Author: Drew McCartt

The saying “where the rubber meets the road” couldn’t be more true when it comes to pickleball court shoes. Luckily, shoes today have come a long way, designed to handle the demands of quick lateral movements, sharp stops, toe drags, and those explosive leaps for sideline dinks and drives. After testing and enjoying brands like Diadem, K-Swiss, and Asics over the past year, I was eager to try something new, particularly a more budget-friendly option. Acacia Sports kept showing up on my radar (mostly through social media), so I decided to give their Acacia ProShot pickleball shoes a try. After…

Chances are, like us at Pickleball Union, you’ve got a few go-to hats for sports, outdoor activities, and casual wear. And yes, you probably have one just for pickleball! With hats everywhere these days, quality often slips—but not with Imperial. For over 100 years, they’ve crafted hats with care. We’ve made two of their styles our “official hats,” and will cover their product line and service. Why Imperial as our “Exclusive Headwear Partner”? We value fit, function, and style. Out of dozens of designs—including two pickleball-specific lines—we chose the Wrightson Performance Cap as our official hat, and the Original Performance…

Get a grip—literally! The handle is where you connect to the most important part of your pickleball game: your paddle. While stock grips are usually decent, they’re rarely exceptional. You deserve a grip that matches the performance of your paddle—and your game! That’s where Lizard Skins comes in. With 30+ years of experience crafting grips for sports like golf, baseball, and hockey, this overgrip wrap is a game changer. The moment I tried it, I knew it was a keeper. Affordable, available in a variety of colors, and easy to apply, this grip gets 5 balls out of 5 from…

The Shogun pickleball paddle – is it just another hyped-up, stylish paddle? Bread & Butter is known for pushing the envelope with unique designs and bold paddle names like Filth, Fat Boy, Loco, and Drip. The brand definitely oozes hipster vibes. What sets the Shogun apart? The standout feature is its red and metallic textured face, blending carbon fiber and titanium—a combination I haven’t seen anywhere else. The founder, Doug, describes it as an “all-court” paddle, offering a perfect balance of power and control. After testing it, I’d say the Shogun is a true warrior on the court, earning a…

Who doesn’t love recess? It was probably the best word you heard as a kid (maybe second only to ice cream!). Recess brings back those carefree childhood memories, and the brand Recess Pickleball captures that vibe for everyone. So, when I found out they were sending me one of their paddles, I was excited to see if this design-focused, lifestyle-driven brand had performance to match its looks. I got the Classic paddle in the Barton Springs design, part of their Austin Collection, inspired by the natural springs in Austin, Texas. The paddle had a clean, simple design and a nice…

What’s all the racket about these quiet paddles? (Yeah, a weak dad joke, I know.) We had to check it out. First, there was the Owl, then some quieter options like Diadem’s VICE and Selkirk’s SLK Halo. But just two weeks ago, Diadem claimed to release the world’s quietest paddle—the Diadem Hush. Naturally, my pickleball buddy Paul at Diadem sent me one to test. Right out of the box, the dense, textured surface makes it clear why it’s USAP Quiet Certified. And yes, it’s impressively quiet! At $190, does it perform like other high-end paddles? Almost—but if you need a…

Diadem does it again – they suck me in with a cool looking paddle boasting some unique features and a decent price point (on sale, that is.) What really caught my eye with this very colorful, boldly designed and edgeless paddle was the 26 holes in the face of it! And oh yeah, it isn’t approved for USAP tournament play. Essentially a concept paddle as Diadem defines it, but good for rec play. I was excited to be testing a prototype on the market. Less than 24 hours after getting it, I took it for a spin. The quieter pop…

When choosing paddles to test, I look for unique features, innovation, and positive reviews. I’ll admit, the cool colors and groovy “air dynamic throat” of this Selkirk paddle totally dazzled me. After reading about the design and materials, I was impressed. Like most of you, I’m after good pop, control, spin, and a great handle. I had to try it, so I went with the cool blue model. (Go big and bright, right?) After playing with this AMPED Pro Air – Invikta multiple times over the last several weeks, it delivered very good performance in most areas, but with a…

Okay, I broke my own rules: don’t buy cheap and don’t rely on Amazon reviews. But I was determined to test one of the cheapest pickleball pitching machines. I read tons of reviews—the good, the bad, and the ugly. So, I ordered one – the Furlihong 3802PBH, $149.99 on Amazon. Worst case, I could return it after a week if I didn’t like it, or if it failed later on, we’d be out $150. But hey, it comes with a 12-month warranty! That’s a nice safety net! Well, you know what? For the price, this machine does exactly what it…

Got hand fatigue, larger or sweaty hands? Want better paddle control or increased power? Want more friction on the handle? Just get a grip, OK!? Literally! Stock paddle grips can only do so much so companies like Hesacore, Lizard Skins, and Onix, among others, began developing and selling specialized and textured grips. I took an interest in these thicker, textured, more slip resistant grips because I have big hands with long fingers and a bit of arthritis. I took note of Hesacore right away (blame my social media scrolling), who makes a unique hexagonal textured silicon grip, requested some, and…