The Biggest Indicator That a New Paddle is Good w/ James Ignatowich

The PicklePod is back, and this week we’ve got a jam-packed episode. James Ignatowich (aka Iggy) stops by to reveal how he went from pro pickleball player to paddle engineer with the launch of his new company, RPM. He breaks down the grind of designing paddles, the wild stories behind his prototypes, and what sets RPM apart from the competition. Meanwhile, Zane and T-Dog dive into one of the craziest weeks in pickleball yet: - PaddleGate 2025 – why 15 of 16 pros used different paddles on Championship Sunday. - PPA Cincinnati Slam – shocking results as the Kawamoto twins take down Anna Bright & Anna Leigh Waters. - Cheating drama – Tyson McGuffin vs. Mo Alhouni and the calls that shook the tour. - Sports betting in pickleball – the PPA partners with Kalshi to make wagering on pickleball legal in the U.S. Plus: streakers, celebrity owners, and the latest MLP team shakeups. This episode has it all—gear talk, controversy, and the future of the sport. 👉 Drop your thoughts in the comments: Will RPM shake up the paddle market? And do you think PaddleGate changes the game for good? Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and hit the bell so you never miss an episode of the PicklePod. Big thank you to our sponsor, Momentous. Momentous is the gold standard in creatine, save 35% on your order with code THEDINK at http://livemomentous.com #PicklePod #Pickleball Leave your voicemail for the PicklePod at (512) 200 - 4299 ------------------ Like the ep? Do us a favor: subscribe to our channel and leave a review on Apple or Spotify -Subscribe to our 'all things pickleball' *free e-newsletter* at https://www.thedink.beehiiv.com https://www.instagram.com/thedinkpickleball/ -Follow us on IG -Continue the convo in our private FB Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thedi... -For everything else we do, visit https://linktr.ee/dinkfam -Read more about Zane and subscribe to his newsletter at https://zanenavratilpickleball.com/ -Follow Zane on IG @zanenavratilpickleball #pickleball #pickleballcourts ------------------ 0:00 – Welcome back + PaddleGate 2025 explained 3:38 – James “Iggy” Ignatowich launches RPM Paddles 5:00 – The origin of the RPM Yeti (AI gone wild) 7:52 – Why RPM isn’t UPAA-approved yet 13:32 – Iggy’s deep dive into paddle engineering 14:37 – RPM paddles selling out worldwide 20:41 – Biggest challenges of starting a paddle brand 24:10 – RPM launch promo: free Cameo with purchase 26:05 – PPA partners with Kalshi for sports betting 34:45 – PaddleGate chaos in Cincinnati 37:53 – Ben Johns singles withdrawal controversy 41:58 – Fed vs. Alex Crum rivalry 43:46 – Tyson McGuffin vs. Mo Alhouni cheating drama 50:44 – Liz Trulock pushes Anna Leigh Waters in singles 52:22 – Kawamoto twins upset Bright & Waters 54:00 – Hunter Johnson vs. Christian Alshon + streaker incident 57:41 – Andre & Anna Bright rise as a mixed team 1:01:08 – The “Big Four” in men’s doubles 1:03:39 – Kawamotos’ first-ever PPA gold Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices