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We’ve spent the year play-testing hundreds of pickleball products.
Countless paddles, balls, nets, bags, grips, and even the health & wellness products helping amateur athletes turn pro. All put through a very thorough, multi-player, testing process.
It’s not glamorous work – but someone’s gotta do it. 😉
Peruse our top picks for men in 2024 below. You’re guaranteed to find the perfect holiday gift for that pickleball lover in your life.
Oh – and don’t forget to gift yourself something too!
Merry Christmas from the Pickleball Union Team
In a rush and just want to shop the highlights? Here are our favorite pickleball gifts for guys this year.
We give this model a green light for beginner to intermediate players looking for more touch and control. Or trade a bit of control for more power, with the 14mm model.
The Diadem ICON Infinity V3 Pro is a great pick for intermediate to advanced players, offering a carbon fiber face for power and precision. Its elongated shape gives extra reach and great spin.
The "Shogun" paddle stands out with its unique T-700 Carbon Fiber x Electroplated Polyester weave, offering serious pop and power with added control—perfect for advanced players who also want a distinctive design!
The Court Burst is designed for tennis and pickleball players who love speed and comfort. With its lightweight, breathable knit and stability-boosting tech, it’s perfect for those fast rallies and long matches.
Meet the ‘Anau, your new go-to sneaker for everything from pickleball to a casual day out. It’s got a breathable design, comfy terry cloth lining, and an ocean-inspired outsole that gives you great grip and stability.
This cap’s got it all—100% recycled fabric with UPF 50+ protection, lightweight and breathable feel, plus a moisture-wicking sweatband to keep you cool!
The JOOLA Scorpeus Hat’s got moisture-wicking fabric, a terrycloth sweatband to keep sweat out of your eyes, and a sun-blocking brim. Plus, the comfy elastic fit and bold design show off your love for the game.
This adjustable pickleball visor makes sure you stand out on the court. It’s so perfect for you or as a fun gift for any pickleball lover!
The Hot Glove Mitt is a game-changer for those cold morning or evening pickleball games. It keeps hands warm and lets you grip the paddle comfortably—no more dealing with numb fingers or slippery gloves!
These socks add a touch of fun and flair with playful paddle and ball patterns! Soft, durable, and oh-so-stylish, they’re ideal for on and off-court pickleball pride—sure to put a smile (and a spring) in their step!
Ideal for any pickleball lover, these socks offer moisture-wicking comfort, added cushioning for quick moves, and a stylish design that shows off their passion for the game!
The JOOLA Vision II Pickleball Backpack is perfect for players on the go, with roomy compartments for all your gear, a built-in laptop pocket, and a compact, comfortable design that’s just right for everyday trips to the court.
This Pickleball Bag has all the pockets you need to stay organized, plus reflective strips for safety and comfy straps for easy carrying. It’s durable, water-resistant, and perfect whether you’re headed to the courts, commuting, or just out and about.
Q: As the owner of the Texas Ranchers, what are your long-term goals for the team, and how do you plan to distinguish your organization in the rapidly growing landscape of professional pickleball?
Evan: We’re not shy about our ambitions. We’re believers in the sport, especially amidst the merger that’s going on between both leagues; we are still obviously firm believers and optimistic about the sport’s future.
We think if we’re the most aggressive movers and invest heavily into the sport and our brand, starting locally and then nationally and internationally as a sport continues to grow, our mission is to become America’s pickleball team. And having that positioning as the largest holder and market leader within pickleball in America as it continues to grow in popularity around the world.
Q: Can you share some insights into what it’s been like establishing and invigorating the Ranchers brand as America’s Pickleball Team? What have been a few of your key focal points in your development strategy of the team?
Evan: Our Northstar, I would say, is eyeballs. And so a part of our strategy is this idea that even if you don’t live in Texas, or if you don’t like pickleball, you will still see the Texas Ranchers everywhere.
We’re not reinventing the wheel with that. That’s something that we’ve seen with the New York Yankees in baseball, the Dallas Cowboys in football, is they continually turn heads.
We believe that inherently as the sport naturally gets people on board and into the game because it is such a great game, and it’s easy to learn, tough to master, a layered game, that if we are the ones investing in the sport and its growth, that we have an opportunity to become positioned as such. So that’s how I would describe, in an ambiguous way, how we think about where we’re spending our focus and spending our dollars.
Q: Last year, your team had some top pro player talent, such as Dylan Frazier and Jorja Johnson. What was it like working with the athletes and integrating them into your organization?
Evan: We learned a lot from that, even just in the two tournaments that we had in the second leg of the 2023 season – Who to draft, how to build a team.
But working with those players, I mean, we were fortunate we had a team chemistry weekend where we flew them down to Austin to get their bloodwork done one day, to have the practice in North Austin where they trained for about an hour and a half, and then we did some cold plunge and sauna, some contrast therapy, and just getting to know them.
It shows what I can imagine is a tough transition between the sport that no one probably knew about five or six years ago when they started playing it, when they picked up the paddle for the first time, to what it is today where they have to act as true professionals – As athletes that are on a pedestal and athletes that are inspiring young kids to take up the sport.
Now they’re asked to be a key part of helping grow and internationalize the sport. So, seeing them and hearing what they need to be successful, practice on the court, train off the court, and recover off the court, it’s pretty incredible to see how quickly they turned into professionals from what I can imagine was a lack of structure before PPA and MLP really took off.
The JOOLA Vision II Pickleball Backpack is perfect for players on the go, with roomy compartments for all your gear, a built-in laptop pocket, and a compact, comfortable design that’s just right for everyday trips to the court.
Q: The Ranchers brought on several professional athletes into your group of investors, such as CJ Stroud and Micah Parsons from the NFL and Scottie Scheffler from the PGA. What was it like bringing on these high-profile investors into the organization, and have they had any influence in the direction of the Ranchers?
Evan: It’s important to note that our owners, the owners that you mentioned, and every owner that we brought on board, were hand-picked. They actually chose the Ranchers over other teams and other opportunities because what we’re doing is different.
You have to be curious and excited about the sport’s growth if you don’t love pickleball as is. That’s the prerequisite for being a part of the Ranchers organization; we are not interested in an individual coming in and being a name on a headline, and then their interest and engagement dissipate over time.
Everyone brings a unique and impactful superpower to the table. Whether it’s Lil Wayne consulting and helping us drop fashion lines for Ranchers merchandise, or it’s Micah Parsons, Miles Garrett, and others helping build courts and underserved communities. Everyone is bringing something to the table beyond posting across social and beyond the buzz that comes from the press release.
Testing the endurance of our athletes is a crucial part of our training optimization. Looking forward to implementing this knowledge into a new season. #Austin#Pickleball#TexasRanchers#ATX pic.twitter.com/3NPDcf5UF0
— Texas Ranchers (@RanchersPB) February 6, 2024
Q: The Ranchers recently hosted a pickleball fitness clinic in Austin. Tell me a little bit about your strategy for having the players connect with the pickleball community at large.
Evan: I think if we don’t have real fans down here in Austin and in the major metro markets around Texas, we’re not going to be able to become positioned as league leaders at the national level. If we’re not building an iconic team and the on-court performance isn’t there, then we’re not going to go anywhere as a brand.
Those teams that I mentioned, the Yankees and the Cowboys, they are not positioned as such just because of the cheerleaders or the pinstripes; it’s because of the iconic performances that took place on the field of play.
So, that’s really what we’re focused on is how can we locally put our athletes on pedestals to really excite the community in Austin and around Texas before we start looking at other markets around the country or on the global level. We’re super excited for those days ahead of us, but we know there’s a lot that goes into making those dreams a reality.
Texas Rancher pickleball fitness class held at East Side Paddle Club
Q: Can you speak to the current state of the PPA and MLP merger? According to the original schedule released by the PPA Tour, we were supposed to see an MLP pro event this weekend in LA – Do you think we’ll see MLP pro competition return soon?
Evan: I’ll say two things: We’re optimistic, and we’re focused on what we can control. That is core to what we’re doing in the interim while all parties agree on terms.
So, we’re focused on engaging and exciting our community here in Austin, and on preparing for a draft that we imagine will be coming pretty soon here. We’re optimistic as a team and for the future of MLP, the merged entity, and the future of the sport. I think it’s best for the sport just to get this deal across the finish line and begin growing a complimentary format that does the best of what PPA has to offer and does what MLP does best as well.
Q: What are some of your short-term and long-term goals for the Texas Ranchers organization? What can MLP fans expect from the Ranchers when it comes time to kick off the 2024 season?
Evan: I know I mentioned at the start that our North Star was eyeballs. But as I mentioned later on in the interview, it is important to win on the court. Our focus this year is winning an MLP championship and drafting one of the most exciting teams in MLP. That is a short-term goal of ours when we’re thinking about the 2024 calendar year.
Then, the other goal is to continually place the Texas Ranchers at the cross-section of pickleball and pop culture. We have a really fun SXSW week planned and a really exciting event calendar planned with our partners, which we’ll be announcing here soon, as well as some of our brand partners and sponsors for the 2024 year.
We’re eager to put the brand out there not just to the Austin and Texas community, but at some of the more culturally relevant events that occur in the US throughout the calendar year. We’re just excited for all the moments that are to come in the 2024 MLP season and the things that we have on our calendar for the Texas Ranchers.
Follow the Texas Ranchers on Instagram or click here for more information.
