How I Fell Into the Pickleball Affiliate World — And Why I’m Slowing Down

When I first started watching pickleball videos on YouTube, I kept noticing something.

Every reviewer had a code.

“Use my code for $10 off.”
“Link in description.”
“Discount below.”

How I Fell Into the Pickleball Affiliate World — And Why I’m Slowing Down

When I first started watching pickleball videos on YouTube, I kept noticing something: every reviewer had a code. “Use my code for $10 off.” “Link in the description.” At the time, I didn’t think much of it. I assumed they were just helping people save money on paddles. I had no idea those were affiliate codes — meaning they earned a commission when someone used them.

Then I started playing pickleball myself.

I was brand new to the game, but I’ve always been the kind of person who goes all in when something grabs my attention. My younger brother calls me a nerd for it, and maybe he’s right. When I get into something, I want to understand every detail — how it’s built, why it works, and what makes it different. Before pickleball, I did that with tech. I’ve worked in IT for over a decade, and I had uploaded a few computer review videos just sharing what I knew.

One day I thought, why not try reviewing paddles the same way?

That’s when I applied for my first ambassador program with Vatic Pro. I honestly didn’t expect them to accept me. I had barely started playing pickleball. I didn’t have a big following. I wasn’t some established content creator. But they approved me, and they offered a generous discount on a paddle or two. I only grabbed one because I didn’t want to go crazy spending money. At that point, it was just fun — I was learning the game, learning the equipment, and uploading simple videos.

Then I realized something: this wasn’t just a discount program. It was commission-based.

Suddenly, everything I had seen on YouTube made sense. That’s why everyone had codes.

Now, is that a bad thing? No. Not at all. I worked in sales for almost ten years before moving fully into IT, so I understand what it means to sell. In those jobs, we didn’t get to pick and choose what to push. We sold what the company told us to sell. We had metrics, quotas, and categories to hit. Educate the customer. Encourage them. Close the sale. That was the job.

Paddle companies aren’t much different — except they can’t afford nationwide sales teams. It wouldn’t make sense. Instead, they rely on social media, YouTube, ambassadors, and influencers to spread the word. It’s modern marketing. And if we’re being honest, most of us have searched “best paddle” and trusted someone online. I know I have.

As I continued making content, I started to understand my role in that system. I wasn’t just reviewing paddles; I was part of the marketing pipeline. That realization really hit me when I visited both the UPAA and USAP approved paddle lists. I couldn’t believe how many brands and models were in those databases — companies I had never even heard of. It made me wonder how a handful of reviewers could truly represent the entire paddle market.

The answer is, they can’t.

There are simply too many brands and too many small variations between models. Many paddles are built similarly with minor tweaks. To stand out, a company has to invest heavily in marketing and exposure. They need ambassadors. They need visibility. They need people talking about their products. Brands like Luzz and Vatic Pro didn’t just appear out of nowhere; they built recognition over time. That takes money, patience, and people willing to represent them.

At some point, though, I started questioning myself. As I added more codes and partnered with more companies, I had to ask: am I helping people make informed decisions, or am I just becoming another marketing arm? The honest answer is probably both.

I’ve been down this road before. In cornhole, I went through the same cycle with bags — always trying the next one, convincing myself it was different enough to matter. They were similar, but I still wanted them all. Pickleball paddles can feel the same way. You can only use one at a time, yet the temptation to try them all is always there.

The paddle market is saturated. Some brands will survive long term; others won’t. The big reviewers will continue, and new ones will pop up. Codes will always exist. But recently, I’ve felt myself wanting something simpler.

I don’t want to represent ten different companies. I don’t want to chase every new release. I don’t want to feel like I need to constantly push something. I want to represent what I genuinely believe in. For me, that’s a small handful of brands I trust and enjoy playing with. And honestly, even narrowing that list further would be fine.

Would I like someone to use my code? Of course. If I earn $5, $10, or $20 from a paddle sale and it helps fund the next one I want to try, that’s practical. It offsets the cost of an expensive hobby. But that can’t be the main driver.

Because at the end of the day, I didn’t start this to become an influencer. I started because I love learning about gear. I love understanding how things work. Most importantly, I love playing pickleball.

Lately, I’ve felt the pull to slow down the reviews and just get back to enjoying the game. If you’ve ever wondered why there are so many ambassador codes out there, now you know. It’s marketing. It’s opportunity. It’s passion mixed with commission.

For me, it started as curiosity, turned into a side hustle, and is now becoming something more grounded. I just want to represent what I believe in — and then step on the court and play.