By Matthew Schwartz
The main paddle reviewer for the popular Pickleheads website owns an ice cream store, served a life-changing church mission, and is a really good pickleball player.
Stephen Mijangos (pronounced “mee-Han-gohs”) has a doubles DUPR (Dynamic Universal Pickleball Rating) of 5.595.
“I got good mostly through practice,” Stephen, 34, told me from his home in Springville, Utah, near Provo. “I probably had a little bit of a natural knack for it, but I definitely put in a lot of time.
“Early on, I didn’t do much drilling. For the first couple of years, I mostly just played games until I got around to a 4.5 level. Now I do a decent amount of drilling, and that has definitely helped.
“I also play against a lot of really good players, which forces me to improve.
“I’m not a flashy player. I’m not known for crazy aggressive kitchen shots or fancy flicks out of the air. My strengths are consistency and fast hands.
“Honestly, one thing I love about pickleball is that I’m good at it. I can play competitively and still get that feeling of competing in sports that I’ve loved for most of my life.”
Stephen grew up in Palmdale, California, outside LA. “I played a ton of sports,” he says. “Soccer, basketball, volleyball. Basically any kind of sport I could get involved in.”
He was an outgoing kid. “Friends have always been super important to me.
“I’d say I was super social, really into sports, video games, and just having fun with people.”
Stephen played pickleball a few times in gym class in grade school but not again until 2019, when a large pickleball facility opened near his home.
“I love that pickleball is very strategic,” Stephen says. “Every time I play, there’s something I can improve on, and those things are always changing. Sometimes I improve a skill, and then a few months later I realize I need to work on that same skill again.
“It feels like a never-ending quest to get better, but the improvements usually feel attainable, which is what keeps me coming back.
“It’s also just really fun. It gets me out of the house, gives me a competitive outlet.”
Stephen says he “kind of stumbled into paddle reviewing. Funny enough, it started from a LinkedIn job posting.
“I was already completely obsessed with pickleball and playing all the time, so I reached out, and it just worked out from there.”
Stephen has reviewed more than 100 paddles for Pickleheads since 2024. He does say that being a reviewer isn’t great for his game because he has to constantly switch paddles. “It’s hard to keep improving as efficiently as you could if you were using one paddle all the time. When I’m constantly switching between paddles for testing, I never get fully dialed in with a single paddle.”
But he happily deals with switching paddles. “The nice thing was that reviewing paddles didn’t require me to suddenly start playing a lot. I was already on the court five or six times a week anyway.
“What I’ve enjoyed most is getting to know brands, meet other reviewers, talk about paddle technology, and interact with people who watch or read my reviews. It’s been a really fun opportunity that grew out of something I was already passionate about.”
Pickleheads launched in 2022 as a website-based court directory. Today, the app and website list over 17.000 courts across the US and Canada and is regarded as pickleball’s most comprehensive court-finding platform. The website has expanded to include other topics in addition to the paddle reviews.
“Stephen is amazing,” Pickleheads co-founder and COO Brandon Mackie says. “He’s a tremendous player and an even better paddle reviewer. He lives and breathes pickleball paddles and he's not afraid to give his honest opinion when he's not a fan of a paddle. Seriously, we're lucky to have him here.”
A few reviewers say every paddle is wonderful and don’t knock them because they receive a commission whenever the buyer uses the reviewers’ discount code at checkout.
“If I think a paddle is lacking in power, control, forgiveness, or overall performance, I’ll absolutely say that,” Stephen says.
“I try to be transparent when a paddle underperforms my expectations or when I don’t think it stacks up well against the top paddles on the market.”
Regarding all-foam paddles being all the rage, Stephen says, “I’ve been, and honestly still am, a little bit of a skeptic when it comes to the all-foam paddle trend.
“I understand why brands are moving in that direction. Foam cores can help with durability, reduce delamination issues, and prevent paddles from becoming too hot or too powerful over time.
“That said, I’m still very much a Gen 3 lover.
“Some of the foam paddles feel too stiff or too springy, and I don’t get the same sense of the ball being absorbed into the paddle.
“So I’m not completely sold on foam paddles, although I will say that some newer foam core paddles are getting closer and closer to that Gen 3 feel while still offering the better longevity of foam construction.”
His advice for paddle shoppers is to test a few before buying.
“If you’re a control-oriented player who likes drops, dinks, and winning through consistency, then find a paddle that supports that style — something a little softer, a little more control-oriented, and quick enough in the hands for counters.
“The biggest thing is that improvement comes from the player, not the paddle. As long as a paddle fits your style and you’re putting in the work, it can serve you well for a long time.
“That doesn’t mean you can never upgrade. If your paddle wears out or you want a fresh surface or new grit, then looking for reviews that compare similar paddles can be helpful. But in general, I’d recommend sticking with one paddle for as long as you reasonably can so you can become completely familiar and comfortable with it.”
Stephen met his wife, Bonnie, in high school, but they didn’t date until after he ran into her before leaving for Brigham Young University, where he studied finance. They got married in 2015 and have three young children, two girls and a boy.
They own a Brooker’s Founding Flavors Ice Cream store in Bluffdale, a half-hour southwest of Salt Lake City. It opened this past May.
“We had been customers for years and absolutely loved the product. We believe the ice cream business has a lot of long-term potential,” Stephen says.
Long before the ice cream store was an idea, Stephen served a two-year church mission in Guatemala near the Mexico border from 2012 to 2014.
“I lived with companions for the entire two years, and I didn’t get to choose them,” he says.
“A couple of them were people I really didn’t get along with, but I still had to live and work with them 24/7 for at least six weeks at a time. Some of those companionships lasted 18 weeks, which can definitely be challenging.
“That experience taught me how to find the good in people, get along with all kinds of personalities, and not be overly picky about circumstances,” Stephen says.
That’s a good attitude to have whether it’s with roommates or pickleball teammates.
Thoughts of the week, not all pickleball
· From a thoughtful piece this week on Forbes’ website: Pickleball’s rapid rise has created an unusual problem for the sports and fitness industry: Millions of Americans want to play, but there are not enough places to accommodate them. Even if no additional Americans picked up a paddle, the country would still need approximately 25,000 more courts to meet existing demand, according to Tim Keightley, CEO of Center Court Pickleball in Arizona. That shortage represents a significant opportunity for developers and club operators. It also raises a more complicated question: What type of pickleball facilities will players continue to use after the novelty wears off?
· I don’t think pickleball is a “novelty.” I think it will continue to grow as more high schools make it a varsity sport and, eventually, it becomes an Olympic sport. I mean break dancing is in the Games, but pickleball isn’t? I do think there will be an oversaturation of indoor pickleball clubs, if there already isn’t, and, unfortunately,many will close because they won’t attract enough members. I hope I am wrong about this.
· I’ve said this before, but I continue to see many pickleball courts with the kitchen painted in a color that does not contrast enough with the rest of the court. I see kitchens painted in a light color, making it tough to see a ball that bounces in it. The best color combination in my opinion is a fire engine red kitchen and the transition zones in royal blue. Court owners and recreation departments need to get input from knowledgeable pickleball players before choosing paint colors.
· Video surfaced the other day of a frail Frankie Valli being wheeled out of a hospital. The 92-year-old legend and former Four Seasons singer recently canceled his current tour, and his brother posted on Facebook a few days ago that Frankie has retired. Days later Frankie said he’s not retired. Oops. I saw him perform in Tucson a few months ago and while I still love the music, he barely moved, slurred his words when talking to the audience between songs, and, as he’s been doing for years, lip-synched every song. I love the guy and have seen him at least six times in concert dating back to 1972. It’s sad when legends drop the mic for the final time. It’s even sadder when they don’t know when it’s time to do so.
· I’m excited about the upcoming college and NFL football seasons, even though the Jets will stink again because they have no offense and a mediocre at best QB in Geno Smith. They will be lucky to win more than five games. The Jets have not made the playoffs since 2010, the longest active playoff drought. I don’t think the draught ends as long as Woody Johnson owns the team.
My favorite pickleball shoes after trying a dozen brands come from Montis Pickleball, a fairly new company that is all about pickleball. Its court shoes were designed with input from pros and are the most comfortable and stable I have worn. They happen to also look great. I discovered Montis when I saw my instructor wearing them and he raved about them. Use discount code MS10 at checkout and your cost will be $109.00. I receive a 10 percent commission when my code is used.
If you buy any Hudef paddle that costs $169.99, enter my discount code MS30 at check-out to knock down the price by 30%, to $119.99. For the new Mage SCF1 Supercritical Foam, use code MS10 to make your price $135.00. Any less expensive paddle, the code is MS15, giving you 15% off.
