“Loyalty to Players, not Brands”
April 17, 2025
By Matthew Schwartz
Matt Khoury is a self-described gearhead
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Matt Khoury isn’t afraid to tell you when he thinks a pickleball paddle is not all that. He doesn’t care how much praise it’s received.
Last week the pickleball gear reviewer critiqued 11 paddles in his “Paddle of the Week” feature on his YouTube channel. Among them were the much-hyped JOOLA Perseus IV, Gearbox GX2 Hyper, and Diadem Warrior BluCore.He didn’t say any of them are bad and mentioned their good points. He just didn’t deem any worthy to merit being named his paddle of the week. Many reviewers would be gushing over at least one.
“Nothing earned that top spot,” Khoury said in the video. “I’d rather be honest about it than force a pick,” he added. “I’m not here to hand out participation trophies. When I don’t feel it I don’t force it.”
Good stuff.
It gives Khoury credibility. He’s not negative or overly critical. He gives his honest opinion. Would you trust a restaurant or movie reviewer who said every meal or movie was good?
In an email, Khoury, a self-described gearhead, writes, “My goal isn’t to hype gear, it’s to help players make smart, informed decisions based on their needs, style and goals.
“My loyalty is to the players, not the brands,” Khoury tells me, hitting the nail on the head in describing a reviewer’s main job. “I’ve been involved in product development, so I know much effort goes into building something. I’ll never say a paddle ‘sucks,’ there’s almost always something to appreciate, but if it doesn’t deliver in a meaningful way, I’ll explain why.”
Maybe his candor has to do with the fact that Khoury, at 48, is older than most paddle reviewers. Some in their 20’s and 30’s, and others just starting out, may be afraid of getting grief from paddle companies whose wares they criticize, and want to keep those free paddles coming.
Khoury’s nascent YouTube channel has only about 2200 subscribers but it’s growing daily and some of his videos have been viewed by at least four times that number.
“I take a deep, analytical approach that combines technical breakdowns with real on-court testing—and a bit of satire when the moment calls for it,” Khoury says. “I don’t just talk about how a paddle feels. I cover how it’s built, what trade-offs it makes, and how it fits into the broader market.”
Also, unlike a few reviewers who wear paddle company shirts and caps in their videos-a clear conflict of interest as written here recently-Khoury knows that’s not professional.
The Woodbury, MN, resident is relatively new to the expanding paddle review scene, but he’s been prolific. Since starting his YouTube channel, Matt’s Pickleball, seven months ago, he’s churned out nearly 300 videos. He also has a website, mattspickleball.com. His paddle-finder feature is as good as any I have seen.
“Pickleball is a passion project,” Khoury says. “I do it because it’s fun, creatively fulfilling, and mentally stimulating. I love the learning curve, video editing, content strategy, and the game itself. My original goal was to cover my website hosting costs through affiliate revenue and get access to unreleased paddles. I’ve done that. Now I’m focused on helping people find the right gear and building a community around it.”
Asked why he entered the crowded paddle review scene, Khoury said, “I’d already spent $2-$3k chasing the latest paddle innovations, so I thought, ‘Can I get brands to send me paddles to review?’ That [the website] got started in June 2024. Building the site came naturally with my tech background, and it quickly gained traction.”
Khoury, a native of the Minneapolis suburb of Inver Grove Heights, studied computer science and ran a web development business, building websites for local businesses. He says he got his “computer nerdiness” from his paternal grandfather, who was a Syrian Orthodox priest and ahead of his time with all things technical.
Paddle reviewing is a part-time gig for Khoury. He has a big full-time job as head of product at Purpose Brands, the parent firm of Orangetheory, Anytime Fitness and other companies.
He makes time to record pickleball videos despite his day job and having three kids. One just graduated college, another recently finished high school and the youngest is one of the top high school baseball players in Minnesota as a sophomore. Khoury has been married for 27 years. “I met my wife shortly after high school and knew right away she was the one,” he says.
Khoury played a lot of tennis before trying pickleball in 2023 after six months of watching others play. He took his first lesson at a Life Time fitness club. “What really pulled me in was the strategy underneath it all. That part hooked me. And to be honest, pickleball became cathartic for me-it’s my outlet.” He takes lessons regularly and drills or plays five to six days a week. “Pickleball reminds me of golf,” Khoury says. “It’s technical, strategic and endlessly nuanced, but way more active. Five hours of golf feels like five hours. Five hours on a pickleball court flies by.” He says his DUPR (Dynamic Universal Pickleball Rating) is 4.2.
Khoury has this advice for the typical 3.5 rec player regarding paddles: “Stop chasing the perfect paddle. Find something that gives you about 60 percent of what you need-usually control-and commit to learning how to use it well. And unless you already have a high-level skill set, skip the overly powerful, poppy paddles. Find something you can control.”
Khoury says his goals for his YouTube channel and website go beyond content. “I want to help more people get started with pickleball, find the right gear, and connect with others in the sport. Long term, I’d love to build something that adds real value to the pickleball community-whether that’s through education, product insight, or helping clubs and players connect. Monetization is part of the plan, but it’s secondary to delivering something meaningful.”
And when a paddle isn’t worth the hype, based on his work so far, Khoury will continue to tell you so.
Thoughts of the week, not all pickleball
· If you like baseball the new Netflix documentary, The Clubhouse: A Year with the Red Sox, is a must-watch. Even if you don’t root for the BoSox (and I don’t), the eight-episode series is compelling. One of the best sports docs I’ve seen.
· It was 44 degrees, raining steadily and windy at Yankee Stadium last Friday night. The game between the Giants and Yankees started after a 26-minute rain delay. After six innings there was a half-hour rain delay then the game was called off. Fans who bought tickets in advance, saw the forecast and stayed home were screwed. The game should’ve been called hours earlier so fans wouldn’t have to sit in the awful weather and could get a rain check. Yankees manager Aaron Boone described the elements as “probably the worst conditions” he’s ever experienced.
· I thought car shopping wouldn’t be so frustrating since internet prices are supposedly clearly stated. But after speaking with several dealerships, I see the old bait and switch tactics still apply. Advertised offers look great. Then you speak with a salesperson and learn about large down payments, bogus fees and unwanted aftermarket stuff, like $999 for lifetime maintenance. On a 36-month lease.
· I haven’t changed paddles in a whole, full, entire month. Can’t say I’m playing better but at least I’m saving money.
· So many ice packs for pickleball-related aches and pains are in our freezer that there’s hardly any room for food. I think we’re going to need a bigger freezer.
Remember, if you buy any Hudef paddle that costs $169.99, use my discount code MS30 to knock down the price by 30%, to $119.99. Any less expensive paddle, the code is MS15, giving you 15% off.