Pickleball Fire Podcast

We all have our reasons why we play Pickleball and author Larry Blundred is no different. However, he takes the sport a step further by writing books about Pickleball to salute both the community and his late wife. Let's get to the intro so you can hear from Larry and learn about the critters in his book.

In 2018, Pickleball was just getting started in Sweden. A friend of Axel Irestedt heard about the game and told Axel he found the sport for them. He was right as Axel finished third in senior pro singles in the recent U.S. Open. So, in this episode, we take a deep dive into how to be a successful singles player. 

Here I am in Florida on my last day at the beach. I am enjoying the sun and the weather, and I'm working on putting together this podcast episode where I interview Roger BelAir. And he is somebody who just reminded me of how fortunate I am to live my life and play Pickleball. But he has such an interesting story because he has been bringing Pickleball to people in prison. Now I have to warn y...

Pickleball Pro Jordan Briones is well-known for his high-quality teaching videos. So, in this episode of the Pickleball Fire podcast, we talk about how you can level up your game.

This is one of those podcast episodes where the audio isn't quite as good as it usually is, but it is well worth listening to because I'm talking with Neil Mediratta who recently had a big win in men's doubles against two of the top players in the world. We also take a really deep dive into how to evaluate your opponent's tendencies.

I had the chance to interview Sarah on her off day at the U.S. Open where she is playing every event possible.  She is from Australia and it is her first tournament in the U.S.  She jumped right into the professional division, playing Simone Jardim in the first round.  She is also looking forward to playing in the mixed qualifier today. 

Mark Napartovich could not play table tennis and badminton due to an injury to his right shoulder. So, he started playing Pickleball left-handed, eventually becoming a senior professional. In this episode, we talk a lot about spin (especially side spin and underspin), as this is something Mark mastered in table tennis, and it is a tactic that can help your Pickleball game.

Christina Bolton was surprised when she was asked to create a video about why you get frustrated on the Pickleball court. That is because even Christina admits she can have a temper on the court. So perhaps she is one of the best people to ask about this topic as she has several tips on overcoming frustrations on the Pickleball court.

I hope you have seen Joey Gmuer on the Pickleball Pirates Youtube Channel. He is not only entertaining but also puts out some great instructional content. Today he gives tips on what to do when you opponent attacks, how to surprise people you regularly play with and how to determine your Pickleball rating.

Andrea Ingvalson was a physical educator teaching the sport of Pickleball to kids for many years. She talks about the differences between teaching adults and children and gives some great tips for players without a previous sports background.  

Depending on your age, you may or may not know what a hitchhiker is. But senior pro Rich Lively explains what it is and how it can help your backhand flip in Pickleball. We also discuss a Pickleball myth and Palmolive dish soap, so get ready for a fun and lively podcast episode. 

Just about every time I see a great photo of a Pickleball player, I see that it is Steve Taylor's work. What I did not know about him is that he his work in video production came before his photography. So, if you want some tips on how to shoot great Pickleball photos or videos you will enjoy this podcast.

While Pickleball has a slow component to it via drop shots and dink, power is also critical to the game.  In this episode I talk with the Pickleball guy Adam Edery on how to develop power in your game and when to use it on the court.

Jamie Elliot was always athletic, which you could imagine since she was a stunt woman in the movies. But things really changed a couple of years ago when a health issue impacted not only her Pickleball game but life.

We have all played a game where are opponent gets on a hot streak, or we just aren't playing well and get way down in a game like 9-2. In this episode, senior professional Gene Smyth gives some great tips for overcoming a significant deficit.  

It is rare to be able to compete for prize money as amateur pickleball players, but the World Pickleball Tour (WPT) has cash prizes. It is only one of the ways Alex Horn, Ben Harrison, and Jacob Taylor from the WPT make their events player-friendly. 

Pickleball is trying to catch up to the professionalism of other sports. And now it is one step closer with the addition of Jim Ramsey as the lead statistician for the Professional Pickleball Association's broadcast. It is an interesting episode as Jim talks about what he keeps track of during a live match and also when he later reviews the video.

In the North playing Pickleball indoors is a necessity in the winter.  But can you imagine an indoor tournament with 46 courts and a championship stadium which can seat 1,000 people?  Well that is just what the Atlantic City Open will be when it is held in September. 

We cover a lot of ground in this podcast episode with Hilary Marold, from the battle of the sexes with Bobby Riggs to being the first female network television commentator. We also cover how to improve your doubles game while playing singles. 

I know many of the outdoor courts in my area do not have lights for playing at night. But have you ever thought about playing with a lighted Pickleball? Corky Newcomb, who invented the lighted golf ball in 1985, talks about how much fun it is to play with a lighted Pickleball and create a fun event using them.

It must be really hard when you have the ability to play professional Pickleball, but you do not have the time to dedicate to it.  Yet Ille Van Engelen has immersed himself in the sport in many other ways while playing a handful of pro events each year.  In this episode, we also talk about Pickleballs and how to choose the right one for your game. 

Kate Van Gent started playing Pickleball during the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic because her pilates studio was shut down.  Now she is leading the team to help Pickleball become the official state sport of Washington.  

Spin is becoming more and more important to the game of Pickleball.  So video creator Chris Olson set out to make a couple of videos on the topic with one being instructional in nature and the other assessing which paddles can impart the most spin.  

There are not many women who run a company where they are manufacturing Pickleball paddles. But Simona Galik Moore does as the founder of PBPRO.  She talks about how her company looks at the Pickleball market differently than others and what goes into designing her apparel line.