Pickleball Fire Podcast

Kerry Shannon started Pretty Picklers a couple of years ago and it has grown to over 120 women in the New Jersey area and is now extending to localities throughout the country.  Kerry talks about her mission statement for the group along with the activities the Pretty Picklers enjoy. 

Megan Hall had a health scare on the Pickleball court a few months ago, but now she is on the road to recovery.  She talks about how her health is now influencing her Pickleball game plus the differences in preparation and strategy when playing doubles versus singles. 

Jason Santerre from Pickleball Brackets talks about software for our sport.  He talks about how Pickleball Brackets helps tournament directors automate the process of running events, how clubs can use it for a reservation system, and the accuracy of his player rating system. 

I spoke with Rick Witsken a few days after the U.S. Open where he won three medals including a gold with Scott Moore in senior pro doubles.  Rick talks about the many ways he is involved with Pickleball and he also gives advice about switching hands, grip pressure, and how to hold your paddle. 

Seymour "Rif" Rifkind is well known in the Pickleball world for doing so much to help the game grow the right way.  He started the IPTPA to develop standards for teaching in Pickleball and spear headed the effort to create the World Pickleball Federation to promote the sport across the globe.  In this interview we also talk about Rif's ride across the country to raise funds for the...

National Champion Matthew Blom retired from tournament Pickleball after winning the U.S. Open Men's doubles championship in 2015.  Still, he is known for his stress free approach when competing and his inside out approach to the game as he teaches others.  In the interview, I love it when he talks about some of the weird things he does on the court when teaching. 

Addam Shand has a background in running sports programs for children.  So, it wasn't surprising that after just a few months of playing Pickleball, he started a league for kids.  Addam has teamed up with a variety of instructors and manufacturers in the game to build a great environment for kids to learn and enjoy the game. 

Joey Farias went from playing professional tennis to practicing with a group of well known Pickleball professionals in Michigan including Simone Jardim, Corrine Carr, DJ Howard,  and Catherine Parenteau.  Needless to say, Joey is also a Pickleball professional.  He joined me on the podcast for an in depth discussion on how to volley in Pickleball and how it differs from a tennis volley.  

NBA Hall of Famer Rick Barry might be 77 years of age, but he is well on his way to achieving his Pickleball goals.  Although just starting to play Pickleball two years ago, his high-level tennis background has propelled him in the sport that he now loves.  This is a must listen to podcast as Rick's energy and enthusiasm are evident for his new favorite sport. 

Rob Nunnery is a name I've been following in Pickleball for sometime now.  I first heard about him when he starting blogging about his journey to becoming a professional Pickleball player in one year.  Despite a number of challenges, Rob is making great progress with his game and he even his started a Pickleball podcast with the number one men's player Ben Johns. 

Jason Grigg recently left his long-time job as a tennis coach to focus on teaching Pickleball full-time.  As you might expect, his Pickleball business is booming so I asked Jason some common questions his students tend to have on how to improve your mixed doubles game. 

Pickleball professional DJ Howard travels the country teaching Pickleball through Gamma's Never Stop Playing Pickleball Camps.  He was able to make some time to discuss serving as we take a deep dive into the subject on this podcast episode.  We cover how to practice serving, how to overcome the yips when serving, and the drop serve. 

Scott Golden, also known as the Golden Boy, was considering what to do with the second half of his live.  He was recently divorced and was also interested in a different career path.  Then he found Pickleball and everything changed as he is now a professional Pickleball player and ESPN3 commentator for the Professional Pickleball Association tour. 

Professional Pickleball player Kyle McKenzie and I take a deep dive into dinking as we discuss different aspects of the shot.  I have to admit this is one of my favorite interviews so far on the Pickleball Fire podcast as we really geek about this one shot but it is so important as you move into higher levels of play. 

Mike Branon was stuck on a cruise ship at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.   What came of that experience was Pickleball & the Art of Living:  The Power of Positive Dinking, a book which is a metaphor for life.  It combines humor, advice on how to live fully, and of course guidance on how to play Pickleball. 

Pro Player Sarah Ansboury has won multiple national titles, but she says her greatest accomplishment in Pickleball is as an educator.  This is not surprising when talking with Sarah as she gives some very surprising tips on how to move on the Pickleball court to improve your game. 

You may have seen the Pickleball librarian on Facebook or Youtube.  Drew Evans is the head of reference and he has a great Pickleball story as he went from being a law librarian to a Pickleball librarian.  

Dominic Catalano said five years ago he would have laughed at the idea that Pickleball would become his full-time business. But in 2021 he not only teaches and plays Pickleball but also is a commentator for the Association of Pickleball Professionals (APP) tour and is involved in a new venture called the Pickleball Club.  Dominic also goes in depth in this interview on how to drill to improve your...

Certified instructor Trey Sizemore has teamed up with pro Helle Sparre to create an amazing video course on Pickleball doubles strategy.  Trey talks about the relationship between chess and Pickleball, thinking more than one shot ahead, and the importance of patience in building a point.  

Pro player Meg Charity combines her passion for the sport with her entrepreneurial spirit that helps her to run Pickleball events, develop a large Pickleball venue, and teach (when she has the time).  Meg also talks in depth about an advanced Pickleball strategy called stacking and reverse stacking and how it can benefit your game. 

Pro player Taylor Taylor talks about how she uses Pickleball to develop community outreach programs in Memphis and why she started building Pickleball courts during the pandemic.  Taylor also goes deep into what it means to have shot tolerance in Pickleball and how this can improve you game. 

In this episode,  pro Vicki Foster talks about all things Pickleball from what is involved in building a court at your house to what it means to build a point and stack.  She also dives deep into how to be a great Pickleball partner in doubles. 

Michele Dabal had acute liver failure and was given a 50% chance to live.  She not only survived, but started participating in the Transplant Games in numerous sports.  When Pickleball was added to the U.S. games in 2018, Michele decided to learn the sport.  Since then she has been teaching and growing the game of Pickleball both for organ transplant recipients and others in the New Jersey area. 

It's not unusual for elite tennis players to come into Pickleball at the 4.5 or professional level.  But in this interview I talk with Aaron Donofrio who started at the 3.0 level and a few years later become a professional Pickleball player.  Aaron shares what it took to develop his game since he didn't have a racquet sports background.  He also discusses how this and his unusual grip ca...

In this episode, I talk with Kathy Pederson who is just so passionate about teaching Pickleball while still being a student of the game.  Kathy is a certified Pickleball instructor who works with adults and juniors of all levels and abilities.  She also shares instructional tips to help with your game.