This past weekend marked the first time the PPA Tour played at Life Time Arden, in Sacramento, California. Based on the views, the venue, and the fans, I don’t think it will be the last stop at this beautiful location. In fact, Life Time Arden is scheduled to host another Open level event April 13-19, in 2026.
The most intriguing thing about this event was the paddle selection: All the pros had to use a wooden paddle, provided by the title sponsor, PickleballCentral.
Because this was an Open level event and it is scheduled between two Cup level tournaments, a lot of the top players were missing. This made for smaller draws and some intriguing matchups and partnerships, along with some new faces in the winner’s circle.
The Wooden Paddle The nostalgia of playing a wooden paddle tournament to celebrate pickleball being a sport for 60 years was very evident.
The pros: It was fun watching players adjust to basically having zero spin, a heavier paddle, and not nearly as much power.
The cons: There were hundreds of times players mishit balls badly because they played with the inferior technology.
Tice’s Thoughts: Overall, I loved the wooden paddle event. If it is done in the future, I would prefer to see it as some sort of exhibition event, rather than an actual PPA Tour stop, where PPA Points are earned. I could see something as an exhibition at Worlds, or who knows? Maybe even a PPA Tour All-Star event .
Let’s get into the action.
Top Storylines JW Johnson Won Gold in... FULL ARTICLE FOUND ON: https://www.thedinkpickleball.com/jw-johnson-wins-double-gold-in-the-ppa-vintage-open-with-wooden-paddles-tournament-recap/
