Online searches for Pickleball increased by 131% | PPL Season 2 Draft Registration Opens

Online searches for Pickleball increased by 131%

Pickleball England is registering new members at an incredible rate. New clubs are popping up in the UK every week and the number of pickleball events seems in endless supply.

With a background in digital marketing, I got interested in how this translates to the number of people searching for Pickleball online. As you can see from the graph above, the number of Google searches is only trending in one direction, up! Last month approximately 57k searches were registered on Google for people searching ‘pickleball’ in the UK, up 131% in the last 12 months. We can see from this graph the accelerated growth in searches which corroborates the anecdotal evidence in the real world.

Worldwide there are 1 million searches for pickleball, up an incredible 52% over the last 12 months.

I repeated the same exercise for several other countries and the the data was interesting. Whilst search volumes in Argentina were quite low at 10k searches a month, this did represent a 595% increase over the previous 12 months.

The United Kingdom recorded the second-highest number of searches after the United States, more than Canada, Australia or India, all reportedly hotbeds for pickleball.

I’m tracking a number of countries and you can see the data I have captured here. I’ll be adding to this in the future to see how this picture changes over time. Are there any other countries you think I should be tracking? If so, drop me an email at [email protected].

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PPL Season 2 Draft Registration Opens

Want to be part of Season 2 of the Premier Pickleball League? The draft registration has now opened and will close on the 26th of May.

Season 2 of the Premier Pickleball League will take place over 6 weekends with four venues confirmed:

• Bolton Arena

• Easton Tennis Centre, Norwich

• David Lloyd, Southampton

• Kingsley Tennis Centre

This year the Premier Pickleball League will increase from 1 division to 3 which will include a second tier called the Challenger Division and a 50+ age group division called the Masters Division. For more details, see this post on Instagram.

Coaching Corner

Introduction to Two-Handed Backhand in Pickleball

This article is inspired by a video tutorial on the Kyle Koszuta YouTube Channel. Check it out here.

In pickleball, players often start with a one-handed backhand but soon discover scenarios where a two-handed backhand could be more effective.

Understanding when to use a two-handed backhand can significantly enhance your gameplay, providing both stability and power in challenging situations. Here are two specific scenarios where adopting a two-handed backhand can be advantageous.

Scenario One: Playing on the Left Side

For right-handed players on the left side, fast shots down your line can be challenging to return effectively with a one-handed backhand. Often, you may find yourself stretched out and only able to play defensively.

The solution? Adding your left hand to the paddle. This adjustment not only stabilises your paddle but also allows you to deliver a more powerful counter-strike. Instead of merely blocking, you can actively engage and control the rally, making it difficult for your opponents to dominate.

Scenario Two: Facing Crosscourt Shots on the Right Side

When positioned on the right side, you might notice opponents frequently accelerating shots across your body. This move can catch players off-guard, particularly if they rely solely on a one-handed backhand.

The natural response to a crosscourt attack is often a reciprocal crosscourt return, which can be predictable and easy to counter. By using a two-handed backhand in these situations, you gain extra control and the ability to handle higher-speed balls more effectively.

This technique enables you to respond with force and precision, turning a defensive moment into an offensive opportunity.

Conclusion: When to Adopt a Two-Handed Backhand

Switching to a two-handed backhand is not just about coping with difficult shots; it's about turning defensive play into an assertive, strategic advantage. This style offers better paddle stability and increased power, which are crucial in high-speed exchanges.

Whether you're dealing with fast down-the-line returns or crosscourt volleys, a two-handed backhand could be the key to enhancing your performance on the court. Give these strategies a try to see how they transform your game.

See the two-handed backhand in practice here.

UK Pros take on the US Open

Women’s Pro Singles

Thaddea Lock, James Chaudry, Pei Chuan Kau, and Louis Laville have traveled to Naples, Florida to compete in the 2024 US Open.

At the time of writing, we are halfway through the tournament and the UK contingent has produced some great results.

On the first day, Thaddea and Pei competed in the Woman’s Pro Singles main event. Thaddea lost in the first round in 3 sets to Milan Rane. Pei also went out in the first round after getting a tough draw against number 1 seed, Megan Fudge.

After traveling all the way to Florida, Pei and Thaddea played each other in the first match of the back draw which Pei won 15-6. Pei went on to win 3 more games in a row beating the number 6 seed and the number 12 seed along the way before losing 15-13 to number 8 seed, Mari Humberg, just 2 games away from the Bronze medal match. This fantastic run saw Pei finish 7th out of 32 participants.

See the final standings here.

Men’s Pro Singles

In the Men’s Pro Singles Louis had a tough draw losing the first game 11-2, 11-0 against number 3 seed and eventual finalist Christopher Haworth and then losing the first game of the back draw to number 19 seed Matthew Mead.

James had a similarly tough first game against number 2 seed Hunter Johnson, losing 11-4, 11-1. However, in the back draw James went on an incredible run winning 4 straight games before losing 15-12 to number 10 seed, Brandon Lane just 2 games from the bronze medal match.

James's scalps along the way included Megan Fudge’s husband and number 6 seed, Ryler DeHeart winning 15-13. James’s run had him finish 9th out of 32 participants.

See the final standings here.

Men’s Split Pro Age Event

On Monday in the Men’s Split Pro event Louis Laville teamed up with Martin Clark and they won their first game convincingly before losing to the formidable number 5 seed, Jose Derisi and Andre Mick.

Louis and Martin had a good run in the back draw winning twice before losing to the number 11 seeds, Alex Guy and Paul Olin 15-13.

James Chaudry teamed up with Silvio Martin who also managed to win their first game before losing in the second round to number 6 seeds, Spencer Lanier and Stefan Andren. James and Silvio managed another win in the back draw before losing to number 22 seeds William Brown and Matthew Mead 15-10.

See the final standing here.

Women’s Split Pro Age Event

In the Woman’s Split Pro doubles, Thaddea Lock teamed up with Jennifer Gallwas. Unfortunately they were unable to make it through the 1st round losing in 3 sets to number 11 seeds, Ellen Novoseletsky and Alexa Schull. They were also unable to get a win in the back draw, losing to Mae Brown and Jenny Marcos.

Pei teamed up with Marilynn Kilgore and managed two great wins in the main draw vs. number 10 seeds Shannon Pretorius and Renee Hollander 11-8, 11-3 and number 7 seeds, Janey McKenna and Riley Bohnert 6-11, 11-7, 11-3.

Pei and Marilynn lost their 3rd round match to number 2 seeds and eventual gold medalists Sheri Courter and Mari Humberg, 11-3, 11-1 in the quarter-finals.

Entering the back draw, after their first opponents retired, Pei and Marilynn lost another tough match against number 3 seeds and eventual bronze medalist Suzanne Leblang and Milan Rane, 15-6.

See the final standings here.

Mixed Split Pro Age Event

In the Mixed Split Pro Event Thaddea teamed up with Jose Galan, putting in a great performance in the first round against number 18 seeds, Brandon Contratto and Jennifer Gallwas, winning 11-9, 11-5 before losing in the second round to the 15 seeds Scott Moore and Averee Beck.

Thaddea and Jose won a game in the back draw before losing to Margaret Corcoran and Brandon Lane.

Pei teamed up with Angel Davila and they won their first 2 games in the main draw including a win against 11 seeds, Ryler DeHeart and Marina Anderson, 11-2, 11-3. Pei and Angel put up a fantastic performance against 6 seeds Patrick Cote and Susannah Barr in the round of 16, eventually losing a hard-fought match in 3 sets 6-11, 11-9, 7-11.

Pei and Angel won 1 game in the back draw before getting knocked out by Spencer Lanier and Sarah Mitten, 15-4.

James teamed up with Marilynn Kilgore and lost in the first round to tough opposition, number 13 seeds Spencer Lanier and Sarah Mitten, 11-3, 11-6.

However, they had a great run in the back draw winning 3 games in a row including a win against number 10 seeds Kelly Stroble and William Sobek 15-12. They eventually lost to number 9 seeds Arielle Butler and Jose Derisi, 15-7.

Louis teamed up with Taylor Taylor winning their first game in 3 sets 8-11, 11-3, 11-5 before losing in the second round to the extremely tough opposition, number 1 seeds, Mircea Morariu and Jorja Johnson, 11-1, 11-2.

Louis and Taylor faced tough opposition again in their first game of the back draw losing that match to 11 seeds, Ryler DeHeart and Marina Anderson, 15-4.

See the final standings here.

Great performances so far by the UK players competing in the US Open with Mixed Pro and Gender doubles to come on Thursday and Friday this week.

Upcoming UK Tournaments & Festivals

9 new events added this week!

Thanks to everyone using the Pickled Events website to promote their events.

To find events popping up near you, visit the Pickled Events website!

If you’d like to promote your event for free in the Pickleball Addiction newsletter and on the Pickled Events website. Go here.

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