Matt's Pickleball Podcast

Matt's Pickleball
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Matt Khoury and Blake Shanks cover pickleball from opposite ends of it. Matt runs mattspickleball.com, where he measures paddles and publishes the numbers. Blake is a pickleball photographer who spends most of the year at PPA events, which puts her around the players and the brands all year. She picks her paddles on feel and will argue with him about it. Every week, they get into new releases and what's actually worth buying, what the tour is doing, and an interview with someone from inside the sport. Blake runs those.

  1. 3d ago

    Rumor Mill: Is Selkirk Moving Away From the Widebody? Plus Engage Pickleball's Founder

    Engage Pickleball founder Robert Elliott made his first paddle because his wife couldn't feel the ball, and within a year of launching, Engage was making over 100 paddles a day. He talks about cutting paddles with a table saw, leaving "Made in USA," why the X2 is his favorite over the X3 Pro, and why he thinks hot paddles make people play worse. Then Bobby and I get into whether the widebody is on its way out, the Loco 2, the Holbrook Fuze with VantaGrit, and the Six Zero Boulder Opal. Code MPB works at Engage, Bread & Butter and Holbrook. Engage lineup: www.mattspickleball.com/v/pod5/engage Engage X2: www.mattspickleball.com/v/pod5/x2 Engage Axiom: www.mattspickleball.com/v/pod5/axiom Loco 2, elongated vs hybrid: www.mattspickleball.com/v/pod5/loco-2 Holbrook Fuze VantaGrit: www.mattspickleball.com/v/pod5/fuze Best widebody paddles: www.mattspickleball.com/v/pod5/widebody Find your next paddle: www.mattspickleball.com/v/pod5/find 00:00 Intro With Robert Elliott of Engage01:32 Make Me One and How Engage Started10:42 Leaving Made in USA and Going Global21:22 The More You Make the More You Buy26:02 Engage R and D and Paddles With No Foam32:15 Engage X2 vs X2 Pro vs X3 Pro41:28 Why Hot Paddles Make People Play Worse43:14 Is It a Real Paddle Company50:35 Is the Widebody Dying59:04 Enhance ArmorGrit Follow Up01:01:13 Selkirk S2 Pro and Franklin X4401:05:09 The Durable Grit Re Release Wave01:08:09 Bread and Butter Loco 2 vs Loco 101:12:46 Joola Power FX First Hits01:17:49 Six Zero Boulder Opal01:23:44 Arronax KVL00501:24:47 Holbrook Fuze VantaGrit #pickleball #pickleballpaddle #engagepickleball #engagex2 #pickleballpodcast

  2. Sep 28

    Gearbox Founder on Copycat Paddles and the Pressure X | Pickleball

    Rafael Filippini runs Gearbox, and he brought the inside of the Pressure X with him. We get into what he means by pressurizing a paddle, why the carbon ribs take a thousand pounds to move three millimeters when the foam on its own takes four hundred, why the hottest spot on this face sits an inch and a half from the tip instead of the middle, and why he is not chasing the highest spin number anyone can post on day one.Then Bobby and I go through what showed up this week. The Enhance ArmorGrit Turbo, the Volair CMD HYB with Hex Grit licensed from 11SIX24, the roughest face in my database so far from Wika, the Diadem Edge Flex, the CPX Hyper+, and the Gherkin Draco OP.Code MPB saves you money at Gearbox, Volair and Enhance. 00:00 - The Pressure X 8E and 8M 09:32 - Carbon, Foam and Pressure 24:10 - Break-In and the 1000 Pound Rib 39:51 - Durable Grit and the Long Game 53:29 - Why a Paddle Costs 280 vs 99 01:07:18 - Enhance ArmorGrit Turbo 01:11:10 - Volair CMD HYB 01:17:37 - Wika QD Air Evolution 2 01:19:20 - Diadem Edge Flex 01:22:19 - CPX Hyper Plus and Gherkin Draco 01:29:10 - New from 24SEVEN and Arronax 01:32:05 - The Oct 1 Spin Test and Cert Costs

  3. Sep 21

    James Ignatowich Says Reviewers Run Pickleball. I Pushed Back.

    James Ignatowich runs RPM with his college buddy. In this episode, he says the thing most brand owners will not say out loud: reviewers run the game. I told him I think that is nonsense, and we went at it for a while.He also gets into the RPM Jade, some clever marketing, why the Q2 and the Friction Pro V2 feel close off the face, what a paddle launch really costs when you live at the factory, and the tennis career he had before pickleball.Then Blake and I get into what showed up this week, the Volair CMD HYB and the two new Gearbox Pressure X paddles.Code MPB saves you money at RPM, Volair, Gearbox and Enhance.RPM paddles, every one measured: www.mattspickleball.com/v/pod2/rpmThe Q2 versus the Friction Pro V2, side by side: www.mattspickleball.com/v/pod2/q2-vs-v2Volair CMD HYB: www.mattspickleball.com/v/pod2/cmd-hybBoth Gearbox Pressure X paddles: www.mattspickleball.com/v/pod2/pressure-xEnhance and the ArmorGrit story: www.mattspickleball.com/v/pod2/enhanceFind your next paddle: www.mattspickleball.com/v/pod2/find

  4. Sep 11

    What Pickleball Pros Say About Their Paddles Off Camera | Camila Zilveti

    We started a podcast! Blake and I share an interest: PICKLEBALL! You already know I talk about paddles and gear. You might not know Blake yet. You will. She's a pickleball photographer who spends most of her free time at PPA events, so she's around the players and the brands. She picks her paddles on feel and will argue with me about it, which is fun, and you'll see in this first episode. She's also getting me closer to all the news and drama on MLP and the PPA Tour. We both love this sport and the people that are part of it, and that’s why we are kicking off this podcast journey with someone who represents both of our interests. A PPA Tour player who also founded Eleven Zero Pickleball! And we get into the gear that dropped recently, including some new bags, the 11SIX24 Jelly Bean 2 series, and the RPM Friction Pro V2, and more... Camila Zilveti and Ava Ignatowich host their own show, Balls Deep: www.youtube.com/channel/UC2EdLrCOnkWq5s7Em2JtfHQ Blake Shanks: www.instagram.com/blakealyxcaptures/ Matt: www.instagram.com/mattspickleball/ The paddle Tina Pisnik plays blacked out: www.mattspickleball.com/paddle/ez-speed-e16

  5. Apr 16

    How Two Tennis Kids Built Pickleball's Biggest Brand | Connor Hance & Drew Baird of Enhance Pickleball

    Title (200 char max):How Two Tennis Kids Built Pickleball's Biggest Brand | Connor Hance & Drew Baird of Enhance Pickleball Description (4000 char max): Connor Hance and Drew Baird built one of pickleball's biggest brands from scratch — starting with a $40 mic, an iPhone, and zero plan. In this episode, we go deep on how content became their biggest business advantage, the origin of the Dink Master, their philosophy behind the Turbo and Duo paddle lines, where foam core technology is heading, and what it actually takes to build a brand that lasts in a sport moving this fast. Use code MPB to save on Enhance Pickleball gear at enhancepickleball.com.

  6. 11/23/2025

    Black Friday & Cyber Monday Pickleball Deals 2025 — Every Brand, Every Paddle, Full Breakdown

    Head to www.mattspickleball.com/blackfriday for the full interactive list with live links, filters by brand, and updated deals as they drop throughout the weekend. Use code MPB at checkout on most brands to save even more.Black Friday and Cyber Monday 2025 Pickleball Deals — the most complete A-Z guide covering every major brand, paddle discount, and stacking code available this season. I've tracked down deals from Selkirk, CRBN, Engage, Vatic Pro, Joola, Ronbus, Six Zero, Gearbox, Diadem, Chorus, and 30+ more brands so you can find the best pricing on paddles, bags, shoes, and accessories.This breakdown covers paddle deals up to 70% off, which codes stack with my MPB discount, when each sale starts and ends, and my honest recommendations on what's actually worth grabbing. Whether you're looking for budget paddles under $100 or premium Gen 3 options with major discounts, I walk through everything brand by brand.

  7. 10/10/2025

    Best Pickleball Paddles 2025: 17 Models Tested - Honest Takes

    I tested 17 pickleball paddles from $99 to $250. Here's what's actually worth your money and what disappointed.MY TOP PICK:RPM Friction Pro - My current main paddle. Best playing Gen 3 I've tested despite the $249 price tag.BEST VALUE:Vatic V-Sol Pro - $99 with code MPB. Add 9 grams of weight and it competes with paddles twice the price.BIGGEST SURPRISE:Element 6 Zephyr - $125 with code MPB. Solid stability right out of the box.DISAPPOINTMENTS:Diadem Edge BluCore - Can't justify $250 when better options exist for less.Flik Falcon 13mm - Too head-heavy and unforgiving for my game.ADIDAS IS BACK:ADIPOWER PRO Edition - Three models at $189. ATTK 14mm is my pick but replace the stock grips.All paddles include Pickle Poppers, Gherkin Wraith, Vatic V-Sol Pro & Power, and more. Use code MPB for discounts.Links and full specs at mattspickleball.comSponsored by Bodhi Pickleball - Code MPB saves 15% at bodhipickleball.com

  8. 09/16/2025

    James Ignatowich on Leaving Selkirk, Building RPM Pickleball, and Paddle Tech’s Future

    James Ignatowich is one of the most dynamic players in pro pickleball and now one of the boldest entrepreneurs in the game. In this episode, we cover his transition from college tennis to the PPA Tour, his decision to part ways with Selkirk, and the launch of his own brand, RPM Pickleball.We dig into what it takes to engineer a paddle that can compete at the highest level, the trade-offs between foam and honeycomb cores, and how today’s paddle innovation could reshape the sport in the years ahead. James also shares how he balances the demands of being a full-time pro with building a startup from scratch.Also, apologies for the audio quality. We had some technical difficulties.

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About

Matt Khoury and Blake Shanks cover pickleball from opposite ends of it. Matt runs mattspickleball.com, where he measures paddles and publishes the numbers. Blake is a pickleball photographer who spends most of the year at PPA events, which puts her around the players and the brands all year. She picks her paddles on feel and will argue with him about it. Every week, they get into new releases and what's actually worth buying, what the tour is doing, and an interview with someone from inside the sport. Blake runs those.

Information

  • Creator
    Matt's Pickleball
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    28
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Matt's Pickleball
  • Show Website
    Matt's Pickleball Podcast

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