About Pickleball Portal
Since before pickleball went mainstream, Pickleball Portal has been the sport's authoritative window — from paddle reviews and court expansion to tournaments, leagues, the business of pickleball, and the players who define it. Founded in November 2017, we were ahead of our time then. Now we're reinventing ourselves again, deploying AI-powered tools and real-time data to keep players, businesses, and thought leaders at the cutting edge. One destination. Every angle. Your window into everything pickleball.
Pro players, certified coaches, published authors, and dedicated pickleball obsessives. These are the people behind our content.
Pro Player & Analyst
Top 10 professional player, former D1 tennis at Vanderbilt. Known for his doubles play with Tyson McGuffin and Anna Bright, and his podcast breaking down the pro game.
Content Creator — "ThatPickleballGuy"
One of pickleball's biggest content creators. His YouTube channel and newsletter reach thousands of players weekly with strategy breakdowns and skill guides.
Pro Player & Coach
Professional player with 20+ medals including APP Chicago gold. Former D1 tennis, now coaching and creating instructional content with 50K+ YouTube subscribers.
Pro Player — "The Tweener King"
Former NCAA champ turned pro pickleball star. MLP titles at Challenger and Premier levels, named most improved player in 2023.
Gear Reviewer & Instructor
Full-time firefighter, part-time pickleball instructor. Hands-on testing of every paddle he reviews — no shortcuts, no fluff.
Coach & Equipment Specialist
Certified coach in Tallahassee, FL. When he's not on the court, he's deep in paddle specs, drill videos, and the latest equipment releases.
Coach & Tournament Organizer
Founder of Famous By Friday Pickleball. PPR Certified Coach since 2020 with a college tennis background and deep equipment expertise.
Author & Strategy Writer
Bestselling author of Pickleball & The Art of Living. Coaches players ages 8-80 and writes about strategy, mindset, and the joy of the game.
Pro Player & Writer
APP Next Gen National Team member with a 3-year MLP contract. From college lacrosse to pro pickleball — brings a competitor's eye to every article.
Certified Coach
USPTA and IFP certified coach playing at 4.0-4.5. Specializes in drive-and-drop strategy and helping players understand how equipment affects performance.
Writer & Journalist
Published author of three short story collections. Brings literary craft and a fresh creative perspective to pickleball journalism.
Photographer
Professional photographer based in Fort Collins, CO. Decades of experience capturing sports and events with an exceptional eye for detail.
The Founder
I've been a racket sports addict my whole life — tennis, ping pong, you name it. When I first heard about a sport that combined all of them back in 2010, I didn't even need to play to know I'd love it. And I was right.
Pickleball Portal launched in November 2017 — one of the very first pickleball content sites on the internet. I acquired it in 2021 because I believed the sport deserved a media platform that took both the content and the technology seriously. Not just another blog with generic reviews — a real platform with data, tools, and editorial standards.
Outside of pickleball, I'm a serial entrepreneur. I founded Exclusive Resorts (luxury travel), StraightLine Private Air (private aviation), and Pepper Pong (a tabletop racket sport you've probably seen on Shark Tank). I bring the same obsessive product thinking to everything we build here.
Now we're reinventing what a pickleball platform can be — deploying AI to keep those in the business of pickleball and the players who are most passionate ahead of the curve. Portal Score, our proprietary AI-powered paddle rating. Personalized news feeds. Real-time price tracking across 19+ retailers. A tournament finder that covers the entire country. It's a one-stop window for everything needed by consumers, businesses, and thought leaders. Nearly a decade of authority, constantly reinvented.
Tom (left, duh) and Family — Denver, CO
These aren't marketing bullet points. They're the rules we actually follow.
Every review is our honest take. We follow the Society of Professional Journalists' code of ethics. No brand pays for a favorable review — ever.
We don't just hit a paddle twice and write 500 words. Our reviews combine hands-on testing with spec analysis, price tracking, and community feedback.
From our Paddle Finder Quiz to real-time price alerts, every tool we build starts with one question: does this actually help someone play better?
Pickleball moves fast. We track price changes daily, update reviews when paddles get revised, and cover tournament news as it breaks.
We're not just writing articles. We're building tools that make the sport better.
Answer a few questions about your play style, and we'll match you with the right paddle from our database of 500+.
Try itReal-time price monitoring across major retailers. Set alerts and we'll tell you when your paddle drops in price.
View dealsEvery tournament, every source, one search. We're aggregating tournament data from across the sport so you never miss an event.
Find eventsEditorial independence isn't a buzzword here — it's the whole point. We follow the Society of Professional Journalists' code of ethics because credibility is the only thing that matters in media. If we lose your trust, we've lost everything.
We fund this site through digital advertising and affiliate commissions. When you click an affiliate link and make a purchase, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. This never influences our reviews or recommendations. We've panned paddles from brands we have affiliate relationships with, and we'll keep doing it.
If you have questions, suggestions, or want to work with us, visit our Contact page.
Take our 60-second Paddle Finder Quiz and get matched with the right paddle for your play style, skill level, and budget.
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