What’s the Score?
Friday Pickleball has announced a major strategic partnership with professional player and YouTube sensation Kyle Koszuta, better known as “ThatPickleballGuy”. This collaboration signals the brand’s aggressive transition from recreational equipment to the high-performance professional market. By leveraging Koszuta’s digital influence and playing expertise, Friday aims to secure a permanent spot among elite manufacturers like Selkirk and Joola.
Hit it deeper!
The partnership began organically through the digital pickleball community and was solidified during a collaborative content session in Kansas City that produced several viral videos. Koszuta, who runs “ThatPickleballSchool” and boasts a massive online following, noted that he was initially surprised by the brand’s rigorous research and development process. Friday has spent months testing and iterating products, and as part of this new era, the company has submitted its lineup for UPA-A approval.
Koszuta will move forward using a new full-foam paddle as his primary equipment, a cornerstone of Friday’s upcoming high-performance series. This includes the Aura and Aura Pro models, which emphasize power and technical precision. This move follows Friday’s signing of pro player Rachel Rohrabacher, reinforcing their intent to build a legitimate “Pro Team”. Founder Jake Triplett remains realistic but ambitious, acknowledging that while they cannot immediately unseat industry leaders, their “content-heavy” strategy and commitment to R&D will ensure they are one of the few brands remaining in five years. Recent technical innovations, such as the Fever 102 paddle featuring a rubber strip to expand the sweet spot, demonstrate that the brand is focusing on engineering as much as marketing.
The World Pickleball Verdict
This partnership is a masterstroke in “sportainment” marketing. In a tightening paddle market, brand survival depends on a mix of high-level performance and community trust. By signing a player who is also the sport’s leading educator, Friday Pickleball isn’t just selling a piece of carbon fibre; they are buying instant credibility with the fastest-growing segment of the player base—the serious intermediate looking to turn pro.
Chris Beaumont
Founder and Editor-in-ChiefChris Beaumont is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of World Pickleball Magazine. Chris follows the global game closely, reporting on the latest news, developments, stories and tournaments from all five continents. He also hosts the World Pickleball Podcast, interviewing people at…
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