.jpg)
When you hear the word Chorus, your brain might not immediately think of pickleball. You think of music. Harmony. Unity. Collaboration. Connection. Inclusivity. All the things that make a chorus a chorus.
And yet, when you look closer, all those things are what make Chorus Pickleball what it is too.
At the center of it all is Matt Cox. A music-loving, altruistic, TikTok personality. A hardworking father. The kind of guy who, if pickleball were a sitcom, would play the small-town mayor that everyone loves—the one who can both deliver a heartfelt speech and laugh at himself moments later.
And that’s exactly why Matt’s presence in the pickleball world feels so refreshing. As the sport continues its rapid ascent—becoming more serious, competitive, and refined—it risks losing sight of what made it special in the first place: fun.
“Keep pickleball fun.” It’s a mantra Chris Olson often iterates, and I couldn’t agree more. The thing is, there aren’t enough people out there walking the talk. And then there’s Matt.
I had the chance to sit down with him and learn more about his story.
In this interview, I want to share how he’s built a brand that’s rising to the top, one paddle at a time, by blending altruism, hard work, and a genuine love for the game—and the people who play it.
Music has always been central to Matt’s life. A self-proclaimed 90s alternative kid at heart and a former theater enthusiast, his playlists reflect a unique blend of influences. One minute he’s rocking out to Breaking Benjamin’s latest single, Awaken, and the next, he’s belting out Defying Gravity from Wicked alongside his musical-loving daughter, Lorelei.
He’s been singing, playing, and recording for as long as he can remember, including a garage-style side project called Wandermine on Spotify (my personal favorite track is Storyline).
“I had this grand idea that every paddle release would also come with a new single,” Matt says. “But I’ve got a family and a full-time day job, so there’s only so much time for my ambitions.”
Despite his packed schedule, Matt’s love for harmonies and collaboration led to a natural connection between his musical passions and pickleball.
When it came time to name his company, Chorus felt like the perfect fit. “To me, Chorus embodies the beauty of many voices coming together,” Matt explains. “Pickleball is the same way—it’s a sport that welcomes everyone, regardless of age, skill level, or ability. It’s a chorus of voices, all playing and loving the game in their own way.”
For Matt, music and pickleball share a universal quality: the ability to bring people together in harmony. And that harmony is at the heart of everything Chorus Pickleball represents.
Matt didn’t set out to start a pickleball business; he set out to share a game he loved with anyone willing to give it a shot. Before Chorus Pickleball was even an idea, Matt was walking onto public courts with paddles in hand, offering them for free.
It was a simple handshake deal: he’d give someone a paddle, and in return, they’d promise to try pickleball at least once. If they didn’t like it, the paddle didn’t go to waste—it got passed along to someone else.
For Matt, this wasn’t about competition or profit; it was about planting the seeds of community.
As his business grew, so did the opportunities for giving back. While most customers now come to Chorus Pickleball because they’re already in the market for a paddle, Matt never stopped seeking out those first-timers—the ones holding the infamous "$30 plywood 4-pack" from Amazon or the folks hesitant to take the plunge into pickleball.
He still hands out free paddles on public courts, often giving away Daylights to spark someone's love for the game. These moments, though unpublicized, remain a cornerstone of his approach. For Matt, it’s less about marketing and more about cultivating joy.
Matt’s approach to designing paddles is refreshingly simple: he makes paddles he loves to play with.
When he sent me the Shapeshifter SX (standard shape) and Fire HX (hybrid shape), I immediately understood why his creations resonate with so many players. The Shapeshifter replaced my Mach 2 Forza as my go-to widebody paddle (#teamSX). It offers the same spin I was accustomed to but with more pop and a lighter swing weight. The 18K carbon fiber weave—the highest quality material available to Matt—provides amazing dwell time that gives me the extra control I need, especially on my off-days.
For Matt, designing paddles is as much about individuality as it is about performance. Each model in the Chorus lineup carries its own unique "frequency," a term Matt uses to describe not just the play style but also the visual identity of his paddles. But each paddle literally also comes with a frequency. The Shapeshifter is 368 Hz, the Fire comes at 341 Hz.
Unlike many brands with a unified aesthetic, Matt embraces variety, keeping the lettermark and wordmark consistent while giving each paddle a distinct look to match its unique function and style.
Take the original long-handle Supercourt, for example. For this model, Matt leaned into tennis-inspired vibes, channeling the aesthetics of the 70s with creams and browns reminiscent of young McEnroe’s era of wooden racquets.
Matt’s design philosophy? “If the paddle models play differently, they should look different!”
Customer care has always been at the heart of Chorus Pickleball, but as the business grew, balancing that commitment became increasingly challenging. Responding to every message quickly while juggling a full-time job and family life started to feel impossible.
The tipping point came when John Kew began using the Shapeshifter as his main paddle and raving about it on his podcast.
The exposure was a dream come true—Matt’s vision of creating a paddle that stood out in the market was becoming a reality. But with the surge in orders came the need to reimagine how things worked behind the scenes. Matt’s wife, Emily, stepped in to help, transforming his chaotic system of fulfillment into a streamlined, organized operation that could handle the growing demand.
Even with better processes in place, scaling brought new challenges. Occasional shipping damages or delays—things completely out of his control—began to surface. At first, Matt struggled to separate these hiccups from personal failure, losing sleep over any inconvenience a customer faced.
Over time, he learned to focus on what he could control: providing kind, empathetic, and efficient service. For Matt, every interaction with a customer is an opportunity to deliver on his mission of spreading the joy of pickleball.
“When that joy is squashed for any reason, it’s something I don’t like feeling,” he admits. But his hope is that no matter how much Chorus grows, customers will always feel cared for and valued.
The Chorus Fire paddle was unexpectedly delisted from the USAP’s website, catching Matt and his customers off guard. News spread quickly on Discord, but instead of frustration, customers rallied with encouragement and support—some even offered to buy more paddles. While the paddles were relisted quickly and the situation remains unresolved, the outpouring support really highlighted Matt’s strong bond with his community.
When I reached out to a Chorus customer for their thoughts on the brand, their response highlighted something that sets Chorus apart: the personal touch that Matt brings to every interaction.
“FYI, I am not a Chorus ambassador and I have no incentive to push the brand,” they began. “There was one time where I lamented that there was no international shipping option to my country, and Matt went out of his way to find a cheaper alternative to get the paddle to me. Where else can you get an owner doing something like that for a customer ordering just a single item?”
It’s stories like this that reflect Matt’s commitment to not just running a business, but building genuine connections with his customers.
By speaking with Matt, I realized one thing. Chorus Pickleball isn’t just a brand—it’s his way he spreads joy and connection through the game he loves.
“And that’s exactly the thing,” Matt says. “Those are the personal stories of joy that get me out of bed in the morning. Knowing I am creating something that contributes to others' joy of pickleball is really fulfilling.”
Chorus Pickleball, founded by music enthusiast and TikTok personality Matt Cox, blends a love for harmonies with a passion for pickleball, creating a brand centered on connection and inclusivity. From handing out paddles for free to designing gear that prioritizes individuality and performance, Matt has built a community-focused business that thrives on authenticity and personal touch. By staying true to his values and leveraging creativity, hard work, and genuine care for his customers, Matt continues to inspire and grow the sport he loves.