User reviews

Breaking Pickleball shares the real-time story of Jigsaw Health standing up a regional pro pickleball league in Scottsdale, Arizona. The documentary follows 5 teams with 4 players each through the inaugural season. The episodes have player features and game-play from the regular season and playoffs. The level of competition is high... the sportsmanship even higher. Breaking Pickleball is entertaining from start to finish... you feel like you are along for the journey.

First impressions are fun, funny, professional, and binge worthy... if you play pickleball, if you love sports, if you want to see true entrepreneurship and risk-taking to create something special, then you'll love Breaking Pickleball!!

This is my kind of documentary. This was such a fun league and the players and personalities were really fun and engaging. I have become totally invested in seeing these players compete in the Arizona Pickleball League but also in MLP and the PPA. The Arizona league is the best produced league in the pickleball world. They have a great sense of humor and a really amazing level of competitiveness that really pulls you in. It is interesting to see how the league developed and how it is evolving to bee even more entertaining and competitive in the future. I hope the owners are able to really grow this league in the future.

If you enjoy pickleball or a good sports show - look no further, this is it! Prepare to binge watch for the next 3 and a bit hours.

Following teams in the first ever Arizona Pickleball League. You get to know some core characters and follow them to their homes, practices, team building events and to the games.

This is such a great Docuseries to binge watch. The characters are real, the pickleball shown is exciting and makes you want you to get out and play. I watched with someone who isn't pickleball obsessed (like me) and while I especially liked the pickleball shots, she liked the storyline with the characters.

My only way to make this Docuseries better is to have more of it! Please make a season 2!!

Such a well made story that follows the creation of a new pickleball league in a small community. We learn about the players, the owners of the venue, the challenge to find paying spectators in a story told straight from the heart. Can't wait to share this to the world. Absolutely blown away with the story and its people. Even if you don't play this fabulous game you'll enjoy the ride.

The great depth the series travels to show us the reality of creating something entirely new reveals the passions, the frustrations, the challenges and the victories. If you enjoy sport, or if you don't, you will be entertained.

"Breaking Pickleball" isn't just a series; it's a cultural phenomenon that elegantly combines drama, humor, and the unexpected thrills of an often underestimated sport. With each episode, the series delves into the intricacies of pickleball, but the true magic lies in its exploration of its characters' lives and their passions.

The storytelling is masterful, weaving complex narratives that explore themes of ambition, rivalry, and redemption. The creators have managed to make pickleball more than just a game; it's a backdrop for life-changing stories that resonate with anyone watching, regardless of their interest in sports.

Visually, the series is stunning. The cinematography captures the fast-paced action of pickleball while also focusing on the subtle emotional moments that give the series its heart. The use of music and sound design further enriches the viewing experience, perfectly accentuating the drama and excitement of the matches.

"Breaking Pickleball" is a testament to the power of good storytelling and innovative conceptualization. It's a series that not only entertains but also inspires. It's a must-watch for anyone who loves a good underdog story or just wants to see something genuinely fresh and exciting on television. Whether you're a pickleball enthusiast or a newcomer, there's something in this series for everyone.

I'm a huge fan of pickleball and I love watching sports documentaries. I was really looking forward to watching this and I really wanted to like it. It ended up feeling more like a promotional for the Arizona pickleball league rather than a documentary about the pickleball sport itself. I got bored and stopped watching after a few episodes. Maybe I just expected something a lot different. I was expecting more of a Full Swing type documentary featuring top pickleball pros rather than following a smaller league and standings. I felt like this was a good opportunity but missed the mark (at least for me).

Breaking Pickleball is an exhilarating dive into the world of competitive pickleball, showcasing the passion, skill, and excitement behind this rapidly growing sport. The documentary captures the essence of pickleball while delving into the personal journeys of its players and teams. You'll find yourself on the edge of your seat cheering for your favorite players and teams as they compete for the first ever Orchard Cup.

Whether you're a seasoned pro or new to the game, "Breaking Pickleball" offers an engaging and entertaining look at the sport and its dedicated community. Highly recommended for sports enthusiasts and documentary lovers alike.

If you don't have the athleticism for Tennis, or the hand-eye coordination for Ping Pong.. then Pickleball might be for you!

It's a documentary about a game for fat middle agers. For a lot of them it seems to give them hope and a second chance to maybe live out their "athletic" dreams, at least that's what this documentary is trying to imply.

It's the tired old documentary formula.. dealing with adversity, connecting with others in a group, each player has their own story.. blah blah blah. Of course these aren't high level athletes, so the adversity isn't interesting at all, nor are their stories or personal lives.

The 2020 Pandemic brought a lot of unexpected things to our lives as American's, but one of the most fortunate gifts was the rise in bingeable sports documentaries on streaming services. Now this may have been in the works all along, but with leisure activities severely limited, my wife and I took to the new Formula 1 documentary on Netflix, Drive to Survive, and have since become avid fans of the world of F1 and (more importantly) all things sports documentary.

Unlike other streaming sports docs that follow international sports with worldwide followings, Breaking Pickleball has a unique story that showcases the incredible power of Pickleball to create thriving local communities and families. It is no secret that Pickleball is the fastest growing sport in the USA (world??) and this documentary perfectly showcases why people love it.

The story will keep you on the edge of your seat, and you will be left wanting more! This is a great watch for the whole family, and you'll soon find yourself on the court ready to play!

What a great show - I loved the team names, the logos, the training, the venue, getting to know the players, watching them training. And the rules!! Wow! What a great way to make a sport into a real TEAM game - and of course the Rubber Chicken rule!! Pickleball is growing massively all over the world and this show really demonstrates its appeal to the masses. Having just taken up the sport it really hooks you in and gives you an insight into the training and the massive work that goes on behind the scenes. I'm a massive fan of sports documentaries and films and this is right up with the best of them. I cannot wait for the next series - I might even move to Arizona to join in the fun!!

20 out of 10, it's that good!!! Thank you Jigsaw Health for your commitment to bringing pro pickleball to us enthusiasts. We only found out about The Orchard in Scottsdale Az during the second season, so watching how you and the team started it all was fascinating. I had no idea that the Pickleball DJ was the brains behind the whole operation, I just thought he was a great hired hand. Listening to all the players stories of where they began to how the Security Guard takes his job so seriously. This Breaking Pickleball documentary will have you doing a loud belly laugh as it is entertainment at its finest, we cannot wait for you do season twos recap. Bravo 🙌🙌🙌

I watched this series on YT during the free access and I can tell I enjoyed every episode. Just like other modern sports documentaries it brings into general public attention what happens behind "closed doors", things that you don't get to see in articles online, news or on the courts. Pickleball is a growing sport and not everybody knows what it is or how it can become so addictive. I love the use of humor in this documentary. The image quality is great. The characters are real pickleball players and they do a very good job in playing their role. I highly recommend this documentary, it's something new, exiting and you'll get to see why pickleball is so great.

You've been Forewarned Orchard Pickleball! This review is "Kyle Koszuta Approved" since it's inspired off of Cobra Kai as my Review Subject line is indicative of. In Pickleball to be you Drive First, Drive Hard with No Mercy! This Pickleball inspired Sports Drama delivers on this premise to the tee and then some.

Never in a hundred years did I think Pickleball could be a team.sport. I mean I've seen Racket and Paddle Sports like Tennis, Table Tennis and Badminton being played as Doubles but 4 players where each duo can either play alternating quarters or have an invariable substitution rule seen as strategic based on points in a game. Pickleball just got a whole lot more interesting consequently! It's as if Pickleball meets the NFL now, especially when you have a Challenge Rule and a Chicken instead of a Flag to throw out whenever your team wants to Challenge. ROGER GOODDELL, ARE YOU LISTENING, MUCH LESS PAYING ANY ATTENTION HERE?!?! :-)

Personally, I just got oriented with the game of Pickleball myself late last year in late August/early September and this Drama opened my eyes to a broader perspective on the Sport. It's a good start to see that they started with the Arizona Pickleball League but I've even reached out to Patrick and Ashley to inspire some thoughts on a Texas Pickleball League to perhaps be a next venue for their ventures. The only challenge I see that Texas may bring is the distances between the major cities given the State's Size.

Patrick and Ashley are looking to bring this Drama Series to the Streaming PLatforms like Amazon Prime, Netflix and maybe even Max if they get the traction. Hey ESPN+, I'M CALLING YOU OUT BECAUSE YOU'RE MISSING OUT ON THE LATEST TRENDS HERE! IF YOU WANT TO REMAIN RELEVANT TO THE LATEST TRENDS THEN WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?!?! BREAKING PICKLEBALL SHOULD BE YOUR NEXT TARGET!

Now that Cobra Kai is unfortunately ending in a 3 part Season Finale, coming July 18 (Part 1), 11/28 (Part 2) and sometime TBD in 2025 (Part 3), this maybe at the top of my list of bigeworthy TV Sports Dramas. Awesome job Orchard Pickleball!! I'm already waiting for more!!

This documentary helps the kid inside come alive again! The players are ordinary people who have become super-pickleball heroes. The dream of becoming a pro, just like when you were a kid, happens before your eyes. The competition is intense, but everyone gets along off the court and are best friends, just like in the school yard.

I loved getting to know the stories behind the players. Seeing what motivates them, how they deal with adversity, and connect with each other.

The sport is growing so fast throughout the country because this is what we are all searching for. We want competition, we want to push ourselves. We want to make new friends. We can see ourselves in these players. We root for them.

This is so fun to watch. You will laugh, you will cry, and you will definitely want to give pickleball a try!

As a relatively new pickleball player, I loved the 'behind the scenes' glimpses into the training and communication of the athletes in this documentary. They all work so hard! Highlighting each team and following their ups and downs was entertaining and I looked forward to each episode as it dropped. High production value, very easy to watch; I have told so many of my pickleball friends to look for it. Love the puppies, too! The Jigsaw owners' dedication to building the sport in their community while being attentive to profitability AND finding space to support local puppies and dogs in need is amazing!

"Breaking Pickleball" is a captivating and exciting documentary following season one of the Arizona Pickleball League. Through interviews with players and organizers, viewers gain a firsthand look at the community and camaraderie surrounding this unique sport. The documentary showcases the intense competition and incredible talent among players. It illustrates the determination of athletes and the exhilarating moments of victory and defeat. The film effectively conveys the excitement and energy of the league, making it a must-watch for pickleball enthusiasts and sports fans alike. Can't wait for the next season!

Saw the premier in Scottsdale and the biggest thing I will say is the crew did a top notch job piecing together a compelling storyline and portrayal of the matches in a gripping way. I knew the outcome and still felt the suspense! Definitely recommend it to any pickleball or sports fan!

They also do a great job featuring some of the bigger personalities in the pickleball space, and showing what happens behind the scenes. To me, it gives a similar feel to what you get with some of the other recent docuseries in football, golf, formula 1 or tennis. If you enjoyed any of those on Netflix, I'm confident this is right in your arena.

I expected to like Breaking Pickleball because I'm a fan of the sport. What I didn't expect was to see such wonderful storytelling. They did an awesome job developing characters that I was really rooting for by the end of the season.

I also think this is the best version of pickleball video that I've seen. The camera angles + commentary, along with adding music to the points that they highlighted, made for a very exciting presentation of the game.

Having been lucky enough to witness the AZ PB league in person, I highly recommend making a priority if you're ever in the area. Patrick and Ashley put on an incredible show, both in person and on screen!

Can't wait for season 2!

I found Breaking Pickleball educational and entertaining. Patrick and Ashley have done an excellent job presenting the sport of Pickleball in this documentary. This production helped me to understand the sport and I found myself caught up in the games, which was the intention. I hope they continue in this endeavor as the presentation of the sport and teams is excellent. I also hope they add more teams in the competition process to make it even harder to take home a trophy. The Orchard looks like an extremely professional facility which was very well thought out. I also enjoyed the humor injected into Breaking Pickleball. The Security looks very threatening. :)

For those looking for a bad review, good luck.

Breaking Pickleball is the definition of wholesome content. It is entertaining, addicting, inspiring, heart wrenching, family friendly, and a great message of how teamwork and hard work pays off. I am begging for more episodes!

The first season of the documentary follows the teams of the new Arizona Pickleball League that play at The Orchard in Scottsdale Arizona. You get to know the players on a personal level, see them practice, and end up rooting for them as they play. As the sport of pickleball grows, I'm sure we can owe some of its growth to this documentary!

I watched this documentary with my family, most of which have never played pickleball and they all LOVED it. We watched the entire season over a weekend and kept us thoroughly entertained.

This documentary has it all... interesting and relatable characters...heart warming storylines... and down to the wire drama.

There's something for everyone whether you play pickleball or not!

We are looking forward to the release of part two in 2025 to see how much the Arizona Pickleball League has changed and what new characters or storylines have been brought about.

Highly recommend for everyone but a must see for anyone with interest in or taking up the sport!

The documentary hits all the check boxes for entertainment with fun, drama and suspense. It covers the inception of the Arizona Pickleball league along with its first season, alternating between behind the scenes shots, personal stories and some playtime.

This is accompanied with the unequalled production quality the Jigsaw team got us used to. The story telling skills, including the editing, are also surprisingly really good.

A must see for anyone interest in pickleball, team sports, challenges of creating something from scratch (a league) or simply for its entertaining value. For the more astute followers of the sport you will recognize many of the players who have become regulars on the pro scene so it gives a good indication of their progression and challenges they went through.

I hope everyone will enjoy it as much as I did. Looking forward the upcoming season at the Orchard.

This series is an incredibly entertaining look into the Arizona Pickleball League. With the popularity of pickleball growing each day across the nation, this is a great series for pickleball players of all levels. This series gets better with each episode, especially as you start to get to know the players better. The team concept is super entertaining and competitive. This is a much watch series.

Really looking forward to another season already. The personalities in this series are really likable, good people.

The competition is top notch. The in-game portions of the episodes get you an up close look at highly competitive pickleball...action that can be enjoyed by serious pickleballers as well as those that are new to the sport.

Such a great documentary showing behind the scenes of Arizona Pickleball League! So many great players that play professional full time now have got their first start at pro level play with Arizona Pickleball League! Jigsaw Health had a vision to highlight high level pickleball and they nailed it !! The documentary has great play , shows the players personalities and commitment! Patrick and Ashley are great leaders with an awesome team who helped launch the league ! You'll love pickleball even more after watching . I really hope that there will be a follow up to the first documentary ! Yes it's true the addiction to pickleball is real and this documentary helps feed the addiction !

"Breaking Pickleball" is a fun, humorous and sometimes emotional blend of competition and human drama, making it a must-watch doc for pickleball enthusiasts and documentary fans alike. We all love an underdog story and "Breaking Pickleball" has plenty of those to root for. The spirit of the sport is vibrantly captured with amazing production and embodied via the upstart Arizona Pickleball League and its core players. That's why "Breaking Pickleball" is more than just another sports doc; it's a celebration both of the game and its community. The personal stories make it a compelling watch for anyone interested in pickleball or looking to understand why it' so rapidly gaining popularity. 10 out of 10!