Heartland Pickleball
Midwest pickleball, covered like a beat
Selkirk's Boomstik ST goes on sale Nov. 10 — USAP-listed in two shapes, price still unpublished.
The S1 wouldn't crack, but it went out of round in 15–20 points. The S2 is Selkirk's direct answer — injection-molded true-round, with the warranty extended to cover going out of round. Our editor was one of the first at his club to play it.
The S1 wouldn't crack, but it went out of round in 15–20 points. The S2 is Selkirk's direct answer — injection-molded true-round, with the warranty extended to cover going out of round. Our editor was one of the first at his club to play it: eight games outdoors, and the early report on pace, roundness, spin, and visibility.
Fourteen months after the $333 Boomstik reset the power market, its successor has a date, two shapes, and a USAP pass — and no published price or spec sheet. We separated what's confirmed from what's merely being said.
The region's big clubs all want a monthly commitment — only some will tell you in public what it costs. We checked the published numbers at 13 major clubs and chains so the math is in one place.
What's already open, what's under construction, and what's still on paper across our ten states — plus the closings and cancellations, labeled exactly as the sources support them.
Every league night runs on it: one team can't miss, the other can't buy a point. Forty years of research, pickleball's own scoring math, and what a 0–2 hole actually costs.
The kitchen volley, the wrong score, the drop serve, the line call — every league-night argument has a written answer in the 2026 USA Pickleball rulebook. The rulings, the rule numbers, and what changed this year.
Five balls are fighting for your club's basket — and the tours have already picked sides. Specs, the one independent lab, and our own courts on the LT Pro 48, the HC-40, the X-40, and Selkirk's Pro S1 and new Pro S2.
We counted every court in our verified directory: 1,022 courts at 82 facilities across 10 states. Ohio alone holds 281 — more than Indiana and Illinois combined — and 83% of facilities can host play in January.
Since July 2025, DUPR grades every match against an expected score — win 11–8 when you were supposed to win 11–3 and your rating can fall. How the new algorithm works, and why the reviews are split.
Bangers win points. Dinkers win matches. The soft game — grip pressure, shoulder swing, patience at the kitchen line — broken down the way USA Pickleball teaches it.
First frost ends the park-court era for the year. How the Heartland moves inside — league nights, ladder play, and the etiquette of the wait-list bench.
Every Monday morning: the weekend's results, registration deadlines before they sneak up on you, and one drill worth your Tuesday. Free, Midwest-only, no noise.
JOOLA's first full-foam-core paddle costs $179.95 — a little over half the $333 Selkirk LABS Project Boomstik our editor plays every week. So the first question on our first play of the Perseus Power FX 16mm was the obvious one: how much power do you give up for the $153 you keep? On first play, the honest answer is: far less than you'd expect.
Above: the Power FX on one card — the build, the price, and our first-play findings against the Boomstik baseline. The card is a Heartland graphic, not a product shot.
The Power FX launched September 30, 2026, and it is a first for JOOLA: the company's first full-foam-core paddle. The core is EPP foam, built around what JOOLA calls its Enhanced Propulsion Core. The rest of the checked record:
| JOOLA Perseus Power FX 16mm | Selkirk LABS Project Boomstik | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $179.95 | $333 |
| Launched | September 30, 2026 | August 2025 |
| Core | Full foam — EPP with Enhanced Propulsion Core | 16 mm BoomCore — PureFoam + EVA Power Ring |
| Shape / size | Elongated Perseus · 16.5″ × 7.5″ | Elongated · Widebody |
| Weight | 8.0 oz average | 8.0–8.4 oz, by shape |
| Surface | Textured carbon fiber | Multistrata T700 carbon, InfiniGrit |
| Approval | USA Pickleball + UPA-A certified | USAP approved; UPA-A conforms without the MOI clamp (pro level) |
Gear Wire doesn't do hands-on verdicts unless we've actually played the thing. We've played this one. These are initial impressions from first play, logged November 1, 2026 — not a long-term verdict — measured against the paddle the editor currently plays, the Selkirk LABS Project Boomstik. This part is ours, in the editor's own words, edited for print.
First impression. “My initial impressions are very strong.” That was the whole opening report — no hedging, no warm-up caveats. First plays usually come with a list of adjustments. This one came with a comparison to the most powerful paddle in the editor's bag.
Power. “Power that rivals the Boomstik.” The Boomstik is not a soft baseline — it is the $333 power reference this section has used all fall, the paddle the editor plays now. A $179.95 full-foam paddle matching it off the face on first play is the headline of this piece, and it is ours, not JOOLA's.
Spin. “The ability to spin is slightly better than the Boomstik.” Not a rout — slightly better, on a textured carbon fiber surface against the Boomstik's InfiniGrit. Slightly is the word, and slightly is what we're printing.
Control at the net. “Control at the net is slightly better than the Boomstik, as it plays a little softer.” That softer feel is the trade the spec sheet can't show you: the Power FX gives back a touch of touch. At the kitchen line, where the Boomstik's pop has to be managed, the Power FX is a little easier to keep down — again, slightly better, in the editor's words, not a different class of paddle.
The value call. “Overall, highly recommend for the value.” Put the two numbers side by side and the recommendation explains itself: $179.95 against the Boomstik's $333 — Boomstik-level power, slightly better spin, slightly better control at the net, for $153 less. On first play, that is the strongest value case Gear Wire has published on a paddle.
Initial impressions are exactly that. First play cannot grade durability, how the textured surface holds its spin over a season, or how the foam core feels after months of league nights — and this piece doesn't pretend otherwise. A continued-play recheck is on Gear Wire's Recheck Board: when it happens, the Power FX gear file and this story get the updated finding, labeled as a recheck. If the impressions change, you'll read that here too.
If you're shopping the power-paddle tier, the question used to be whether anything under $200 could stand next to the Boomstik. On first play, the Perseus Power FX 16mm can — and at $179.95, with both USA Pickleball and UPA-A certification and a slightly softer net game, the editor's verdict is the one at the top of this piece: highly recommended for the value.
Buy the Power FX at Midwest Racquet Sports — $179.95 at Midwest Racquet Sports — checked November 1, 2026.
Method note: Gear Wire is a news and reference desk. The Editor's View in this piece is Heartland's own play experience — initial impressions from first play with the Perseus Power FX 16mm, measured against the Selkirk LABS Project Boomstik the editor currently plays — labeled as such and kept separate from the manufacturer's claims, which are identified as claims. Heartland received no products or payment for this piece. Facts and prices checked November 1, 2026. Sources: JOOLA — Perseus Power FX page (price, launch date, full-foam EPP core and Enhanced Propulsion Core, elongated Perseus shape and dimensions, average weight, textured carbon fiber surface, USA Pickleball and UPA-A certification, Daydream colorway): joola.com; Selkirk — LABS Project Boomstik collection page (the comparison baseline and its $333 price): selkirk.com. Prices and approval status can change — verify on the source and the governing body's current list before you buy or enter.
The Heartland court directory — clubs, indoor facilities, and park courts where a visiting player can actually get a game. Every facility has its own page: open any card to get its address, directions, source, and what's coming up there. Filter by state, and always check the club's own schedule before you drive: open-play hours move with league seasons.
82 facilities across 10 states — every entry sourced, with its street address, court counts exactly as listed by its source, and a real photo of the facility wherever one could be verified. “Not stated” means the source didn’t publish a count — we don’t guess.
This directory is the dataset behind our annual count of the region — 1,022 courts in all. And for what is opening, closing, and still on paper this winter:
Every facility plotted from its published street address. Tap a pin for the address, court count, and directions — the pins follow the state and indoor/outdoor filters and the search above.
Every Heartland club runs on the same weekly heartbeat. Learn the rhythm once and you can drop into a game in any town in the region.
The drive-worthy weekends across the Heartland from mid-November through the end of the year — seven events in all: two APP Moneyball stops with guaranteed prize money, a fifth-annual regional in Noblesville, two Pickle Lodge weekends in West Chester including the ThanksPickle parent/child tournament and the year-end WinterMAX, and winter round robins indoors. Details verified against organizer listings on November 1, 2026; entry fees and deadlines change, so confirm on the official listing before you book a hotel.
Most Heartland events bracket by DUPR rating — divisions sorted by skill first, then age. If you don't have a rating yet, play one rated league night or round robin before you enter, so you're bracketed on evidence instead of a guess. The Toolbox has the full explainer.
The reference shelf: ratings, scoring, the shots that matter, and the unwritten rules that make you welcome back at any court in the region.
Pick the level that honestly sounds like you. We'll translate it into the bracket language tournament directors actually use.
The division guide above assumes you know your rating. If you don't have a DUPR yet, answer ten honest questions about your game — strokes, consistency, and, most of all, your results against players who do have ratings — and we'll estimate the range you're probably playing in.
How it works: one question at a time, four answers each, about two minutes. Be honest rather than flattering — the estimate is only useful if it's true, and the last question (your results against rated players) counts double, because results calibrate better than self-described strokes.
A pickleball court is 20 × 44 feet — badminton-sized — split by a net that stands 36 inches at the posts and 34 in the middle. Tap a zone to see what it decides.
The five calls that end league-night rallies in an argument — each one settled by the 2026 USA Pickleball Official Rulebook, with the rule number attached:
DUPR is the rating most Heartland tournaments and rated leagues report to. The plain-English version:
Traditional side-out scoring: only the serving team can score, and in doubles both partners serve before the ball changes hands — except the very first turn of the game. The call is three numbers:
Games usually run to 11, win by 2. Some leagues and pro team formats use rally scoring (every rally scores, games to 21) — ask at check-in which one you're playing before the first serve, not after the first dispute.
The soft shot that lands in the kitchen and can't be attacked. It's the most important shot in the sport, and "less is more" is the whole secret:
What seasoned Heartland players actually carry — tuned for a region where a October morning can start at 45° and finish at 75°.
Played here. Checked again.
Heartland tracks gear through real Midwest play and scheduled follow-ups — no rankings, no sponsored placements, no verdict on anything we haven’t played.
Pick a level and Gear Wire surfaces the files and stories that speak to your game — dimming the rest, not deleting them. Level notes use only judgments the Ball Debate and the Editor’s View have already published; where no level-specific content exists, the general file applies.
One living file per covered product: the evidence badge says how we know, the price carries its check date, and the finding is the latest word from published Heartland coverage. No star ratings, no rankings, no “best” labels.
Both packs were sold out at selkirk.com when checked Nov. 1.
Buy at Selkirk — $14.99 / 3-pack · $39.99 / 12-pack at selkirk.com — both sold out at our November 1 check; this page is where restocks land.
Latest finding: the editor has played eight outdoor games on it — no roundness issues, where the S1 went out of round in 15–20 points — and the pace sits near the LT Pro 48.
Buy the LT Pro 48 at Pickleball Central — In stock at Pickleball Central at our November 1, 2026 check.
Latest finding: hot out of the box, then settles — and it holds its shape. The catch is supply: scarce outside Life Time channels.
Buy the X-44 at Franklin — From $14.99 at franklinsports.com — checked November 1, 2026; excluded from Franklin coupons and promotions.
Status: now available at franklinsports.com. The editor has a set on order — first play will be added to this file when it happens. No date promised, and no verdict until it’s played.
Buy the HC-40 at JOOLA — $9.95 / 3-pack at joola.com — in stock at our November 1, 2026 check.
Status: the designated ball for DUPR-sanctioned events since September 1, 2026. Recorded ≠ sanctioned — a DUPR-recorded league night is not automatically a DUPR-sanctioned event, so check the event’s own ball rule. We have checked this ball; we have not played it, so there is no verdict here.
Buy the X-40 at Midwest Racquet Sports — $29.99 / 12-pack · $16.75 / 6-pack at Midwest Racquet Sports — checked November 1, 2026.
Latest finding: the slower, more forgiving ball in the group — and crack-prone over time. Its case was never performance: it’s price, availability, and that everybody already knows how it plays.
Buy the Boomstik at Selkirk — $333 at selkirk.com — sold out at our November 1, 2026 check; this page is where Selkirk sells the LABS line.
Latest finding: power unmatched, a sweet spot far more forgiving than the previous Selkirk, JOOLA, and CRBN TruFoam paddles the editor has played, and a learning curve to harness that power and get comfortable at the net. The editor’s current paddle, in league play now — the full first play is linked below. Its successor, the Boomstik ST, launches November 10.
Buy the Power FX at Midwest Racquet Sports — $179.95 at Midwest Racquet Sports — checked November 1, 2026.
Latest finding: first-play power rivals the Boomstik, spin is slightly better, and it plays a little softer — so control at the net is slightly better too. Initial impressions, logged Nov. 1, 2026; a continued-play recheck is on the board.
Status: price, specs, and core have not been published by Selkirk yet. Successor to the $333 LABS Project Boomstik — we’re watching for the launch, not reviewing a press release.
Scheduled checks, shown as upcoming. Nothing here is a result — when a check happens, the file above is what changes.
Five balls lined up on specs, the one independent lab in the debate, and the Editor’s View — the slower, forgiving X-40 against the hotter S2 and LT Pro 48. Start here if the question is which ball suits the game you play.
The first play: eight outdoor games. Pace very similar to the LT Pro 48, no roundness issues at all — and an honest note on what eight games can’t grade yet, like cracking.
JOOLA’s first full-foam-core paddle at $179.95, measured against the $333 Boomstik the editor plays now: power that rivals it, slightly better spin, and a slightly softer feel that helps at the net. Initial impressions, logged Nov. 1 — a continued-play recheck is on the board.
The $333 LABS Project paddle the editor plays now, in league play: power that is unmatched, a sweet spot far more forgiving than the previous Selkirk, JOOLA, and CRBN TruFoam paddles he has played — and a learning curve to harness that pop at the net. Editor’s View logged Nov. 1.
The $333 LABS Boomstik gets a successor. What’s confirmed is short and checkable — both shapes already sit on the USAP approved list — and everything else is labeled as what it is: not yet published.
“Approved” is no longer one universal label. The Facolos removal, the two paddles under investigation, and the current price wire — match your exact model and variant to your event’s standard before you enter.
“Approved” is no longer one universal label. Current retailer listings show paddles carrying USA Pickleball (USAP) approval, UPA-A approval, both, or only one of the two. The practical point is not that every paddle is suspect — it is that approval is model-specific and can change, so the governing body’s current list, not an old product page, is the final word for sanctioned play.
The 2026 XRZ2 line added black and white options for men and women in September 2026.
Manufacturer claims / terms — not a Heartland test: roomier toe box, lateral stability outriggers, 30-day performance guarantee, and six-month sole warranty, as described by SQAIRZ.
Maker specs — no Heartland test: Cordura upper, fit sleeve, protective toe cap, Qubit foam, and carbon-fiber shank. Maker lists the shoe at about 350 grams. No Heartland hands-on verdict — we have not tested it.
Standing rules: facts come from manufacturers, USA Pickleball, or named retailers, linked on the entry. Prices are the prices shown on the check date printed in each file — they can change. There is no hands-on verdict on anything we haven’t played.
Method note: Gear Wire is a news and reference section. Heartland does not sell the products listed, does not rank them, and did not receive products or payment for this coverage. Manufacturer performance language is identified as a claim, not a test finding. Verify price and approval on the source and the governing body’s current list before you buy or enter.
Five slots, every one earned. Sponsorship here is native to the content — never a wall of rented rectangles.
Heartland Pickleball is an independent newsroom and player's toolbox for the Midwest game — the region where pickleball isn't a coastal import but a Tuesday-night institution. We cover the tournaments worth driving to, keep the court directory honest, and publish the explainers we wish someone had handed us at our first open play. Heartland Pickleball launched at heartlandpb.com on November 1, 2026.
Coverage area:
Sponsorship here is deliberately restrained: a handful of partners, native to the content, never a wall of rented rectangles. Every partner passes one test — would a regular at open play recognize this as a genuine part of the local game? Regional clubs, paddle shops, and tournament organizers get first conversation.
One partner across the masthead, the tournament calendar, and The Kitchen Line email. The name players associate with the whole season.
Your club or brand attached to the winter calendar and registration-deadline coverage — the pages players check before every entry.
Present the ratings, scoring, and gear explainers — the reference pages new players bookmark and leagues send their rookies to.
Running a club, a tournament, or a shop in the Heartland and want the conversation? Write to us through The Kitchen Line signup on the front page and mention "partner" — we read everything.
