Pickleball Fire Podcast

Almost 4,000 Pickleball players are doing something you might not know about, but you could do in your area. Greg Mather from the Arizona Pickleball Players League explains team-based competition and why it is so much better than tournament play. https://pickleballfire.com

One thing that is clear to me is that Pickleball players are becoming more and more interested in drilling to improve their game. I had a drill session just today, and I had 20 people show up. I expected four or five. In this episode, Kristie MacDonald talks about fun drills to help improve your game. Plus, she has a fantastic story about what Pickleball has done for her. 

I was recently asked to record a couple of minutes of audio of people on the Pickleball court. You could hear the unique sound of the ball against the paddle. But I also noticed how encouraging all the other players were and how much laughter there was. So it's appropriate today that I have on author Mike Brannon, who writes about the Joy of Pickleball in his second book. 

Imagine living in a small fishing village in Mexico and being introduced to Pickleball when 3 Canadians needed a fourth player. From that point, Pickleball literally changed Emanuel Sanchez's life. Let's get to the intro so we can hear Emanuel's inspiring story.

I had a lot of fun interviewing Engage Pickleball instructor Kevin Beeson. He has some great one-liners which can help your Pickleball game plus he talked about how to stop hitting balls in the net.

Jen Lassandro and her doubles partner recently reached the podium in a senior pro event, upsetting a couple of the top teams. In today's episode she also talks about how to stage a big comeback, when to hit an Erne, and what you can learn from watching the pros play.

On the podcast, I talk with Pickleball pros about how to improve your game from a strategy and technique perspective. But I love talking to National Champion Brett Noel as he discusses how to get the right mental state to improve your game.

Near the pandemic's beginning, Rachel Simon and her family were like many people: bored and looking for something to do at home. Then she found Pickleball and wrote about it in an article for the NY Times called Is Pickleball the Perfect Pandemic Pastime? I truly believe she helped fuel the explosive growth of the game, and now she has written a book Pickleball for All: Everything but the Kit...

I believe Jayden Broderick is the only teenager I have spoken with on the Pickleball Fire podcast, other than Anna Leigh Waters, who was 14 at the time. Jayden is now 16 but just picked up a paddle two years ago and is now competing against the professionals in singles and having success.

Do you have a drawer full of wraps for your knee, ankle or other body part? I know I do so I wanted to hear how Pickleball player Turbo Darcy was able to toss those in the trash and be pain free on the court.

Phil Metz does not play Pickleball competitively, but he does teach with one of the best-known professionals in the game, Simone Jardim. Today Phil talks about the importance of paddle position in developing fast hands. 

If you play a lot of Pickleball, you will want to listen to this podcast. Senior pro Tim Ringgold explains how to recover faster after playing and what to do on your days off from the game.

I don't usually have breaking news on the Pickleball Fire podcast. But I interviewed Morgan Evans and he has an update on the spin serve and what's going to happen in 2023. As you know, there was a lot of controversy in 2022 about the spin serve. Zane Navratil's chainsaw serve was, we'll call it outlawed, while the Morgan Evans spin serve was not. 

Bend your knees Louise, step back Jack. I love how this short rhymes can help your Pickleball game. Authors Jackie Freeman & Karen Worthy have brought them to life in a Pickleball primer for children of all ages and grandparents of course.

We often practice shots such as the third shot drop or forehand roll. But have you considered what you can do to improve your ability to track the ball? Zack Strock from Vizual Edge gives us some tips on how to do just this.

As professional Pickleball becomes more competitive, athletes are doing everything they can to maximize their performance. And personal fitness trainer Leslie Roberts has just the right credentials to help some of the top pros. In this episode, we talk about her work with Pickleball players of all levels and what we can do to prevent injury on the court.

Julian Arnold considers himself a jokester when not playing Pickleball. But on the court, this professional is known for his fiery personality. So in this episode, we talk about the importance of finding the right intensity level for peak performance on the Pickleball court.

Most of us just get on the courts and want to play the game. But have you considered writing things down to improve your Pickleball performance? Jody Belsher, the author of the Pickleball Workbook, discusses what to include in your tournament checklist and the scientifically proven benefits of journaling.

I have been working on getting more women on the Pickleball Fire podcast. And today I have Chris Evon and Terri Graham who in 2015 left their jobs at Wilson Sporting Goods and founded the U.S. Open Pickleball Championship. 

We cover a lot of ground today talking with pro Nikki Roth about quiet Pickleball paddles, playing on clay, and indoor courts on a cruise ship.

We all have one. It is called the inner critic, and it hurts our Pickleball game. So, CJ Johnson is here to talk about how a technique called 3-2-1 can help silence your inner critic. We also discuss the upcoming Pickleball Summit, which is free to attend if you have a ticket that you can get by going to  The Pickleball Summit.

Grizzly bears, tutus, and seesaws. Is this really a Pickleball podcast? I am here with Keith Valentine of the Pickleball pirates and we discuss all of those things plus how to neutralize bangers.

The last time I had Tony Roig on the Pickleball Fire podcast, we didn't have a chance to talk about respect the X.  But that is such a great strategy so we go deep into today along with some information on the upcoming virtual Pickleball Summit . 

You might be surprised to know that the number one senior pro-Mattias Johansson, is wrapped up like a mummy when he plays due to many injuries. So you might wonder how he made it to the number one rating in singles. In this episode, we cover just that as he talks about the mind-body connection, and you will also be surprised at how many miles he logs during a tournament.

When Dekel Bar first started playing Pickleball, he did not think he would become too serious about the game after competing in pro tennis. However, he is one of the top players in the sport plus he is involved in two Pickleball business ventures.  In this episode, Dekel and I discuss all of that plus we go deep on how to hit four types of volleys.