As 2023 has come to a close, you may have noticed a number of announcements, pieces of news and rumors arise, many of which flew under the radar.

In fact, we even missed a few of them. Some remain to be confirmed.

But in the interest of making sure we cover it all, here is a digestible recap of recent news, as well as some news that will be announced in the coming weeks.

News You Might Have Missed

Tyson McGuffin Signs with Joola; teaser for new paddle

This has been known for some time, and was officially announced this morning via Instagram. We discussed it on PicklePod (19:00) a few months back.

He and Selkirk announced his departure from the brand this week via Instagram.

A new JOOLA press release says McGuffin will represent JOOLA at the 2024 PPA Masters Tournament sporting his new signature Magnus paddle, launching early 2024.

Here's a first look at that paddle:

Riley & Lindsey Newman Tease New Paddle Sponsor

Takeya has stepped away from the paddle game. As such, their biggest names are now in the market for new sponsors. Riley and Lindsey teased an announcement here. AJ Koller is assumed to also be shopping his talents.

Corrine Carr Retires

In pickleball years, Carr is an OG. Part of the Simone coaching tree, she's been a mainstay on the pro tours for years. She announced her retirement on Instagram earlier this week.

The Pickleball Box is Pickleball's Hottest New Product

The Dink recently announced the launch of its pickleball subscription box, which delivers gear, apparel and accessories to your door step. Each box has over $250 of value and only cost $99.

You can buy yours here.

Rapid Fire

• Hall of Famer Steve Wong Announced has USA Pickleball's new VP of Competition
• DJ Young signs with Stack Athletics

News You Will Hear Soon

Vulcan Vpro Flight Outdoor to Become the Official Ball of the PPA Tour

This marks the end of an era for the Dura Fast 40 by Onix Pickleball. The Dura notoriously played much faster, and its affiliation with the PPA Tour long made it a staple in backyards and facilities across the country.

What incentive do players have to continue to use the Dura?

Anyway, we heard the deal is for one year, and worth multiple millions. Jimmy Miller claims that the deal also includes royalties on sales of the ball, which Vulcan will pay to the PPA. Is it a good deal? Who knows. But you can assume that the PPA brought the deal to all major players (like Franklin and Onix) to see if they were interested in matching or beating the offer. No dice.

OWL Pickleball to be Named Official Ball of the APP Tour

Similarly, it is rumored that Owl Pickleball will now provide the official ball of the APP Tour, according to Pro Alix Truong. She dropped the news on a recent episode of Tennis Sucks.

So two balls that most amateurs have never played with will now be prominently featured on the two premier tours.

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