BuildMay 19, 20264 min read
Building demo mode for a real app, without a database
How Pickleloonies' /demo route lets visitors try the full app — RSVPs, chat, payments — with zero backend writes.
Field Notes
Build log, guides, and the occasional pickleball news roundup.
TechniqueMay 19, 20264 min readDinking fundamentals: how to win the kitchen battle at 3.0–3.5
Dinking is the rec player's leak. Here's how to fix grip, footwork, and target zones to win the kitchen at 3.0–3.5.
TechniqueMay 19, 20264 min readThe Erne and the shake-and-bake: when to use them (and when not to)
Two of pickleball's most fun (and risky) plays — the Erne and the shake-and-bake. When they work, when they don't.
BuildMay 19, 20263 min readShipping log — May 2026: 47 commits, 1 outage, and one feature I regret
A monthly recap of what shipped on Pickleloonies in May 2026 — features, fixes, the outage, and what got cut.
BuildMay 19, 20264 min readFrom web app to App Store: the Pickleloonies native roadmap
What it actually takes to bring an existing Next.js app to iOS and Android — the plan, the costs, and an honest timeline.
WorldMay 19, 20264 min readHow India became a pickleball hotbed (and why it matters)
India's pickleball scene exploded — here's where it came from, who's funding it, and what it means for the sport globally.
MatchMay 19, 20264 min readTrip report: Irvine Great Park courts on a Saturday morning
What it's like to show up to Irvine Great Park's pickleball courts on a Saturday morning — wait times, surface, and tips.
MatchMay 19, 20264 min readWhat I learned losing my first 3.5 tournament (and what I'd change)
An honest postmortem of my first 3.5 pickleball tournament. What I prepared for, what surprised me, and what I'd change.
MatchMay 19, 20264 min readUS Open 2026 men's doubles final — the rally that decided it
A breakdown of the anatomy of a typical pro men's doubles final, using composite rally analysis from the 2026 US Open weekend.
WorldMay 19, 20264 min readThe Mexico pickleball boom and what it means for snowbird travel
Mexico's pickleball scene is booming with North American retirees. Where it's happening, why, and what it means for travel.
NewsMay 19, 20263 min readMLP 2026 — the team format finally makes sense (here's why)
Major League Pickleball's 2026 season and why the team format is finally working — drama, rivalries, and the players who define it.
GuideMay 19, 20263 min readThe Orange County pickleball court guide for 2026
The best public and semi-private pickleball courts in Orange County, ranked by surface, lights, and how busy they get.
GuideMay 19, 20264 min readHow to set pickleball fees without drama (per-head, drop-in, court splits)
A practical guide to charging your pickleball crew for court fees, balls, and snacks without making it weird.
WorldMay 19, 20264 min readPickleball in Japan: the fastest-growing paddle sport in Asia
How pickleball is exploding across Japan, what's driving the growth, and where to play in Tokyo and Osaka.
GuideMay 19, 20264 min readThe Pickleloonies 2026 paddle buying guide (for your first or fifth paddle)
How to pick a pickleball paddle in 2026 — weight, core, face, grip, and the real differences between $80 and $250.
WorldMay 19, 20264 min readPickleball vs padel — which sport is actually winning globally?
Pickleball is huge in North America, padel is huge in Europe and Latin America. Who's winning the global paddle-sport war in 2026?
NewsMay 19, 20263 min readPPA Tour 2026: storylines, format changes, and who to watch
A pickleball fan's preview of the 2026 PPA Tour season — calendar, format changes, and the players to follow.
GuideMay 19, 20263 min readHow to run a round robin pod (formats, rotation, scoring)
Step-by-step rules for running a 12-player, 3-court round robin pickleball pod, including rotation, scoring, and tiebreakers.
BuildMay 19, 20264 min readDesigning the RSVP-and-guest data model (and the 3 things I got wrong)
A walkthrough of how Pickleloonies models session RSVPs and guest invites, the mistakes I made, and how the schema looks now.
TechniqueMay 19, 20264 min readServe and return strategy: men's doubles vs mixed doubles
How serve and return strategy differs between men's doubles and mixed doubles — and how to adjust your game.
NewsMay 19, 20264 min readThe state of pro pickleball: one tour, two tours, or three?
Where the pro pickleball landscape stands in 2026 — PPA, MLP, UPA, and what it means for fans.
TechniqueMay 19, 20264 min readThe third shot drop, explained step by step (with drills)
How to hit a consistent third shot drop in pickleball — grip, contact point, arc, and three drills to groove it.
MatchMay 19, 20263 min readTuesday pod recap, week of May 12, 2026: 16 players, 4 brackets, 1 protest
How my Tuesday pickleball pod actually played this week — bracket results, one rules protest, and the new guest dynamic.
NewsMay 19, 20263 min readEvery USA Pickleball rule change for 2026, explained
Every meaningful change to the 2026 USA Pickleball rulebook, what it affects, and how to play under the new rules.
- GuideMay 18, 20265 min read
How to organize a weekly pickleball crew without losing your mind
The lightweight system my Tuesday pod has used for two years. Copy it whether you use Pickleloonies or not.
- TechniqueMay 18, 20265 min read
Kitchen rules explained, for the friend who keeps stepping on the line
The actual USA Pickleball rule on non-volley zone violations, plus the 4 edge cases that cause 90% of rec-court arguments.
- BuildMay 18, 20264 min read
Why I built Pickleloonies (and quit my spreadsheet)
My Tuesday pickleball pod was being run out of a Google Sheet. It worked for nine months. Then it stopped working — badly.