We saw some exciting matches and new records set in APP Cincinnati this past weekend. We’ll be going over who took home the hardware, an exercise to help strengthen your knees and make you lightning fast on the court, the differences between the major tours, and so much more. This week:

• Stars Shining in Cincinnati - APP Cincinnati Recap

• APP vs. PPA – What’s the difference between the two biggest tours?

• Rally Scoring vs. Traditional Scoring – What’s the Dill?

• Pickleball Ratings 101: What’s your number?

• Exercise of the Week: The Wall Sit

Let’s get into it

Stars Shining in Cincinnati - APP Cincinnati Recap

The APP Vlasic Classic is a wrap from Cincinnati. In addition to the gold medal winners (listed below), a few storylines caught our attention: Megan Fudge earned her 69th and 70th APP medals, making her the winningest player ever on the tour. The previous record was 68, held by JW Johnson.

Days after posting on X promising “Just results,” Grayson Goldin secured gold in men’s doubles—a year to the day since his first APP singles gold at the same event.

Familiar faces dominated the rest of the action: Will Howells and Jack Munro didn’t drop a game on their way to another men’s doubles title; Sofia Sewing earned her third APP gold this season; Howells and Bobbi Oshiro remain undefeated in 2025, claiming another mixed doubles win.

APP vs. PPA – What’s the difference between the two biggest tours?

If you’ve been following pro pickleball, you’ve probably noticed two big names dominating the scene: the APP Tour and the PPA Tour. While both showcase top-tier talent, they have very different flavors. The APP tour is considered the “second tier” or “minor league” tour in pro pickleball, but that doesn’t mean there’s any short of talent. Many household names including Will Howells, Jill Braverman, Megan Fudge, Jack Munro, and Christopher Haworth play in this tour. It has a grassroots feel, with a focus on growing the game from the ground up—think more community vibes, less velvet rope.

The PPA Tour, on the other hand, is all about the spotlight. With flashy venues, exclusive player contracts, and high production value (hello, CBS Sports, Pickleball Channel and Amazon Prime), the PPA is positioning itself as the “major leagues” of pickleball. Many of the sport’s top players like Ben Johns, Christian Alshon, Andrei Daescu, and Anna Leigh Waters are signed exclusively to the PPA, which gives it a more elite and polished feel—but also limits who can play where. The PPA tour acquired Major League Pickleball (MLP) in February of 2024. The MLP Tour is where top-tier pickleball gets turbocharged—teams battle it out in a fast-paced format with two men and two women on each team. The teams battle it out for months at different events, fighting to be at the top of the standings. The top teams play for a large cash prize pool in New York city at the end of the season.

So, which tour wins? Both tours have their pros and cons, but the beauty of both is that “you can play where the pros play,” as seen in their digital marketing. And for rising pro pickleball players, the qualifiers for the APP tour is often more competitive than the PPA tour with larger qualifying draws. If you're into open access and community spirit, the APP might be your court. If you're drawn to big names, glitzy production, and high-stakes showdowns, the PPA brings the heat. Either way, it's a win for pickleball fans—more action, more drama, and more reasons to bring awareness to pickleball.

Rally Scoring vs. Traditional Scoring – What’s the Dill?

If you've ever left the court wondering why your game felt like a marathon (or a sprint), the answer might be in the scoring. In traditional side-out scoring, only the serving team can earn points. Matches are typically played to 11 points, but you must win by 2. Each team gets two serve attempts per side (except for the first serve of the game), so momentum can shift slowly—and games can stretch on if both sides keep holding serve.

Rally scoring flips the script. In this format, every rally results in a point, regardless of who served. It’s high tempo and designed to keep games moving. Matches are usually played to 15 or 21 points, still with a win-by-2 rule. Because every rally counts, comebacks are more common, and the game feels faster and more intense. You’ll often see rally scoring in team formats like Minor League Pickleball (MiLP) or during exhibition play where time limits matter.

So which scoring style is best? Traditional scoring rewards control, defense, and strategy—it’s the OG of pickleball. Rally scoring brings fireworks, speed, and crowd energy. Whether you prefer the slow simmer or a quick sizzle, both serve up great pickleball. Just know the rules before you play—because scoring confusion is not the way to lose a match!

Pickleball Ratings 101: What’s Your Number?

Whether you’re just learning to dink or you’ve got a mean third-shot drop, knowing your rating can help you find the right competition, partner, and track your growth. Most players fall somewhere between 2.0 and 5.0+ on the DUPR scale (there’s another rating system, UTR-P, but we’ll be going over DUPR today), and here's what those numbers actually mean:

• 2.0–2.5 (The Newbie Zone): You’re just starting out, learning basic rules, court positioning, and how to keep score. At this stage, rallies are short, and unforced errors are common. You’re focused on making consistent contact and getting the ball over the net—no shame, we all started here!

• 2.5–3.0 (Getting the Hang of It): You’re starting to understand the flow of the game. You can sustain short rallies, serve and return with some control, and you're beginning to use a forehand and backhand (even if not confidently). You still rely mostly on your athleticism over strategy.

• 3.0–3.5 (Weekend Warrior): You’ve got a reliable serve, consistent dinks, and you're learning to control shot placement. You understand court positioning better and start attempting drop shots, third-shot strategies, and basic teamwork. Mistakes still happen under pressure, but you’re competing comfortably.

• 3.5–4.0 (Serious Contender): Now you're hitting third-shot drops and drives with intention, using lobs and angles, and communicating well in doubles. You’re minimizing unforced errors, playing with more patience, and adapting your strategy based on your opponents' weaknesses.

• 4.0–4.5 (High-Level Rec/Local Tourney Beast): You're executing advanced strategies consistently—like stacking, poaching, and speed-ups. You anticipate well, control pace, and maintain a strong dink game under pressure. You're a threat on both sides of the court and probably playing in or winning local tournaments.

• 5.0+ (Elite/Pro Level): You’re in full control of every shot—serves, returns, drops, drives, resets, and dinks. Your court awareness is elite, your reaction time is razor sharp, and you can out-strategize and out-execute most opponents. You're either a top-tier amateur or officially competing at the pro level.

So, whether you're climbing from a 3.0 to a 3.5 or gunning for that pro badge, just remember: it’s not about the number—it’s about the grind. Keep playing, keep improving, keep pickling and enjoy the ride.

Exercise of the Week: The Wall Sit

If you’ve ever been locked in a marathon dink rally deep into a pickleball match, you know that unmistakable fire building in your quads — the burn that makes it harder to stay low, quick, and balanced. Enter the wall sit, our exercise of the week and your new best friend for dominating the kitchen line. By planting your back against a wall and sinking into an invisible chair, you’ll torch those quads in the same way long rallies demand — minus the paddle drama. To crank things up, try single-leg wall sits to supercharge leg endurance and balance, mimicking those fast, low lunges we love (and hate) during clutch points.

For an extra bang for your buck, grab a pair of dumbbells while you hold your sit. Not only will your legs feel the heat, but your forearms will get a sneaky strength boost too — helping you unleash sharper flicks and firmer volleys when it counts. The combo of leg stamina and grip strength can be the game-changer that keeps you confident and steady in those make-or-break exchanges. So next time you're leaning against a wall, remember: you're not just sitting — you're building a pickleball fortress. Recommended times: Beginners - 20-30 seconds, Intermediate - 30-60 seconds, and Advanced - 1 minute - 2 minutes. Ready to feel the burn? Let’s go.