Blazing Paddles - A Pickleball Podcast
Join us, John and Karen, for a married couple's take on Pickleball. Avoid "Pickleball Divorce," saddle up and have a cocktail, have a laugh, and enjoy guests and influencers in this unbelievable explosion of a sport the likes of which we've never seen.
Let's talk about the impact pickleball is having on our culture. From Boomers to Zoomers, every generation is discovering a new passion. A game that wasn't on the map three years ago now has millionaires playing, billionaires jousting, and people scrambling for some piece of the pickleball pie.
Put your ears on and have a listen, you'll be glad you did.
Blazing Paddles - A Pickleball Podcast
All Aboard The PickleTrain with Chrissie Hintz
Unpack the secrets of staying injury-free in the fast-paced world of pickleball with the exceptional insights of Chrissy Hintz from Southlake Paddle Club. In a sport where the thrill of victory is only surpassed by the agony of defeat—and potential injury—we're bringing you a game-changer with Chrissy's innovative PickleTrain program. She's not just a player and instructor; she's transforming how we approach the game, from the perfect paddle search to volley techniques that borrow from tennis without causing confusion on the court.
Gear up for an honest exchange about the harsh reality of sports injuries, where I reveal my own battle with knee pain and how the tank M4 sled has flipped my rehab routine on its head. We dissect the myths of flexibility, dive into the dreaded pickleball elbow, and layout why proper technique can't be an afterthought. Our chat isn't just about overcoming pain; it's about rethinking fitness with a personalized touch and how we plan to extend that philosophy to our listeners through an upcoming virtual platform designed to bolster your game and protect your body.
Lastly, we’re dishing out the playbook to elevate your skills and strategy on the court, analyzing everything from reaction times to outmaneuvering the notorious 'bangers.' But it's not all about the sweat and swing; we reflect on passion's role in pickleball and tennis, from aspiring pros to those in it for the long haul. It's a tale of community, friendship, and sportsmanship with a side of strategic prowess—all the ingredients you need to not only play better but to enjoy every moment on the court. Join us, and find out just how sweet the pickleball life can be when you're playing pain-free and at the top of your game.
Want to find out for yourself? Download the Aim7 app today. Use our url to get a 25% discount and try the app for a free trial before committing. https://www.aim7.com/?via=blazing-paddles
Special thanks to Crown Pickleball for their support and sponsorship! Don't waste money on balls that break, Crown pickleballs rarely crack, are more visible and have a higher spin rate than the competitors.
Use our link to receive a discount on your next purchase! https://crownpickleball.store/blazingpaddles
Have a suggestion for a guest or topic you'd like to see us address?
Hit me up at john@dink.pro or shout out on social:
Instagram
Twitter
Tik Tok
That's. Another thing we want to focus on is injury prevention. I mean, we're starting to see lots of articles, things about pickleball health. Pickleball injuries are up through almost 300%. I think I saw on NBC5 came out with that in one of their little segments. I was like, oh yeah, we're doing this at a good time because people need help and some people just have no idea where to get started. And that's almost the beauty of pickleball is that anybody can do this. But, can we be safe about this?
Speaker 2:Hey everybody, welcome back. Season one, episode nine blazing paddles saddle up. We glad you did, because today we're going back local. We're talking to our friend, chrissy Hintz, another member of the Southlake Paddle Club. Chrissy is an exceptional player. She's also an instructor and a trainer and she's actually embarking on a new endeavor. Where they will be, she and her partner will be trying to prepare people better in fitness and injury prevention with a program called Pickle Train, saq speed, agility, quickness. It's pretty cool and it's something that you've been out playing pickleball for a while you know. None of us wants to be injured. So take a listen, get your ears on. Let's talk to Chrissy Hintz. Chrissy Hintz, how long have you been playing pickleball now?
Speaker 1:So I've been playing pickleball for about four years, actually started in 2019. We had gone to a tennis tournament they hosted Austin for the top eight players and one night they have like a banquet with food and but you can get after you're done playing, right. So the guys were keeping down the lines of the court and I just went over them like what are you doing with the court here? And they were like, oh, this is for pickleball. And I remember thinking, oh, that's that really weird thing that I would see people playing on the tennis courts in my college. I'm like what? Like what do they do on my tennis courts at college? And here they are right.
Speaker 1:Paving off the tennis courts that play pickleball. And so I was just like, okay, well, tell me about it, I'm intrigued. So he explained a little bit about, like, how to hit and how to play that sort of thing, and so my sister and I went out there and we dinked around a little bit and that was my first experience with pickleball. And then, right before COVID and I bought some paddles and I had gone out and played with a couple of people on that on a Facebook group and everything shut down.
Speaker 2:And then remember that.
Speaker 1:And then my sister and I started playing again late 2020.
Speaker 3:So so did you buy just like a basic set of pickleball stuff?
Speaker 1:I was actually working at a tennis center in Arlington and they had stuff on sale there. So I was like, hey, you know what, I'll just buy this stuff on sale. And you know, I don't know, it seems okay. I have no idea what I'm looking for in a paddle, you know, like every first time person buying their first paddle. So, yeah, I bought them there.
Speaker 3:So, yeah, I think that's funny because we started with, you know, the Amazon, whatever, and now, like thousands of dollars later, you know, still still working, still trying to find the perfect one.
Speaker 2:Yeah, because it's obviously the paddle, it's not the, it's not me.
Speaker 3:It's the paddle, like I need touch, I need spin, I need control, I need whatever. And so you, but you were a tennis player.
Speaker 1:A D1 in college right, okay, we were D2 at the time, but yeah, d2 at the time.
Speaker 2:Okay, and you played tennis. What was? Was that conversion? Do you still play?
Speaker 1:tennis, I still play.
Speaker 2:You do. Yes, how do you keep both those skill sets going at a certain level? Cause that's going to be tough. There's there's some stark differences.
Speaker 1:There is Cause. Every time I step onto the tennis core I think my gosh, why is this so big? And you know what? And I feel like I get out there and I look at the core and I'm like this is insane, this is wild that I'm covering this whole thing, but in tennis I just I feel like you know, there's even there's actually more time to move and get ready to the ball, because it's just so far away.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:You know, we're basically most of the time baseline to baseline. Things aren't happening. You know, 14 feet apart, Right. So I it's, it's. It certainly takes me a little while to kind of which my brain from okay, I gotta go to tennis. Okay, here I can step forward on my volley and back to pickleball and I'm like trying to cut under my backhand volley and I'm like, oh, this is not a tennis racket, it's not going to, it's not going to come off that way.
Speaker 3:Wait, what's that thing that you said? Cut under my what.
Speaker 1:So all my in tennis usually kind of just like you. Kind of you hit the ball but then you kind of cut under with a Right.
Speaker 2:You give it that backspin.
Speaker 1:Right To get to get a little extra backspin off of the racket face, and so in pickleball, when you do that, what happens is that the ball kind of just sometimes the movement's just too much. I just dumped that ball on the net.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 1:So that one, that one. For me that's the hardest thing. It's probably that volley right there.
Speaker 3:Maybe that's what's wrong with yours, John.
Speaker 2:We're keeping it list.
Speaker 3:He's got a problem with the backhand at the net. We haven't figured that out, or working on a lot of things. Yeah, but it's a, it's a, definitely a journey. And so when did you, when did cause you're a, you're in a certified instructor for pickleball like when did you feel like, okay, I I mean you got to tell us more like cause, I know you're doing a lot of things that I have no idea. I don't follow social media. John does that for me, and so tell us what, like you're competing at a high level. You're extremely good player.
Speaker 2:He's shown up on a lot of posts on Instagram. I'll tell you that cause she's she's earning some hardware. I know that.
Speaker 1:So, um. So I like to say that my first job was being a tennis coach, and one of my old bosses can attest to this. So I would run around and kind of coach my high school team when I was in high school. So, like my peers, like okay we need to do this.
Speaker 1:We need to do this, just anything to try to win, because, in the fall, tennis is a team sport. So you're competing against one other school. You're trying to, you know, get the most points if you get to 10. And so I'm running around, you know, trying to coach them up, and another coach from another school is running around chasing me saying you can't tell them anything, you're not the coach. So and coincidentally, he later became my boss because I was his assistant tennis coach- oh, wow.
Speaker 1:So he knew he was hiring somebody. Good, I was coaching at you know a younger age, like that. But I would just say that I just I'm a natural born teacher, feel like I mean all of my jobs that basically consisted of teaching. I taught tennis, I tutored math, I was a classroom teacher at public school. I teach group exercise, I still get tennis lessons. I now also get pickleball lessons. So everything I've kind of done is just teaching.
Speaker 2:Well, and it's obvious that activity is a huge part of your life. Yeah, you know, we we laughed about it too because we're we're pretty much nuts about fitness and all that. But you know, motion is medicine. Just keep moving and all that. And you and I were swapping a few emails and I think this is really interesting about how important. I don't know if people realize how important it is To be fit and you know different types of muscles that you use in pickleball, different moves. I mean, we've heard ourselves several times, but you're doing something it's called the pickleball, the pickle train, saq great name, by the way. I can just I can think of a hundred cool logos for pickle train. But when did this come about and what is? What's the whole concept behind it?
Speaker 1:So it's myself and one of my really good friends, jackie Bliss. So she is a personal trainer. I'm a group exercise instructor. I have an extensive background in tennis training and coaching, so I know a lot of the little ins and outs of the work and how to move and things like that and she's going to kind of take care of the personal training side of things. But what we're trying to do with.
Speaker 1:It is number one. So SAQ is speed, agility, quickness. So those are all things that you need on a pickleball board, right, so you want to?
Speaker 3:wait, speed, agility, and what Quickness, quickness, quickness, yes, okay, so I'm taking notes, yeah.
Speaker 1:So what we're we're trying to do and is we want quicker reaction times to balls, right. So learning to anticipate that ball, kind of reading it before they even hit it, so you're giving yourself an idea of you know where to go sooner. And then so we want strength and speed that's sustainable over multiple matches, right? So when you go and play pickleball, you know playing for fun for two or three hours here and there is great. But if you want to start competing I mean you were at that tournament All day long, you know and tournaments now are starting to guarantee three, four, five matches, and so I mean you're playing at your highest level for three, four, five matches which can go on for 30 minutes to an hour, Right, with this traditional scoring, so there's no set amount of time, and so, with the ball being a wiffle ball and it doesn't bounce as high, there's just a lot of bending over having to bend your knees.
Speaker 1:You need a lot of quad strength. You know you don't want to bend at your back and ensure your back, so that's. Another thing we want to focus on is injury prevention. I mean we're starting to see lots of articles, things about pickleball, how pickleball injuries are up through almost 300%. I think I saw on NBC five came out with that in one of their little segments and I was like, oh yeah, we're doing this at a good time because we people need help and some people just have no idea where to get started. And that's almost the beauty of pickleball is that anybody can do this. But can we be safe about this?
Speaker 3:Well, I can tell you we weren't because you've probably I don't know if you listen, but I mean we've, I tore my. We have a whole boo boo list, right?
Speaker 1:And why don't John's got both biceps right? Yeah, I mean.
Speaker 3:I, I tore both my hamstrings and my tricep, and my knees were killing me. Well, in the beginning we were a mess. Now we do a lot of preventative things.
Speaker 2:Speaking of preventative things, prevent yourself from having FOMO. Man, you're not going to have a blazing paddles trucker hat. You're going to be left out. You're going to feel really awkward out there when this thing blows up. Trucker hats are now available on dinkpro. Look for all of our apparel. But the trucker hats are blowing and going. We hope you'll get one. Wear it proudly around. If we see you wearing one, we're going to give you something special. I don't know what that is yet. We'll have to figure that out. Get you a hat now. Now let's get back to Chrissy Huntz.
Speaker 3:Yeah, that really helped with us. We do the tank, so we do the tank M4, which is a bi-directional resistance sled.
Speaker 3:Have you heard of Knees Over the Toes guy, ben Patrick, his whole concept about building from the base up. And that made total sense to me. When John was going to the doctor and they were recommending surgery because of his knees, I was like I don't think so because I did some research on it. I was like at all costs we want to avoid unnecessary surgery. So we started doing this tanking and that helped with everything, especially my hamstrings sore. John bought a ball machine here lately. This is number two. Not only did I change all of that right. Then he buys a ball machine. Now I'm going out there and hitting hundreds of balls the right way. I woke up the other day I felt like I was rig-a-mortis and said everything hurt. I am like what in the world from shoulders?
Speaker 3:all the way down and then doing a lot of reps, and now I can feel the fatigue a little bit in my legs and I'm in pretty good shape, right, yeah, you are. I mean people that don't do those ancillary things. Exercises are in a world of trouble and I see them all the time and I'm like man, you got to do stuff other than just pickleball. But I do want to say one thing too. So one of the ladies that I play with, she said oh, you're so flexible. She goes I'm not. I'm like when I'm in yoga I can hardly do anything. Blah, blah, blah. And she said but they say that people that are flexible get hurt more. And I'm like what? And now I thought about that. What do you think?
Speaker 1:Well, I, guess, you know, I do feel like maybe they feel like they can push their limits a little bit more because they do have a little more of that elasticity, and so sometimes they just don't know, like how far is too far.
Speaker 3:Oh well, I don't know that. Yeah, I don't really. How far is too far?
Speaker 1:Yeah, I have a problem with that. Now is stretching and flexibility really important Absolutely? But that's interesting. I haven't quite heard that one, but I mean, I guess I could kind of see how. They just may not know how far is too far. You know, like when they're when they're trying to extend for a shot or something and they think, oh yeah, I've got this and then that's out of whack now.
Speaker 3:Oh, Chrissy, I go for everything, I mean even.
Speaker 1:Are you the at least Jones of the South Lake Patacombs?
Speaker 2:Yes, that is absolutely her, that is her spirit animal.
Speaker 3:I am like Laura Kemp was given a lesson the other day and she actually used my name as an example of somebody who will not let a ball go. If it's, if it's within reach, I'm going for it. But so what do you recommend? Injury prevention, like what? Oh, and here's the other thing. I also just recently had issues with my hand. Well, I've had a lot of issues with my hand, but this one was bad, where it sent me to the doctor and then they wanted to do carpal tunnel surgery and again, I'm no. You know what do you do for that? Have you ever had any what yeah hand like just the? It was numb and you know the forearm because it takes a beating in in pickleball, I feel like.
Speaker 1:Your hand.
Speaker 3:Mm, hmm.
Speaker 1:Right. It does, and so what I think?
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 1:I mean, it probably stems just from some form of pickleball elbow that's just going all the way down Right, and so what I see a lot of is people that don't have a tennis background tend to to be the ones that get pickleball elbow. So what that what's happening is is they're swinging and they're stopping Suddenly Right. So if I swing and I follow through, I'm not forcing my elbow to stop. I'm then using my whole arm here up into my shoulder helps stop my paddle. So tennis players just I. I never had a problem with the ground, with tennis elbow, any of that, but as a tennis player like I, follow through all the way on that shot right over my shoulder. So if you see me hit, what I do, I follow through all the way over my shoulder.
Speaker 2:That's just carry over, you know what I can see that in my mind right now? No, and Chris that's the thing.
Speaker 3:So, tim, that's one of the things he worked with me on was my follow through and will taught me how to hold, how to swipe across the paddle to get topspin and power, and then you know where you follow through like this, and I'll tell you my hand hasn't been hurting as much so, even though the rest of my body got all whacked out to trade off now. Now my hands getting better, so that makes complete sense to me.
Speaker 2:So it and like so do you guys, you, and so Jackie is your collaborator. You guys design, like custom programs. Do you have existing programs or how does? How does it work?
Speaker 1:Yeah, we're. No, we're going. Yeah, so we're going to use an online platform to push out Okay, lookouts everybody, and they can, of course, you know, check in with us. You know something. They feel like something isn't quite working. We want to speak a little, something like I don't really like this exercise is just something else. I can do that sort of thing. So we're hoping to host some good camps in April and in May to kind of help push the word out, and you can find all that. We can find us on Instagram.
Speaker 3:The pickle, okay where are you going to do it?
Speaker 1:Our handle there we're, our plan is to hopefully get boring and kind of all over, so we kind of hit all different parts of DFW If you, if you're up, I mean because the reason I asked is because we went to when we were in the to.
Speaker 3:when we took that check for the, the club donated $5,000 to the boys Ranch is girls club. No, no, no, no no, the one in Fort Worth. What it the boys ranch right.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I forget the name of it though.
Speaker 3:Hope Farm, hope Farm, hope Farm. I remember. Oh yeah, there's another gentleman there who is a ex pro football player who has the franchise that is here in South Lake. That we're velocity or whatever you were velocity used to be. What's it called? Down to training or something like that. Have you seen that building? And yes, yes. So in our conversation about pickleball he was like, oh, you should come out and we should do some classes here. So, just, I don't, and I never followed up with it. You may want to follow up with that, but they have the facility.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2:They're designing exercises and stuff that are specific to pickleball and or tennis, or is this just general fitness?
Speaker 1:It's a combination of both, right. So a lot of general fitness is going to carry over, but there's definitely going to be a lot of work, things that are going to really help. I really want to. This one's hard to do because you need to people, but I love and this is one of my favorite drills. You just take two tennis balls. Pickles are kind of light, so you just take two tennis balls, you just hold them out and you just start. You know, you throw one here, you, they throw it back. You throw one here. Oh, you throw this one again.
Speaker 1:Just to work on their reaction time. You can start throwing them a little bit quicker and a little bit quicker and trying to what do you mean? Add each other, and that's something to Well the person that's so like don't give her any ideas. If you and John are yeah, just gonna start talking about you.
Speaker 1:So so, John, you're the one that's gonna be reacting, Okay, so John's just going to stand there and he's going to have both balls one on the left, one on the right and then just throw one of them and I out to the side You're supposed to get it before it hits the ground, wow. Right, so it's going to teach you one. Yeah, the wrong way. And to to get a quick push off, I like it.
Speaker 1:Right. So to me, what makes a huge difference in people's court movement is having a quick, powerful first step that's going to really carry me very quickly and a long distance to the ball and as I approach the ball that's when I'm going to slow down. What I find, what I see, is that a lot of people just start to kind of meander to the ball, realize that they're not quite going to get there in time, and then speed up, and then they're in a hurry to get there and hit the ball and doing that backwards.
Speaker 1:You need to be in a hurry at the beginning. Slow down, have you seen me?
Speaker 3:People say that I look like I'm like I burst, you look like I jump, it's like my I'm the quick like, but my whole body yes.
Speaker 2:And.
Speaker 3:I'm like I'm there, they, they like it's like your my springboard, like I just my whole body springboards to the, to the, wherever I'm going. It's but yeah, but that's great show.
Speaker 1:That's what you should be doing.
Speaker 2:It's pretty good. Video watching like that you mentioned something, and I know this for a fact is like one of my big challenges. I still try to consciously work on his footwork, especially in pickleball, because you do have limited space, but a lot of it's lateral and a lot of it is. You have to make quick decisions and all that. And, like when we took a couple lessons with you, it was so easy for you to move us around wherever you wanted us, just dinking, but you always seem to be where you needed to be. Even if, like you know, we're going to try to cut it, make a significant angle or something, it didn't take you very long. So there's got to be something that you're seeing. Either you're watching the paddle face or you're watching how people are. I don't know. You're you were able to get to places where it didn't look like you were rushing, whereas we're, you know, going back and forth and trying to try and find a place where we can get you running instead of having us run. So footwork is everything Right.
Speaker 1:So yes, definitely. I mean and it's one of those things too is sometimes people aren't realizing that they're turning their body away in the playing area and then so that makes it even harder to move and pick a way to move, because now my body is not facing where the ball is. And if my body is not facing where the ball is, how am I even really looking at the ball into my opponent's paddle?
Speaker 3:Very good point, Because I'm like the girls that stand there at the thing, just like this, sit there ready. They're just standing there looking forward. I'm like you're not even looking at what I'm doing.
Speaker 1:Yeah, well, no, I mean well, and that's the thing is like. I mean I am watching. I'm not necessarily watching my, I'm not hitting the ball, I'm watching my opponent. So all know. As soon as, like as soon as my partner hits the ball I don't know where they're hitting and then I already start to kind of fill in. So like if they hit that ball across court and it's and it's going to the person in front of me, I already go ahead and slide over A little bit. So I'm in a better position to start with, and then I can kind of see from there where they're going to go. I'm watching their paddle pace and my body is facing towards that ball.
Speaker 3:So you don't follow the ball, even to your partner.
Speaker 1:Not all the way. No, not all the way.
Speaker 3:Well, you must have a good partner.
Speaker 1:I know I need to know what my partner is going to do Wait a minute.
Speaker 2:I just hit me. I'm sure she's talking about one of her female partners, not me.
Speaker 3:Well, I play with no. No, there is something to be said to that. When I play with John regularly, I don't have to anticipate what he's going to do as much or watch what he's going to do as much, because I can kind of anticipate. But when I'm playing with different people, you don't know their styles.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and I wonder too if that has something to do with tennis, because I never watch my partner hit the ball in tennis. If I'm at the net and they're at the baseline, I'm not watching them. I'm watching my opponents to see where they're starting to move. That's true. That way, I know what my partner's done.
Speaker 2:You turn around and tennis you turn around. You might catch that ball right in your mug.
Speaker 1:Yeah, exactly, exactly so. I just never. I think that it's never really occurred to me that I should be watching my partner in pickleball, because I'm watching my opponent.
Speaker 3:Lower learning. So tonight we're playing against two really good players. How do you know?
Speaker 2:Ask her the question you were going to ask.
Speaker 3:I'm going to ask it. So you know, merlee Chitiboyana and Mary Harris, yeah, okay, so we're dumb.
Speaker 2:You're dumb.
Speaker 3:What do you do when you're going into a match and you know you're going to get your butt kicked? Or do you never think that way?
Speaker 1:I don't like to think that way.
Speaker 3:Yeah, okay.
Speaker 1:I mean in pickleball, I always feel like there's a chance.
Speaker 2:Oh, that's true, that's us.
Speaker 1:So you'll see, because if you look at professional pickleball and you look at those scores, some of those scores are wild.
Speaker 3:Right.
Speaker 1:Absolutely wild, like I mean 9-0-11. Right.
Speaker 2:What happens? What does that come from?
Speaker 1:Yeah, exactly so. I mean, there's always a chance for me and you could be hitting all your shots and they could be off in that one game and that gives you a little bit of a confidence boost right there and that might be enough to carry you through the next game to win that one.
Speaker 3:That's true, and John and I are notorious for the longest games, no matter what, in leagues, we're always the last team finished, in tournaments, always the last. Like we fight, we never. We don't give up. Yeah, and it's indicative of how long our matches go. And so, even if there's like, even if we're down, I don't care if it's 11-1, I'm still going to try just as hard, probably 10-1.
Speaker 2:Because 11-1 means a game for us.
Speaker 3:Oh yeah, yeah, Just yeah, no.
Speaker 1:I'm the same way, I don't give up until it's over.
Speaker 2:No, you're. I remember I was about to bring up that you played in Oktoberfest with us when we had the court set up and you and Jarrett played, and didn't you play against the two guys from PPA? Did y'all play? Yeah, what could you tell the difference, being out there with those guys?
Speaker 1:Oh yeah, they were not playing.
Speaker 2:You think they were kind of taking it a little easy.
Speaker 1:They were taking it easy.
Speaker 2:Yes, Really yeah absolutely.
Speaker 2:Because you and Jarrett and that's another thing we should definitely talk about there's not many married couples that can play together. I mean, we fought through it, we call it, you know, fight through pickle, divorce and all that kind of stuff. It's tough, it's hard and you guys pulled it off too, but it's never easy. But it's so satisfying to be able to do that, especially when you have some success. But you guys are I mean, y'all are awesome and you went out there against those guys and you put up a hell of a game. I remember that. But you think, just being out there with somebody at that next level, it was just evident with how they were playing.
Speaker 1:Oh yeah, I mean, and the thing is is obviously the better you are the thing. Everything just slows way down for you.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:So it's incredible to have gotten to play against them. I mean I, because everything is so slow for them. I mean, you know, I know where I'm going to hit the ball, but they also knew. They also knew, even right before I hit the ball, where I was going to hit the ball Right.
Speaker 1:Like that's how just slow it is for them, where for us it's, it's not as slow, and, and I think that that's why there's such a big difference between you know, even high level pros and low level pros, and then high level amateur. Yeah, it's just that, there's, it's. It's just the slowing of things, slowing the things down.
Speaker 2:Right, it's the strangest thing right now because we're kind of it's frustrating at times, but we're probably three, five, okay. So we're still playing in games where it might be the majority of the time, people are stuck, stuck at the baseline, they're just banging. It's a lot of banging and then as we play, we played some people that were clearly more, maybe a little bit more advanced than us and all of a sudden we're having all these extended dink battles and we're having some real strategic play and that was a blast, I mean, even though you know we were probably, you know we were outclassed a little bit by talent, but we hung in those games really good, because that's kind of how, how we want to be. I think it's so odd that the better you get, the game gets closer to the net. It's really weird and people it's. It's up to us to get past the stage where bangers can beat us. How do you do that? How do you beat bangers?
Speaker 1:Oh, yeah, you definitely have to play that soft game. You can't give them anything tough. If you can pull them into the net and get out of the way, you're more than likely going to win the point. So but that's a tough one.
Speaker 2:It is.
Speaker 1:Especially, you know, because sometimes they're just hitting the ball so far you just can't get out of the way.
Speaker 3:Right. But if you can't get out of the way, yeah, but some of them come from tennis and they got that top spin and you think it's going to go out and it that ball drops, you know.
Speaker 1:But oh yeah, yes, I know Right, because it also you have to read how fast is that ball coming up the paddle?
Speaker 3:Mm, hmm.
Speaker 1:Two. So if it doesn't look like it's coming off there that fast, then it might drop in, if it's not that high.
Speaker 3:Mm, hmm.
Speaker 1:So actually I saw a Facebook post from Dain Greenrich and he let and I think he's the one that he let anything that was sped up in him he let go. Wow. So he kept. He kept record for several of the games he was playing and I believe he said that 80% of those balls ended up being out.
Speaker 3:Wow.
Speaker 1:He wasn't even so. You're not. I mean you might give up one here and there, and sometimes it's a tough pill to swallow. Yeah, I mean, if you're looking at you know 80% of those are going to go ahead and go out. I really didn't go out.
Speaker 3:That's an interesting point.
Speaker 2:Yeah, because we you know, that's another thing at our level Two things you do you make unforced errors a lot, and you hit a lot of balls that are out. You hit a lot of out balls that's just hard to kind of break. That's a good thing to concentrate on, though, because you think, well, I just want to make sure I keep it in play, but then you're allowing people to just hit it however the hell they want to hit it.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, there's no consequence for them.
Speaker 3:How do you do you recommend like video games or what are they doing to get such quick hand speed? Because, like, I mean, I'm getting quicker at the nut but I mean it's still. I just don't know how to build any more muscle or any more quickness to get from here to there. To you know what I mean, to your backhand block, to your forehand. I mean, what do you recommend?
Speaker 1:Well, I think it has a lot to do with your paddle position.
Speaker 3:Okay.
Speaker 1:Well, so no-transcript. What I see is for one. A lot of people just hang out with their paddle close to the belly button.
Speaker 3:Okay.
Speaker 1:It is much harder to take your paddle in an upward direction.
Speaker 3:Okay.
Speaker 1:Right. So I'm not saying to you know Callie Jones it or you know Callie Smith it and hold it. You know, right here.
Speaker 3:Right.
Speaker 1:And right in front of your face. You know, I mean I'm just going to hold it kind of somewhere near my chest, especially as the paddle gets, you know, a little heated right, because that's usually where everything is going to be kind of right, there somewhere between your belly button and your chest.
Speaker 3:Okay.
Speaker 1:But I always point the end of my paddle wherever the ball is.
Speaker 3:Okay.
Speaker 1:So that way, if the ball is coming from this direction, my paddle is pointed over here, my eye will see that it's coming on this backhand side of my body. Boom, I'm here when. If my paddle is pointing forward and it's coming from over here, well, at first it thinks it's here on my forehand side. So then I start to lean to my forehand. But no, it's coming across my body. So I got to move it around my backhand. So that to me kind of training my brain to say like Okay.
Speaker 1:My dividing point here where is that ball coming on? Which side of it is it on? And then I'm able to get there a little bit quicker, I like. But wall work too, it's a little harder, it's a little harder to do, but you can do it and be effective with it. It doesn't necessarily simulate the same, because sometimes you have to hit the ball kind of strange off the wall, but it can work. But then firefighting with each other, I mean you know you have a built in partner here.
Speaker 3:Oh, trust me, that caused a little tiff the other day.
Speaker 1:I know about that.
Speaker 2:She was coming in hot. Now are you. You're still competing in tournaments quite a bit, aren't you?
Speaker 1:I but taking it easier this year.
Speaker 2:Okay.
Speaker 1:But just the cost of tournament is crazy. One and two I just don't feel like I get to train kind of how I would want to, in order to plan a lot of tournaments. Kids are kind of going to. You know they're getting to be in more activities, so, and then I'm working in the evenings. The new indoor pickleball now is opening this weekend, so I'm going to be working over there. Okay, I'm during the evenings during the week, so Now, what is that?
Speaker 2:What is pickleball now?
Speaker 1:It's called indoor pickleball now.
Speaker 2:Indoor pickleball now Okay.
Speaker 1:Yes, and it is an indoor pickleball facility. We have five courts and it is in Haslitt.
Speaker 2:Okay.
Speaker 1:It's. It's five minutes from the lifetime align.
Speaker 2:Okay, that's cool, so it is brand new.
Speaker 1:Super close. Yes, it's, the grand opening is this Saturday.
Speaker 2:Oh, that's cool, so, and we'll make sure to.
Speaker 1:If it rains Saturday.
Speaker 2:Okay, that's a good option. Well, you know what?
Speaker 1:If it rains. I know they got it wrong today they got it wrong today, but it looks like it's coming.
Speaker 3:I think that's the future, is indoor pickleball? I mean just dealing with these elements especially. It could just be I just so much prefer outdoor. You do yeah.
Speaker 1:I do too. I'm with you, john. I love playing outdoors, even tenants. And you had to go play inside.
Speaker 2:I was like I just like being out outside. I like fresh air, I like the sunshine, I like. I mean, we played the other night and Karen mentioned the elements we're in, we're in a league game and we were out in. What does it mean? It's not McKinney. Where was it Frisco? Frisco, and it was last Friday night. I don't know if you remember, but the wind was just horrific, it was horrible.
Speaker 2:Especially up there because it's like flattest part of Texas it's like being in Midland, but we were playing with these people and the wind was just with them and we we ended up winning every match.
Speaker 3:We did so good. Chrissy, you would have been so proud of us Like. I was like I was amazed. Was this the league?
Speaker 2:Yeah, this is for our league, tcd, and we were just grinding out points and everybody was getting so pissed with the wind oh my God, I can't believe that went out. Oh my God, I can't believe how hard I had to get. It's like we're all doing the same thing. I mean, you're playing a game from each side. So I think that you know, being kind of grinders by nature, we just sort of we fought through it and she was like how did we do that good? And I was like maybe we're like those players that play good mad weather, we're mutters, we're like a horse that goes good on the wet track.
Speaker 3:Yeah, that's what you call it, it's mutters. So, chrissy, how far do you want to take? Pick a ball, like what do you want to do? Cause you're not, I get it on the tournament thing, but I mean, do you, what do you want to do with it? Like, what's your longterm?
Speaker 2:Before we get back to Chrissy for her answer on what her longterm goals are, we do also want to call out friend of the show, sponsor of the show, great friend Kevin Perkins and crown pickleball. You guys have not used crown pickleballs. I highly advise you do. Not only is the price point very friendly, they are next indestructible, but they play well. They're high visibility and I know that a lot of us live in climates where the weather changes pretty rapidly. That equals broken balls. Save a dime or two, get some. Crown pickleballs are going to last you longer and they're really high quality. So go check them out on Instagram, crown pickleballscom. And let's get back to Chrissy hits.
Speaker 1:I mean what I love to try to play pro. I would do I feel like I'm there. No, yeah, um, maybe if I could, and I mean I feel like I can at least hang with you know a lot of the other high level people in the area, I mean my tournament results, you know, reflect that, but it's just one of those things like I'm playing maybe once a week, oh, and you know, all these other people are playing four or five, six, seven times a week and I'm not getting that.
Speaker 3:Right.
Speaker 1:So I just if I could get that, then you know I would, I would like to give it a go and if I could get, you know, a sponsor or two um, a sell. Kirk has been great. Um, you know, and I've gotten, you know, lots of stuff from them and paddles and things like that, and I love that.
Speaker 3:Do you?
Speaker 1:you can't convince me otherwise that that new one that came out have you always getting used to it, but I love it yes.
Speaker 3:Have you always been a sell Kirk Kirk?
Speaker 1:Well, you know, and that's funny, um, because the first paddles that I ever bought were sell Kirk paddles interesting. So yes, um, but I'm looking there for a little bit that I bought from somebody for for pretty cheap when my cell card the first one finally broke. I mean I played with that thing for it. That sell that first cell card for a year.
Speaker 3:Wow and.
Speaker 1:I think, well, yes, and I think back to like if I had had a better paddle and I can even play with that thing now and it's, it's like playing with I don't even know what I would equate playing A wooden paddle. I mean, you know, I like the weight of a wooden paddle honestly.
Speaker 3:Really.
Speaker 1:The weight of yes, and they feel kind of nice. But the, I don't know, this is just maybe kind of playing like with some super hard cardboard.
Speaker 3:You know, the thing is like your, the equipment is moving at such a fast pace. I mean that's why we've invested so much, cause, like the technology just gives, it's moving super fast. Um, same thing with balls, you know. And then you know with the talking about where you want to go with the sport, I mean honestly, I just want to play the rest of my life and get us to the next level where we can I can not be, so, you know have more consistency and and just not be so frustrated. That's where we want to get to, and then this will be a lifelong sport for the two of us. And, and you know, and you have young kids, our kids are out of the house. We're empty nesters, like we're living for pickleball right now, other than his, you know work, except for my job.
Speaker 3:That thing gets in the way all the time. But but that I mean it. We're pickleballers for life. And but I do you know you've won probably how many. How many medals do you know?
Speaker 1:Well, when I did my bio for indoor pickleball. Now it's at least 27. Wow, it could be that 27 of them are gold.
Speaker 3:Wow, okay, yes.
Speaker 1:I don't, I don't, I don't, I don't remember which one I said. It's on my bio.
Speaker 2:That is 27 more gold medals than we have.
Speaker 3:And, and I want more than the, do we have two or three?
Speaker 2:We've got two and I think the third. I have third.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I have three of two.
Speaker 2:Yeah, but I've got the big lifetime pickleball champion jug that I shaker yeah. I shaker.
Speaker 3:That's right. I asked this of all of our guests, chrissy, and what's your favorite shot?
Speaker 1:If I'm playing singles, when I'm returning on the right side or on the left side. I love my forehand straight up the line there.
Speaker 3:Oh, that's a good one.
Speaker 1:I don't have that, my favorite. I'm playing doubles. I mean, I like hitting overheads.
Speaker 3:Yeah, and putting it away.
Speaker 1:Trying to put it away.
Speaker 2:Well, you brought up.
Speaker 1:I feel like hitting overhead.
Speaker 2:You said Selkirk, I don't want to just go past that too quick because you're you're still part of their program, right? What is it called developing pro or something like that?
Speaker 1:Emerging.
Speaker 2:Emerging pro. So obviously you know talent was identified and that was a program. But I mean again, you, it's kind of neat. We'll see you guys show up and take your kids everywhere too, which I think is awesome. It's just hard that time of life to be selfish, because you'd really have to be selfish right now to do that. So you know you're a good mom, so sue you.
Speaker 3:So what is the emerging program? I don't think most people know what that is.
Speaker 1:So it's based on your a little bit based on your duperating and kind of other like social media presence, no-transcript you've done in tournaments, you know at certain levels and things like that. So and I guess they just say you know, if you apply for the program and you have a high enough rating and they you knew good enough, yeah, you can get into the emerging program which they they do pay out. You know if you get main draw wins, in tournaments and things like that.
Speaker 1:So, and you know they also knew paddles and clothes and stuff like that. So I mean it's a really good program. You know, if you're into that, paddle right into their paddles right. So I like their paddles, that's what Sharon and I play with, that's what the kids play with. So and you know it's, I've been very fortunate to be part of that program and, you know, have a lot of demo paddles for my students to try. And, you know, spread that so quick. Love that way.
Speaker 3:Right, right Now. So we didn't get to the end. What's the end Like? Do you think you'll ever give up tennis? By the way, come on over to the lights. No, you have to.
Speaker 1:No and it's. I don't think I will, I it's to me. While they're similar, they are also very, very different.
Speaker 3:Oh yeah.
Speaker 1:And, and the other thing too is, is that my sister and I, you know, we play doubles, pickleball and tennis.
Speaker 3:Okay.
Speaker 1:So it's. It's one of those things that we can continue to do together as well. Um, there are tons of tennis leagues. They're all in Dallas. I don't mind driving out there, as long as it's not rock ball.
Speaker 2:Yeah, oh gosh, I know, I don't. Oh the bridge.
Speaker 1:It's a love hate relationship with that place Right it's just, you know, the bridge is like another 20 minutes. Well, um, it gets me every time. I'm like why, um, but no, I won't ever give up tennis. I mean it's, it's not something. I mean I'm in good enough shape that you know my body doesn't hurt from it. Like the challenge of being able to cover the tennis, the whole tennis core, that sort of thing. Um, I think the strategy is a lot different, so I'm one of those. I also like strategy board games, yeah.
Speaker 3:Oh, like which one? What's what's your, one of your favorites?
Speaker 1:What are my favorite?
Speaker 3:Which one?
Speaker 1:Tan.
Speaker 3:Wait, what is it?
Speaker 1:The tan the tan.
Speaker 3:What's that? Oh, katan the tan, the tan.
Speaker 2:Yes, right, yeah it's. It's a game that me and the boys used to play, where you'd have to get yeah, cool game, Very cool game.
Speaker 1:Your roads, and there's an expansion with the sea. You got to get your way to the ore, right you?
Speaker 3:got to get your ore to the ore Gosh now you two geeking out on me with your board games. It's a great game.
Speaker 1:Like I said, like I like strategy games. So to me, you know, tennis is just another um, and the good thing is is that I cannot play tennis for a while and I can just go out there and mostly remember how to play Right.
Speaker 1:But the strategy is different every time because it also depends on, like, who you're playing, what you're going to do, that sort of thing. And it's the same thing with pickleball. I mean, you walk on to the pickleball court and you know you're playing well and so, but you've got to have a strategy going in yeah. Okay, so that that part of it I love.
Speaker 3:Ooh, ooh. I have a question for you. Um, okay, so we were playing against these guys that well, all they, they, everything was, uh, what do you call it? Slice? Huh, slice, slice, slice, slice, slice, super spin, slice, Super spin, slice.
Speaker 2:They obviously had some a ping pong background, because everything was just yeah.
Speaker 3:Like what's your, what do you, how do you, how do you handle that?
Speaker 2:Somebody doing spin, a lot of spin.
Speaker 1:So so I it doesn't bother me that much when, when people start adding different spins to the balls, um, but I do try to neutralize that by hitting more at them.
Speaker 3:Oh, okay.
Speaker 1:So so they're able to get that slice on it, because they're kind of reaching out a little bit. So if you cut under that ball, where if the ball's more in front of them, you've got to drop that paddle a little bit, one way or the other I can't get a skid of a slice from you.
Speaker 3:That's true, that's a good idea. But how do you get the? Because a lot of times and this is just in general, right, you're the ball spinning got a severe, um, you know, slice when the ball's spinning at you. Um, one thing I had to learn was to scoop it up a little bit more, otherwise you hit it in the net. But but then you know, not hitting it up and out, right, yeah, or you know, and knowing, though, that if I'm going to do that, I'm probably not going to be dropping it, not at our level. You may be able to do that, but not at our level, right? So then, like we talked about it, you know, I'm going to, I'm going to, it's going to pop up a little bit more. So then you know, we may put us on the defensive, but it still keeps the ball in play, you know? Um, I just didn't know if there was any magic sauce to it other than that.
Speaker 1:No, I mean you can try to neutralize it a little bit just by hitting at them, just kind of trying to make them force them to change that pedaling a little bit.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah. Okay, I had two things. One I wanted to. I want to repeat what do you think is the most important shot to master?
Speaker 1:I would say a topspin drop.
Speaker 2:How would you do a topspin drop? That's what I'm learning. Just talking about this the other day.
Speaker 3:Tim was helping me with. That's what I'm doing now.
Speaker 1:I would definitely say a topspin drop Um it's in.
Speaker 3:Oh wait, a topspin drop.
Speaker 2:Drop.
Speaker 3:Okay, no, that's not what Tim was saying. Here's a drive, all right, how do you do that?
Speaker 1:And so it's one of those things and bear with me because this sounds a little crazy you have to hold the ball on your paddle for as long as possible.
Speaker 3:Okay.
Speaker 1:So what I'm saying is like when you're hitting that ball, you're just trying to push it here and hold on that paddle before it comes up and off.
Speaker 3:Oh.
Speaker 1:I'm getting that kind of upward motion to give that topspin on the ball, but I'm trying to hold it on my paddle for as long as I possibly can. Interesting.
Speaker 2:We're going to get a lot of video of us trying to learn that, because that ball machine. We're going to wear that sucker out. The other question I was going to ask you is because you, you know you, I know you played in the nationals too right, you were out there for the weekend and stuff. Wow, what a weekend that was. Do you have any pros specifically that you really love to watch them, or do you admire their game? You have any?
Speaker 3:favorites? That's a good question.
Speaker 1:I am a big fan of Megan Funch.
Speaker 3:Oh yeah, wait, which one is she?
Speaker 1:Yes, well, she predominantly plays on the APP tour.
Speaker 3:Okay.
Speaker 1:She has. She has two kids, I believe they're eight, nine and eight.
Speaker 2:Okay.
Speaker 1:Eight and seven. They also play. Oh I know, pick a ball, yeah, oh yeah, and they are good, they're good, they play to nationals. They're her young, her daughters won some three, five singles. She's won some three, oh singles, yeah, and in a couple of different APP tournaments. But I've talked to her several times and he is just the best sportsman and she is. She's so nice, like I mean, she's probably my favorite.
Speaker 2:That's cool. Yeah, because we've maybe we've bumped into a few people and we didn't know anything about the program probably year and a half ago, because we're like I think majority of pickleball players aren't, they're just they love to play. But then you start seeing some of these guys and some of the young guys and ladies coming up. I can't just say guys, but have you seen this guy, jack Sock? Have you seen him play?
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:He's a scary dude. He can hit the ball so hard. But you know you mentioned that her kids play too. I saw a video the other day. Elise Jones, her daughter, plays and oh my god, these kids are just destroying people Really. She's probably 50 pounds and you know, nine years old or something. Yeah, I think they're. I think she's 13 or 40. Yeah they're just killing folks.
Speaker 2:She has a little partner and I mean they have all the. You can tell they've been watching because they have all the same moves that the pros do after they celebrate the points and stuff and they're probably Anna Lee fans or whatever. But yeah, we've got into watching it for a while and then got out of it because we're just rather play than watch. But the game has advanced to a point where I mean the level that some of these people play, and then you have this young generation coming up that they've been playing it since they had. You know. I mean, if you've been playing this game since you're five or six or whatever, you're going to be pretty scary. I'm going to say, if I had to do over with our kids.
Speaker 3:We were playing it With our kids. We would have started them with pickleball and so, but we didn't know it was there. That's one do over.
Speaker 1:Oh, mine, mine play tennis and they play pickleball.
Speaker 3:So I think that's awesome.
Speaker 2:Well, now your do you golf too. Aren't you a golfer?
Speaker 3:I do golf.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, I think it's like I remember talking about this one. How do you fit? It all in. She was like a Tarleton. Did you go to Tarleton? Yeah, and I think she could. She was either going to play golf or tennis, and your sister played one.
Speaker 1:Yeah. So I actually wanted to play golf. I also needed a full ride. He didn't have one available. He ended up splitting it between two girls and he's like, well, I get split in three ways. And I was like, yeah, but the tennis coach offered me a full ride. So I went tennis and honestly, I don't. I think that I had a much better. I mean, if I had played golf I probably would have said that I don't think I go to God wrong either way, but I mean I did love playing tennis at the college level. I really did. I mean just the athleticism of and I mean you know, I say you know it's, it's just a D2 college. Well, I still give out full rides for scholarships and things like that.
Speaker 1:I just think it's better balanced as far as I'm concerned. I mean, I loved my college experience there and my sister also went there and she played golf. That's so cool, and so you guys are both very athletic, obviously, and you're still playing together. That's great. It's a big ball family, a tennis family. I mean, I'm not sure if I'm going to be able to play golf, but I think I'm going to be able to play golf.
Speaker 2:I mean, I think I'm going to be able to play golf, and so we're going to be playing together.
Speaker 3:That's great.
Speaker 2:It's a pickleball family, a tennis family and well, and we want to make sure we're going to have stuff in our show notes about indoor pickleball, now pickle train, saq. We want to do that. Is there anything else coming up that you really want us to make sure that we let people know about?
Speaker 3:Well that you are. Are you still training people too right?
Speaker 1:Yes, yes, if you want to. Yes, I'm still training people, so if they want to reach out to me, and we're also going to put out the early warning.
Speaker 2:October 11th through 13th is October fast. We'd love to have you participate again, and maybe you can hold a boot camp one morning too, and maybe you can drive some attention that way.
Speaker 1:That would be fantastic.
Speaker 2:Get us warmed up. Get everybody warmed up.
Speaker 3:Yes, and your blazing paddles, that's going to be coming your way, it's coming my way.
Speaker 3:Yes, well, it's been so great getting to know you. I mean, I knew this much. No, I know this much. No, I love it. I love it. That's the pickleball is such an amazing community of people and it's so great to go deeper off the court and, you know, get to know who we're playing with, Because you know you're out there, we're focused on playing and not who the person is, and it's just great to get to know you and your background and your passions and what you do and let everyone else know who Chrissy hints is. Yeah, it's so cool getting to hear people's stories and their journeys to pickleball and how it all brought us together Because, like, how would we have known? You know, with kids, our kids aren't the same age, you know, without this sport, we wouldn't have known each other, you know.
Speaker 1:Yeah, exactly no, it's one of those things that I mean yeah, you know, and sometimes it's hard to make friends, you know, when you get older, you know you're busy with a new job a new life and work.
Speaker 1:And then you know, here you are, like you know, in your 30s, and I'm like who are we hanging out with here, each other all the time, which is great, Don't get me wrong. But you know like it's nice to just. You know you get to go meet other people and then those people become your friends and you get to see them all the time, that sort of thing.
Speaker 2:So yeah, that's supposed to be limited to whoever's the parent on the Little League team, because those are the only people you would see.
Speaker 2:Yes, exactly, yeah, so we have hundreds of new friends and it's just been a great experience and thank you for being part of that too. You gave us a couple of lessons and we've watched you and been able to see some of your play. You guys are amazing you and Jared both and look forward to having you participate again with us and I'm honest, I think doing something like your boot camp or something would be really fun. I would do it.
Speaker 1:Oh yeah, no, that would be fantastic. We would love that.
Speaker 2:All right.
Speaker 3:I would do it because I need to know what you do versus what. I'm doing what all.
Speaker 1:What all that is? It's the footwork, I'm telling you.
Speaker 3:Well, and that's the thing you grew up playing tennis, your footwork was a lot, probably, of that, and I don't have any of that. I mean, I'm doing what I think is right, but I don't know. You know, I'm just doing it. Now. I've been working on these mechanics Like that's another mechanic that we need to focus on that you know outside of shot selection and court position and and you know your swing. Now, what should you be doing with your feet? I think that's a really important one. All right, well, you have a good evening. We're going to go get our butts kicked.
Speaker 2:Yeah, we're going to go, no, we're not.
Speaker 3:No, you're not. You're going to do good. We're going to show them how good we are.
Speaker 2:It's another learning opportunity.