newport Beach

  • The simple rule for who takes the middle ball

  • Learn what “skited” means and why waiting for confidence is holding you back

🏆 The Favorites Flexed Their Way Through Dallas

Photo credit: Major League Pickleball

Round 1 wrapped in Dallas this weekend, and every single series ended in a clean 2-0 sweep, with the higher seed advancing every time. Brooklyn survived an all-time DreamBreaker classic against SoCal (down to a 24-22 nail-biter) to move on, while Dallas, Palm Beach, and Texas all handled their business too.

  • Eliminated: SoCal Hard Eights, Las Vegas Night Owls, Chicago Slice, and Atlanta Bouncers, all done for the season

  • Advancing: Brooklyn, Dallas, Palm Beach, and Texas join bye teams New Jersey, St. Louis, LA, and Columbus in the Quarterfinals

Newport Beach hosts the next round this coming weekend, August 14-16, when the top seeds draft their opponents from the group that just survived Dallas.

👉 See who the No. 1 seeds pick, and the full Quarterfinal schedule.

🌎 Around the Picklesphere

🎧 What it’s really like building a career in pickleball
⏰ Your time to add the two-hander
🧠 The three mistakes ruining your drive
🧑‍🧑‍🧒‍🧒 Be a part of the Empower Pickleball Fam and save 30% with code EMPOWER30

 🧑‍🤝‍🧑 The Simple Rule for Who Takes the Middle Ball

Photo credit: APP

Nothing kills a doubles point faster than both partners freezing on a ball down the middle. Turns out there's a clear pecking order advanced teams follow, and it has nothing to do with who's closer.

  • Forehand beats backhand, every time, even if it means crossing into your partner's side

  • The stronger player leans in on balls that sit up or invite an attack

  • Whoever's already moving forward takes it, no reaching across a partner who’s already set

None of it works without calling it out loud, and that's the one habit that separates teams that rarely collide from the ones that do.

👉 Get the full decision order, plus how stacking makes it automatic.

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Made in the USA with 19 natural ingredients, NanoXtreme is designed for the soreness that can linger after a long day on the court. Its formula offers 10x better absorption than the leading competitor—and every purchase is backed by a 60-day money-back guarantee.

👉 Try NanoXtreme and use code EMPOWER15 to save 15% on your order.

 🤷 Which Pickleball Ball Should You Actually Be Playing With?

Not all pickleballs play the same, and 2026 has brought a wave of changes to which ball shows up where. The Life Time LT Pro 48 is now the official ball of both the PPA Tour and MLP, while DUPR is switching from the Vulcan VPRO Flight to the JOOLA HC-40 on September 1.

  • Franklin X-40 stays the go-to for rec play and mixed-level groups, thanks to a softer, more forgiving feel (Use code EMPOWER10 at checkout)

  • Selkirk Pro S1 is the pick for cold weather, backed by a one-year no-crack warranty

  • GAMMA Photon Indoor is built specifically for gym floors, not acrylic hard courts

If you're prepping for a tournament, the ball you practice with matters more than you think.

💪 The Word Every Pickleball Player Needs to Learn: Skited

Scared and excited at the same time—that's skited. And it's exactly what you feel before playing up, entering a tournament, or finally trying the shot you've drilled a hundred times but never trusted in a real match. Most players wait for that feeling to pass before taking the leap. It never does, and waiting for it is what keeps your game stuck.

  • Courage is a skill, not a trait, built through reps, not one big brave moment

  • Confidence comes after action, not before it

One year from now, the only question that matters is whether you’ve built evidence or excuses.

🏐 How One Guy's Volleyball Courts Turned Into Charlotte's Pickleball Hub

Allan Haseley didn't set out to build a pickleball empire. He just had 20 empty volleyball courts and a wife who came home raving about a beginner clinic. A few temporary nets and some taped lines later, that side project became Pickleball Charlotte, now 60+ courts across five locations.

  • His answer to what he's proudest of isn't the courts: it's "FRIENDSHIPS"

  • Even a North Carolina Tennis Hall of Famer switched sports after noticing how much more people laughed on the pickleball courts

  • His advice to nervous beginners: "It is just pickleball, y'all"

Fun, friends, fitness: that's the whole philosophy.

👉 Read the full story behind Pickleball Charlotte.

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