From the depths of hardship to the heights of athletic achievement, Sutton Howard's story is a testament to the transformative power of pickleball. This episode takes you on a heartfelt journey with Howard, from overcoming homelessness and substance abuse to becoming a pickleball marvel. As we chat with this remarkable individual, you'll be inspired by his rapid mastery of the game and the role it played in his personal revival. Together, we explore the strategies, psychological intricacies, and the sheer joy that comes from progressing in this inclusive and booming community.
This game isn't just about the score at the end of the match; it's about the stories built around the court. Our discussion dives into the nuances of pickleball strategies, the dynamics of doubles play, and the unique bond formed among players. Whether you're a couple navigating the challenges of playing together or a seasoned player contemplating the move to pro, this episode addresses the complexities and growth opportunities within the sport. We also acknowledge the incredible community support, from local clubs to professional events like Major League Pickleball that bring together players in an electric atmosphere of competition and camaraderie.
Finally, for those curious about the technical side, we get into the nitty-gritty of paddle technology and how equipment choices can significantly influence your game. As the sport evolves, so does the conversation around power and safety, prompting discussions about potential regulation changes. We share personal insights into finding the right gear, and how it can make or break your performance. Regardless of where you stand on the court, this episode serves up an engaging look into the world of pickleball and the remarkable individuals who make it more than just a game.
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
From the depths of hardship to the heights of athletic achievement, Sutton Howard's story is a testament to the transformative power of pickleball. This episode takes you on a heartfelt journey with Howard, from overcoming homelessness and substance abuse to becoming a pickleball marvel. As we chat with this remarkable individual, you'll be inspired by his rapid mastery of the game and the role it played in his personal revival. Together, we explore the strategies, psychological intricacies, and the sheer joy that comes from progressing in this inclusive and booming community.
This game isn't just about the score at the end of the match; it's about the stories built around the court. Our discussion dives into the nuances of pickleball strategies, the dynamics of doubles play, and the unique bond formed among players. Whether you're a couple navigating the challenges of playing together or a seasoned player contemplating the move to pro, this episode addresses the complexities and growth opportunities within the sport. We also acknowledge the incredible community support, from local clubs to professional events like Major League Pickleball that bring together players in an electric atmosphere of competition and camaraderie.
Finally, for those curious about the technical side, we get into the nitty-gritty of paddle technology and how equipment choices can significantly influence your game. As the sport evolves, so does the conversation around power and safety, prompting discussions about potential regulation changes. We share personal insights into finding the right gear, and how it can make or break your performance. Regardless of where you stand on the court, this episode serves up an engaging look into the world of pickleball and the remarkable individuals who make it more than just a game.
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
That's the stuff I'm talking about, that I love seeing. I love seeing people go from like, honestly, she was very jerky and very like, just it was very uncoordinated and now like to see the finesse and it's just the movements, and just like she's become the movements, the sport Right, so it's. It's actually pretty sweet yeah.
Speaker 2:I'm working on that. I have a lot of jerky movement. Welcome back, friends. Here we are, Season one episode 10, blazing Paddles.
Speaker 3:On that I have a lot of jerky movements. Welcome back, friends. Here we are. Season one, episode 10, blazing Paddles, continues to move forward despite all odds. Today we have a great episode for you. We've had a theme, it seems a lot of people talking about how pickleball has turned around their life, and I don't think there's anybody who can show a more extreme and motivational example of that than our guest today, sutton Howard. He went through probably a 10 to 15 year spiral where he ended up homeless in the streets of San Francisco, the Tenderloin District. Drugs and alcohol had taken over his life. Former athlete who finally got himself together and just over a year ago picked up this great game and is already doing unbelievable things. So get your ears on saddle up. I'd be glad you did.
Speaker 1:Okay, cool, can you hear me? Fine, everything's fine.
Speaker 3:Yeah, everything's okay. Yeah, I hear you. Well, where are we getting you from? Are you in California?
Speaker 1:Yes, like San Francisco Bay Area.
Speaker 3:Yeah, yeah, what part.
Speaker 1:San Mateo area, Burlingame. Yeah, so peninsula there on the peninsula.
Speaker 3:Yeah, because I mean I'm from Texas, but after college I lived in Danville and then in the city and then actually in. Sausalito. It's a great beautiful area.
Speaker 1:Yeah, sausalito is great, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 3:Excellent, I love it. It's like not a real place. It's too cool. No, it's not.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's sweet right, yeah, ironically. I love your guys' backdrop Sweet, Thank you oh thanks, man. Yeah, I lived out there as so. I loved it. Yeah, that's awesome.
Speaker 3:So we were reading a little bit Try not to do too much because we want to have some spontaneity here but I love your story, man, and I know that we've had several people on here that we talked to and they'll say, in one way, shape or form, pickleball kind of saved their life or changed their life, and you would fall into that category. I'd say Well, you know, it's kind of funny because we were given your name by Joel.
Speaker 1:Mauer yeah, I got the Dink Ninjas.
Speaker 3:How do you know, joel? Oh, you got a.
Speaker 1:C representing.
Speaker 1:Dink Ninjas. So he reached out because he read the article and he put me in connection with a couple of people, including you guys, and he thought it would be kind of a good thing to get out there. And so he doesn't. I don't know him at all other than he liked. The story reached out to me and now me and him are pretty good friends and yeah, it just kind of was a connection thing. So that's as far as I know. I don't know too much about Joel other than his brand and what he did for me.
Speaker 2:That's pretty cool. That's just like that's a pickleball story right there. That's what pickleball does.
Speaker 1:Brings people together. And he was on your guy's show, right? Yeah, he was.
Speaker 3:He's such a nice guy and his story I guess you know. He went through this thing with his wife and he needed something to just kind of take his mind off everything he's going through. And so he ends up in pickleball. We call ourselves the pandemic picklers. We'd never even heard of the game until COVID and then all of a sudden it was like something to do that we could actually do pretty easy.
Speaker 2:I had no idea the growth, though, that was going to ensue after that.
Speaker 1:Yeah, this is crazy. Yeah. Yeah, I was just getting out of like, uh like treatment because I've, you know, gone through a lot of certain things that my mom's like, oh, you would be so good at this, and I'm not kidding you the day I got home and played that night. I haven't stopped since. It's been like probably just a year now, and then the stuff I've done in one year it doesn't even. It's like I don't even know, People don't even get it. So it's pretty sweet, yeah.
Speaker 3:But you had to have some pretty uh. I mean, I know you were an athlete growing up and you know, probably played more than one or two sports, what, what did you grow up playing?
Speaker 1:Baseball and basketball were the two. So no racket sports. So that's the interesting thing. So no racket sports, just baseball. But you know I'm very good visually Like, so I can see. You know I watch a lot of it. I study a lot of pickleball and I can kind of. It's weird, I've got a pretty solid strength where I can kind of just re-emulate what's being done. So it's pretty trippy. Yeah, it's pretty trippy how this last year I've been able to really, you know, put together a pretty incredible game.
Speaker 2:So you know what that made me think of something? Okay, so John played baseball and like sometimes I'll come in the bathroom and like see him in the mirror. I'm like what are you doing? He's like, he's like throw it, like he practices. Remember when I caught you doing that?
Speaker 3:Constantly fake swinging or fake throwing or something you know, and I'm like I'm like you guys do this, this is a thing.
Speaker 2:So you're doing that, you're saying you can watch it and then emulated and that's why all you baseball players like have your like. There's a swag about a baseball player and and to to that, like we had a octoberfest, we had a our a baseball, our local baseball players playing their coaches, and the one coach had never played before in his life the head coach. And at the beginning the kids were beating the coaches because obviously the coaches don't play. But then I was like you just hang in there and by the end were beating the coaches because obviously the coaches don't play. But then I was like you just hang in there and by the end of it, those coaches man, you would have thought that they had played a lot.
Speaker 1:They figured it out, right, they figured it out.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that translates surprisingly.
Speaker 1:I guess for me it's just, yeah, I don't know what it is, other than being able to see it and just kind of go out there and drill the hell out of it, you know. But, um, I, I just can't even believe what this sport has come to be in such a short time and how awesome it is and how I mean it's it actually has saved. I mean, it's put me on such an awesome path. So I'm pretty grateful to be here and to do stuff like this. So's pretty awesome, yeah but I watch.
Speaker 3:I'm gonna piss off my wife real quick because you've only been playing a year. What? What is your rating right now?
Speaker 1:so the rating isn't. The rating isn't that high because of because I don't have enough stuff logged, but I play.
Speaker 1:I play in all 5-0 or pro qualifying tournaments yeah, yeah, yeah, and overnight and I mean, you know so, but I'm lucky because we, we in our area, I we have a lot of professional guys who train at our facility and so I'm always the guy getting in with those guys and so but it's, yeah, I'm pretty lucky to have gotten to such a high level so fast and I've actually I the money ball event that the PPA hosts, which is a pro, the first one that they had. We won gold in that event, so that was pretty sweet.
Speaker 2:What? Yeah, that's super sweet yeah so that was cool, yeah.
Speaker 1:So definitely a lot of cool accomplishments.
Speaker 3:Are you playing doubles? Are you playing singles too? Doubles yeah.
Speaker 2:Doubles, yeah, doubles yeah, yep. Yeah.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:Well, so let's go back and talk about your journey into pickleball and your life. I mean, it was the people out there don't know it and share as much as you want, but I mean it sounds like pickleball has been a really positive thing in your life and why is?
Speaker 1:that, coming from kind of like the past that I've come from, just got pretty dark for me, and so just being able to meet and connect with so many people of so many different walks of life and being able to share, like just the greatness that this sport has to offer, is just such a wonderful thing. And I'll tell you what due to just kind of like where I was able to bring my ability, I was able to get certified as well as an instructor. So there's nothing better for me to watch other people grow and develop and really like see that progression Right, see that development, see that struggle, see that, because I'm all about it and I love the struggle, I love when people go through hard things, so that's kind of like the beauty in it is to watch the growth in that. And that's what the sport is about right, starting at a point and getting to a certain point, right, getting to their best point. So that's kind of the beauty in it for me.
Speaker 2:That's what I'm working on. Is that getting to that?
Speaker 3:No, we need a therapist yeah right, oh yeah. We need the mental coaching.
Speaker 1:I'll tell you what that's. The that is the tough thing, like if you play mixed right, it's just like, oh, so luckily because I have a mixed partner that I've been playing with for a year and, um god, it was so bad. I felt so just so bad.
Speaker 1:Like I look back and I'm just like you, just yeah, it's just, it can get it's and it's like but you just have to learn how to just really be positive and work together and not let it go. You know what I'm saying, just let it go, and it's not. You know. And if you learn how to work, well, right, and you learn how to compliment each other's game and you don't go above and beyond, like try and take it to such a high level, start here, yeah Right. No, I get beyond, like try and take it to a such a high level, start here, yeah right.
Speaker 1:No, I get it, because I always that's what I did. I I took the girl I played with and I took her here right. And so now she's like, in this you know sink or swim, survive, you know type of setting or whatever. But then I then I realized that okay, let's start here and let's grow together. You know to get here, and now it's awesome. I mean, this girl plays at the same level I do now, and she's 52 years old and just dominates guys. I mean, wait, how?
Speaker 1:old 52 wow I mean you play with it. You have a 52 year old female yeah and I taught her from scratch too. She didn't, she never she didn't know nothing about the game, and now she's winning golds and women's doubles and yeah it's pretty. That's the stuff I'm talking about, that I love seeing.
Speaker 1:I love seeing people go from like, honestly, she was very jerky and very like, just it was very uncoordinated and now like to see the finesse and it's just the movements, and it's just like she's become the movements, the sport Right, so it's, it's actually pretty sweet yeah.
Speaker 2:I'm working on that. I have a lot of jerky movements. It's actually pretty sweet. Yeah, I'm working on that. I have a lot of jerky movements.
Speaker 1:Hey, you just I've learned that you've got to just take the game right and you've got to just screw the like. If you do a lot of rec games, you do a lot of drilling, whatever, you just leave all that winning and losing behind and you go in there and you just do you and you work on whatever you need to do, right, and just it doesn't matter if you win, doesn't matter if he's saying something, she's saying something. You go in there and you work on your shit right and you, I mean your stuff right and that's it. And just because it doesn't matter, at the end of the day you're not, if it's not a tournament, then just just work it out, you know, find your rhythm both of us are going to listen to this.
Speaker 3:I'm both going to be pointing at each other going see Do you hear what he said? Because Karen's so uber competitive, all she wants to do is win, win, win, win, win, win.
Speaker 2:Well, no.
Speaker 3:Okay, hold on.
Speaker 2:I said I just want to play my best every single time when I get disappointed is when I feel like I can lose if I played my best and feel good If we play our best and and. But when we don't put it out there and we let our mind get in the way, or we let you know my serving yips get in the way, like you know I just you can't do that, like you got to put it all out there, especially when you're on a league, because every point counts for the team and to me. I don't want to let my partner down and I certainly don't want to let the team down, because what we do together counts for the whole team and um, not just that night but cumulatively throughout the entire um season. So it's not about the win loss as much as it is. Did I put my best foot forward that in that?
Speaker 3:It's a lot about the win. I told her I go, okay, let's go out there and have fun. She goes. You know it's fun winning, winning is fun.
Speaker 1:No, and the craziest thing is is cause I'm like a psychopath when it comes to winning too, cause I've. I mean, I remember when I was a little kid, like when, when parents, my parents, were keeping score, like I, I like if I tied, I cried you know what I'm saying? Like there was no. When I first got to this game, all I thought it was about was winning, so that's all I wanted to do, right? So when I realized that it's actually all about playing well and contributing to your player, and then it's becomes this bigger thing, Right?
Speaker 1:So once I kind of let go of that whole part, you know, it just became a little bit more fun. And then, when you're playing a little bit like in that fun zone, it's not, you don't have to keep it so serious and actually you play better. You play better when you're loose and when you're in. That you know that unconscious mind, as they say, or whatever it is, and not always up in here. Second you go here, the second you try and start figuring shit out and you will never figure it out. It just gets tough, yeah you gotta keep that swag loose and just met.
Speaker 1:You know what I mean. Be you, allow yourself to take that big drive and big shot. If it goes sailing over the, you know, I mean it doesn't matter, right?
Speaker 2:no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. Take strike that, strike that please. We just got over that. She thinks you're giving me permission.
Speaker 3:Don't worry, we've got a pretty good short game and we're working on just sticking to our game. What happens is we'll get into games against some people who might be bangers, and then I just want to kind of bang too, because it's fun to hit a freaking winner. Yeah, of course. Yeah, except that when there's one winner out of 10 tries it doesn't go very well, I like to focus on that winner. Yeah, that one right yeah.
Speaker 2:And I'm like, hey, get as much joy. All the elements of pickleball is. You know, for me, when I make a great drop that creates, or a great dink that creates, a pop-up that my partner can put away, I get way more joy out of that.
Speaker 1:That's the best part. Yeah, right.
Speaker 2:I'm like that. Take joy in that, the joy that you got from hitting an amazing drive. You know the ball that just goes right over the net and just drops and right at your, at your opponent's feet, and there's nothing they can do about it. That feels so good. But I feel so much better when I can do the other now you know, and it's like a mental switch thing.
Speaker 1:That's the best, that's the whole. Yeah, I've yeah Good Good.
Speaker 2:No, no, I mean, I was in a game the other day and they hit me. It was me and a guy who was older, like 65. And we were playing against two guys that were in their 30s and we actually beat them three out of four matches but I was loose as a goose because I wasn't in a league situation and it was open play and I was just like you know, whatever I what do I have to lose? Right? But I mean, when I got they, they tried to hit me with a real shark dink and it was to my backhand and I got it right over and they were like the guy was like whoa, like they did not expect that at all.
Speaker 1:Yeah, oh yeah, cause you were calm and you were just cool and you were just cruising. So that's, that's when, that's when you make the miraculous shots and you play. Well, I think, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2:Oh totally. Totally.
Speaker 3:Yeah, and I want to take a step back real quick because a lot of people who I mean we play with our local pickleball club is over 1,700 members. I mean it's crazy how big it is here, but a lot of the guys similar backgrounds, you know played sports growing up and then for one reason, another got hurt or we got distracted, that kind of happened to you?
Speaker 1:right, you hurt your knee, I tore my mcl, and so that was so. Baseball was like everything to me, and that's what I I didn't care about school, I didn't care about anything.
Speaker 1:Teachers gave me good grades because I was a solid baseball player. And so when you get an injury at that level, at a high level, you coaches don't want you because they got the next kid who's got a fresh knee, who's a catcher, right. So so when I lost that, I was like losing the love of my life. And then I'm thinking, and then I go into this place where, well, what do I have now? I don't, I don't know anything, I didn't study, I didn't do anything. So now I'm left with like, just this loss, right.
Speaker 1:And so it was really hard for me and it took 10, 15 years of spiraling out of control until I found this game where then I like, that's why I love this game, because it brought back that childlike that, that that old times, the baseball times. Like I found it again after, you know, I mean, I found that love again. And so now it's like, right, where I left off, in, in, even in a better form and not even a higher level form. So, um, yeah, it was that injury, that kind of, you know, took me off track. Uh, but that injury might've brought me, you know, to a really sweet place, if you think about it. So you know, here now with pickleball.
Speaker 3:Yeah, that's a long. That's a long road back, man. I'm glad you made it back.
Speaker 1:It doesn't where I went. It doesn't normally happen, so I'm pretty fortunate yeah.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's awesome and so did you get hurt playing pickleball at all? Cause we did? Yeah, no, I didn't. Um, I I've been, I've been, yeah, I've been a trainer for also quite some time, and so I'm all about the recovery. I mean, I'm in the cold pool immediately following, you know, uh, the games or whatever. But I do a lot of training, a lot of like uh, certain types of rehab, flexibility training, strength training. So I do all that type of stuff because I, I know, as I'm getting older now, that thing, as you guys will know too, is that like things just don't work as well and things don't't you don't heal as fast break days feel like they break if I go play for three four hours the next day.
Speaker 1:I'm like trashed or I'm trashed after right so you know, it's all about the recovery for me, um as far as sustaining the sport, you know.
Speaker 2:So yeah yeah, well, so every night we go back to bed. And you know those, what is it? Normatec, the compression legs. Yeah, I look like a marshmallow woman. I sit there and my legs are all blown up. I do it for three hours, man just watching TV.
Speaker 3:They swallow her. They just swallow her. It's compression, right? Oh yeah, it's amazing.
Speaker 2:Does it get hot, amazing and John has the oh, no, no, it just. I mean, you can feel your blood pulsing for sure.
Speaker 3:I've got the knee one. I've got the knee one that'll freeze, and then it goes to heat.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's cool, yeah, and then I've got the compression boost.
Speaker 3:I mean it's because my knees, that's the same thing.
Speaker 1:You guys are robots over there, the whole thing.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, well, I mean not getting hurt anymore. And whereas, you know, throughout this whole journey, one thing after another keeps breaking.
Speaker 1:I'd be devastated if I got hurt now at this point, because it's just like I feel like if I take a couple of days off plan, I feel like I missed out, or I feel like I I got all this catching up to do. It's just like it's a trip. It's just. It's just like it's literally part of my world. It's just. I don't even understand how and I know it has the same effect on everybody else. It's just so addicting.
Speaker 2:Now it's just. Oh yeah, I missed open play this morning and I had fomo big time yeah, I want to go, but I knew I had work to do.
Speaker 3:Just say fomo I did. Oh my god people say that too.
Speaker 1:That's so funny. How about when you play? How about the days where you play phenomenal for like a few days straight, and then the day where you feel like you shouldn't be out there?
Speaker 1:I mean that's the tricky part about this sport is the margin for error and the is so small if you play somebody different and they have just the time. I mean it's. I have days where I feel like I literally want to walk off there, cry, leave, quit, leave quit, go to another country. And that's why this sport is probably so addicting is that you always feel like you might be in a good spot and then it's not. You're not there, bud, you're not there.
Speaker 3:It humbles you in a hurry. It happens to me weekly. Karen's lucky she gets to play a lot more than I do. So we're playing in a league game tonight and it's been three days since I've played and I'm already stressed about dang. I'm going to have to get my no tonight is just for fun.
Speaker 2:This is our. You know what's?
Speaker 3:fun Winning, yeah, that's your thing.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's funny.
Speaker 2:We have our league match Friday. What's today, today's Wednesday, friday night and then Saturday morning? But I have Friday morning, friday night and Saturday morning, oh, so you're playing. Yeah, yeah, she's coming.
Speaker 1:She's in the zone. So is this a mixed league that you guys are involved in tonight?
Speaker 2:So we're in two mixed leagues and then I'm in two ladies leagues.
Speaker 1:Okay, cool. Which is hard too, because those games are very different. That's a whole different element too.
Speaker 2:Yeah right, do you play with a male partner?
Speaker 1:yeah I do yeah and that's yeah. So that's it's crazy, because there's I mean, we're talking about two completely different games like I can't even explain to you how different those two games are and it's like, yeah, it's a trip, but that's the fun part. Right is being able to understand and play all roles in this game.
Speaker 3:So but it's, it's kind of a just yeah I mean you better know you're.
Speaker 1:If you're playing, if you're going to a higher level or you're getting better, you're, you do whatever. You better know.
Speaker 2:You know the differences, because there are a lot of differences, yeah oh, yeah, yeah, now um, can you name a few that you can think of? Say that again like do you okay when you're playing with your, with your male partner? Is it 50 50 court coverage? And then do you take more of the court?
Speaker 1:with your female partner. You know what, if I'm, I usually am on the left side, so we generally we stack, so I'm covering a lot more and I have a lot more power with my forehand. But I think that whole thing, my forehand, but I think that whole thing like forehand always covers. And you know, I think there's a lot of misconceptions that I think you know who. Yeah, it's just, it's kind of a tricky thing, but yeah, generally I cover because I play mixed and I play men's and I'm on the left side and men's too. So I generally cover a lot more. Um, I take a lot more, but um, yeah, it's just.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I'm kind of so you do that, and when you play with your male partner too, yeah, and you're always on the line usually because I play with the same male partner.
Speaker 1:So usually we kind of have it down where I'm kind of more of the aggressor. He's ready for the speed ups, he's ready for the counters, he's ready for the. So I'm more kind of power overheads dinking, um kind of covering your bin.
Speaker 3:he's calling yeah, basically exactly yeah, now do you watch the pro game, are you? Are you a fan of the pro game? I?
Speaker 1:that's how I learned how to play this game. I literally study it, um. But the problem is is that the pro game and this is where I think maybe I went wrong is I learned the pro game? The pro game is not the same as the rec game. The pro game is dink, drive, whatever, get to the kitchen and then you're at the kitchen and you're playing it at the kitchen. Where I play it's everybody's driving, crashing. It's wild. It's this high-paced, insane tennis, I don't know whatever. It's not that controlled. Where I'm at it's and guys are at a high level so they play hard, but, um, it's not. If you watch the pros, it's more of a controlled consistent. I know it's changing a little bit now, but if you watch, they get to the kitchen and then they're working it out at the kitchen and primarily, that's it.
Speaker 3:So that's the part that would frustrate us too, because we we didn't, we didn't even know much about the pro game till about a year ago and we kind of got involved with the nationals, were out here and we were volunteers and, uh, that's the game, that's fun, it looks. I mean, it's like, uh, you know, a ballet. When they're there, they're just in the patience and all that.
Speaker 1:and then you get out here and you want to do that and people are just firing, started playing a lot of the 5-0 tournaments because, believe it or not, it's actually a slower, easier game than the 3-5, 4-0, 4-5.
Speaker 3:it's weird, but I'm so glad you said that. I was talking to a friend about that the other day too and she was like yeah, it's like the going back to the chaos, it's like the wild west down there.
Speaker 1:Yeah and the timing is off and everybody's hitting them high and you're and you're just basically trying to survive and you feel like, honestly, if I were to go play down to like a 3.0, 3.5, I would lose, I would suck, because it's just so different than where, like, my timing is at a different level, right, and I've learned at this other level that. So it's weird. When I go play like these, when I like jump into a random game, I like suck, you know, because it's weird, that's so funny, it's different.
Speaker 3:I know you've played some PPA events. Obviously have you done any MLP style.
Speaker 1:I have done MLP style. We have them almost every month here. That's a trip and that's a fun event. I haven't won any MLPs, but I've definitely played quite a few of them. What do you guys think about those? Do you guys have them down there?
Speaker 3:We've played in our pickleball club. They put it on twice right. And the last time we were both. Karen was a substitute. She ended up playing. My team ended up getting silver. It was nerve-wracking, dude. It's a whole different kind of thing. I think. If we played, we had to play eight matches to get to the final, or something like that we had dream breakers in six of them.
Speaker 1:How sweet is that, though? I feel like you've got the whole crowd watching you. You're going single. That's the cool part. That's the fun part.
Speaker 3:That's the cool part, yeah, that's the fun part, oh my God, and you're like these are just our friends and our buddies and we're out there just going. Oh man, it was. It was crazy. I do like I think it'd be great. Like you said, you have maybe once a month. I think that's plenty for that style, because it's a little bit different mindset. But we've got a local professional team here, dallas Pickleball Club, and we're lucky enough to know a couple of guys who own it. So we went to the rally last year where they're introducing their team and it was what is it? Ignatovich and Elyse.
Speaker 1:Jones. I mean, it's just amazing, callie Jo Smith maybe was on that. Yep, Yep, callie was there too. Yeah, she was.
Speaker 3:Everybody. It's like that part of the pro sport too, where they're all so nice yeah.
Speaker 2:You know they're just. They're not. There's not prima donnas in that. Yeah, it's like they're not prepared for this yet too. You know they're not. They're not the celebrity.
Speaker 1:They don't know it yet because it's so new. So they're just being themselves right.
Speaker 2:Yeah, do so. They're just being themselves right yeah, you know right.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, it really I think they're a little taken back by like they're loving my gosh.
Speaker 2:You guys think I'm, you want my site, my autograph, like they're like what I just played, pickleball man.
Speaker 1:That's like such a cool thing like. Can you imagine someone going up to you like, hey, can I have your autograph? I watch you on? I mean, it's so cool, so do you guys have? Um, I always see so many cool clubs out of Texas, right, is it the Eastside? Wait, eastside, let's see.
Speaker 3:Westside Drillers.
Speaker 1:Westside Drillers. Then there's what are. That's Al. You know that.
Speaker 3:That's Al Arco.
Speaker 1:That's Al.
Speaker 3:That's our buddy Al who's on the Westside Drillers. I'm sorry, I cut you off.
Speaker 1:No, no, I just on the west side drill.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I'm sorry I cut you off. No, no I just, I always hear it like there's so many different clubs out there. It's insane, right? I mean, you guys have a lot of stuff out there. Right it's. It's a pickleball crazy. In dallas, you know, ppa headquarters is located here and of course you have austin, which is dreamland austin no, you're thinking austin, but that is another.
Speaker 2:It's just crazy down there because a a lot of the pros Right, Steve Kuhn. But the clubs here are. I think it's something, I mean, it's new. To be honest with you and our club. We just had a couple of guys that said, hey, they had a group, a core group of guys that played together. Um, they had, they had a group, a core group of guys that played together, and when one of them was traveling or got sick or whatever they they were like well, now what?
Speaker 2:do we do Cause we want to play pickleball, well you know. And then thought, then they, they saw this other group of guys playing and anyway the idea was like, why don't we create a club where we can um pull in more players if, when, when we need need to, so we can continue playing? And it went from, I mean, when we first started, I think we, when we hit over 100 members, we were like whoa, we're like that's too many because we don't have enough pickleball courts, right, and anyway, what we realized is that, at 1600 plus players now or you know, um members now is just that people want to be a part of the pickleball community, whether they play all the time in the, in our club events or not.
Speaker 1:they just like, want to be plugged in part of it yeah, and they just want to be.
Speaker 2:They want to hear what's going on. They want to, you know, participate in tournaments when we have them, go to our happy hour or not, or just like watch our discord channel and see what's going on between the players. You know, it's just it's just crazy.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it created pickleball, created this community where it doesn't matter who you are, what you do it. It's just so beautiful how it could bring so many people together right for the same common you know, whatever, and it's just. I'm glad I'm a part of it.
Speaker 1:I'm sure you guys are glad you're a part of it and it's just like it gives you like I wake up, like this is something that I can still, like you know, like in baseball, I was like my goal was to make it pro, right. I still have the hopes that I could take this as pretty far right. So that's the beauty of it. Everybody's got that kind of hope where they can. I can make it to 4-0, I can make it to 4-5, I could go to 5-0, right. So that's the cool thing is that you get that, that you know that kind of competitive, you know winning game, like you know thing back in your life that you used to have when you're a little kid. And that's where I that's how I feel about it. So it's really, I mean, it's just I can't say enough about this and what it's bringing.
Speaker 2:I can't believe that you've only been doing it a year or two and near this, where you are, that so you've got there. There's so much for you to accomplish here and we are. We're what. Four years, three years, four years in now for good night and not hit. They haven't hit that four oh yet, oh Lord. But we just seriously started taking it more seriously. I mean, in the beginning, really literally, we were playing in the street talking it off.
Speaker 1:Yeah, just to do something. Yeah, what are your guys' goals? Like, do you guys want to play any big tournaments, or yeah?
Speaker 2:I do.
Speaker 1:You should.
Speaker 2:I'm dragging him along.
Speaker 1:It's so fun, I know, go to a PPA event, go, I mean it is like just to be in the environment next to the pros. I mean you'll go and you'll be warming up and like Ben Johns and Colin Johns but hey, can we split the court with you? Or like like literally like you're just warming up with Tyson or with these guys, these big guys. It's like it's so fun and it's it doesn't matter if you win or lose. But you have to check out the experience. I mean at any level.
Speaker 2:We've done it. We've done that Because we had Nationals here and we have the big Texas Open here. But problem is when we played in the Texas Open is that their sandbagging is so bad, it's terrible.
Speaker 1:I heard yeah.
Speaker 2:We had 5-0s playing in 3-0s.
Speaker 1:Because they want the national medal right, right, which is so stupid.
Speaker 3:They want the golden ticket and all that stuff.
Speaker 2:It's so dumb, so until that's figured out, I'm going to tell you this, Sutton Until that's figured out, we're not going to just dump our money into it?
Speaker 2:Yeah, no, but what we're going to do in the meantime is work our butts off to improve. And I'll tell you, john, we need to play our game. Like we finally got on the same page on that this last league match and it worked for us, and like what you were saying is like at the higher level. You know people are dropping, they're dinking, they're getting up to the line and it's that classic kitchen exchange.
Speaker 1:And in our last league match, the final team that we played afterwards- come up to us and they were like man, you guys are so awesome to play with because it had every element.
Speaker 2:They were like you were dinking, you were dropping, you were playing pickleball and and that was a huge that. That was better to me than a gold medal at the texas open because, yeah, because it was like okay, everything we've been practicing and working towards is appreciated, and it does mean that if we continue to do that rather than match the banger that we end up running into, then we will get to that next level, absolutely, and that's the beauty of it. So what's your favorite shot in?
Speaker 1:practical. You know what I do this like. I have this new like so if I get like someone dinks me out to my backhand, I'll do like I do this two-hand backhand like roll up the middle and but I'll the roll yeah I'll kind of fake like I'm gonna just do the normal slice back back down the line, but I hold it really long and they just they spread apart and the hole opens and then I just drop it right up the middle of two hands. Yeah.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so I use a lot of the two hands now and, um, like a lot of the drive drops, like with a lot of top spin. If there's so like I'm hitting hard so they're so hard for them to pick it up, right Cause it's just dipping so hard you can't do anything with it.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so that's my favorite yeah.
Speaker 1:So if your partner knows and you're on and my drive is ridiculous too so if they're both on, my partner knows get, get out to the line because it's your setups there and it's over, you know. So those are the fun, those are things that I love. You know, uh, when I know I'm confident we can get quick points. Other than that, it's just that I love dinking. I love, like transition zone, working to the line, fighting through that, getting there and then setting yourself up or your partner up.
Speaker 2:You know what I love too. This happened the other day. It's like when they have a winning shot on you and somehow your whole body just takes over and your paddle gets there and it gets it back and they're like what You're just like there, you're just yeah, reset, reset, reset, reset, yeah.
Speaker 1:And then they mess up. I don't even know how I did it.
Speaker 2:It's just like the body took over. It was an out of body experience and just did it.
Speaker 1:It just because it's learning the game.
Speaker 1:Your body learns the game Right and that's why, if you play enough, you become the movement Right and so eventually, like what I told you about my partner, like I'm watching her now and I'm like, dude, you look so sweet, like these moves, like it's so cool, you're like becoming the movement Right. Like because in the beginning it's like I look at old stuff of mine, I'm like what was I doing? I'm so weird and jerky, but now it's so fluid, it's so smooth, it's so just the touch right, it's the finesse. So that's the cool part I look forward to and you should look forward to right.
Speaker 2:So yeah, sutton, when we become uh, when we I'll, since we become friends I'll share a video with you that will make that you can pull up on a bad day and and like okay, I love it if you want to talk, it's called the elaine yeah, you know how el from Seinfeld dances, do you know?
Speaker 1:Yeah, all night doing that Like all crazy and her legs flying.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I did do that. I had the yips with my serve, yeah. And so after I would serve, I would go like this and my leg would fly up and I was like trying to control the ball and it's on video and video and it is funny, it's called it's.
Speaker 1:so what is it? So when you people because a friend of mine, he's it's only when he serves and it's the it's like some sort of a mental nervous thing, right, or something?
Speaker 3:it is.
Speaker 1:And then you get stuck in it, right like you. You just keep repeating it because your body yeah. So what is?
Speaker 3:yeah, because you tighten up and you know. Then you're thinking about it and it's in your head. It's like the harder.
Speaker 2:Everyone said well, stop thinking about it and it's in your head and the harder. Everyone said well, stop thinking about it. I'm like. The harder I stop trying to stop thinking about it, the more I did it and you miss and you can't make it right.
Speaker 1:It's just like you just keep missing, yeah.
Speaker 3:Well, it's like the guy. I mean, what was it? Was it Steve Sachs? I mean, you're a baseball guy and when, all of a a sudden, he lost the ability to throw the ball to first base so weird, no no explanation.
Speaker 1:It's just crazy, isn't that weird yeah?
Speaker 3:and so, yeah, we have people and you can tell when they'll get it. They're, they've got the yips and you're not even supposed to mention it.
Speaker 1:You're like oh, this is gonna be, yeah, this is gonna be bad, yeah I got a question for you about drilling.
Speaker 3:Yeah, how often? How many times a week do you think you drill, and how many hours?
Speaker 1:um, um. So I play daily. I play, you know I, I, if I'm overdone, you know I might take a day or two off in between or whatever. But I'll probably drill between, you know, one and two and a half hours and I primarily drill. And then there's probably two, two days I'll play men's doubles, really high level, intense men's doubles, and then one I'll play. One day I'll play mixed doubles, but I'll play men's doubles, really high level, intense men's doubles, and then one I'll play. One day I'll play mixed doubles, but I'll probably drill between no more than three hours, maybe minimum an hour and a half, and I have a really set regimen of drilling and it's all standard stuff, but it's all just stuff to keep. Oh, and then, like, if there is something I'm adding new or implementing, we'll add that to it and we'll drill that Um, but primarily, um, the drilling is just to keep all your basics.
Speaker 1:You know what I'm saying. It's, it's, it's nothing really, unless you're adding a new shot. It's nothing that is really tricky, it's all basic stuff but it's, it's just seeing the reps, seeing the different um. You know the paces, different timing, different uh stuff, like that three hours is Matt is pushing it.
Speaker 3:You know what I'm saying, but so you're like uh, 80, I think that's what I've heard too is like that 80, 20, where you drill about 80% and only play about 20 to kind of do that.
Speaker 1:The only reason I do play is because I got to see pace, especially at that level, is you got to see pace and you got to learn timing. But honestly, the, the yeah, and I love playing. You know what I'm saying, but, um, sometimes you know what I'm saying, but, um, sometimes you know well, because I'm trying to take it to such a high level. Um, if you can, if you play too many games, I think that you can get yourself kind of caught up, um, in like I don't know, your growth kind of stops, because I don't know, sometimes it's not really. I know it's hard to explain. So, like, if the games aren't really beneficial, to kind of like match that higher level games, then I'm just kind of like doing it as a cardio thing kind of. So the drilling keeps me in line and then I have a set group of guys who I play with. That play, you know, a pretty high level. So we'll play two, at least, two to three times just to just to see that pace and just to see the movements right, just to keep it fresh. But if you keep it simple and you keep your basics, your drives, your drops, your dinks, your backhand, your forehand, your speed ups, your counters, all that stuff. You just continue to do that and then eventually in the game it's just so natural, you know, it's just, it's not that complicated and actually the game is pretty well.
Speaker 1:It's challenging, but it actually is is it is easy when you get to, when you really just understand what to do and you know what to do and you kind of just like I'm getting to the point where it just kind of I just it, just it just happens. I don't even know what I'm doing, it just it, just I know when I'm here, I'm here, right, and when I'm here, I'm here when I'm here, and it just my brain is just working on its own. So's, that's kind of what all the reps and all the seeing it so much over and over again I guess does for me. Yeah.
Speaker 2:Now you said your mom is the one who mentioned pickleball. How did she become aware of?
Speaker 1:pickleball. Mom and dad get the credit because, um, they I remember I was wherever I was and they called me and she was, like you have to do pickleball, you'll be unbelievable. And I was like, I was like I think I played that high school in 2005 once, like in someone's backyard when I didn't even know what it was, and she has been playing for you know, she's 65 or 66. And she's been, they've been my parents been playing, you know, religiously too, um, for a few years now. But she just kept telling me, I remember on the phone, like you gotta do pickleball, you're gonna be awesome, you're gonna be. And so she really gets the credit for, um, me, for where you are yeah for where I'm at really getting in.
Speaker 2:Yeah, now did she. Was she a tennis player that found pickleball, or does it? Is it something, are they?
Speaker 1:No, we don't have any type of racket Background. Yeah, no, racket background yeah just something they were looking.
Speaker 2:Yeah, they just kind of jumped on the craze.
Speaker 1:I guess it was probably a COVID thing, Because I cause I think they were where they started was outside and, uh, you know, going to parks just to do something, and then, um, it turned into a pretty full-time thing for them as well. I mean, they play all the time and I actually coach them too.
Speaker 3:They play as a couple.
Speaker 1:They play as a couple they did, but they don't anymore. Yeah, so I think it's hard, man.
Speaker 3:It's hard, man, it's hard.
Speaker 1:Man. I'll tell you what I don't think. I don't think I think this. I've had a more of a hard time managing this relationship than I have in my whole life with any relationship.
Speaker 3:Yeah, and I've had worse fights in pickleball.
Speaker 1:So yeah, that was pretty funny, that's so funny.
Speaker 3:It is really tough to play with your spouse. I'm telling you.
Speaker 2:We tell you all the time that we're one of the very few couples that have not gotten pickle divorced.
Speaker 1:Yeah Is what we call it, and it happens. I mean, it's a real thing. Honestly, I got to the point where I just hated seeing myself getting so upset at somebody else, like because point where I just hated seeing myself getting so upset at somebody else, like because it's not who I am, but I just hated how I started seeing other people and I started absolutely despising how it looks, so like I don't care if you miss, you make a great shot. I'm just going to be 100%, really positive. It doesn't matter because it doesn't look good and it's not. It's it.
Speaker 1:It creates so much dumb. You know what I mean and you shouldn't make anybody feel like that. It's not the game's hard, it I mean to play in a mixed setting like that. It's challenging. So I really look at it and use it as like a really fun, positive thing. The mixed game now. So that kind of keeps it light, because it it trust me, it caused it caused a lot of shit yeah, oh man, we, we actually had the experience finally a couple weeks ago in a league game, because it it trust me, it caused, it caused a lot of shit.
Speaker 3:Yeah, oh man, we, we actually had the experience. Finally, a couple of weeks ago, in a league game where this couple we were playing against. She called timeout and she was ripping her husband a new one we're like we're finally the calm ones, it's not us.
Speaker 1:Yeah, oh man, it's just, it is it?
Speaker 3:Oh man, it's just it is. It's a different, different dynamic altogether, but we're gonna stick it out.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and what's your pick? What's your pickleball club?
Speaker 1:So it's called the Bay Club. Yeah, so the Bay Club is like a massive, like sweet, you know workout facility, tennis, pickleball. It's huge, they're all over, you know, San Diego, LA, I mean they're, they're massive. So, um, but the one, uh, so there's, let's see 12 and six. Yeah, there's like between 12 and six, but, um, I mean, the facility is massive, it's not. There's not like that many courts but other than the 12 and six, but, uh, we have a lot of different locations that are nearby, so we always get on a court and you can reserve and you can, you know, but beautiful courts, I mean really beautiful.
Speaker 2:Well, so you're saying that you have enough courts to support the, the, the growth of this work. We just got our courts, is what I'm saying. We just got them. We just got our courts is what I'm saying we just got them.
Speaker 1:It's getting kind of hectic, yeah. So somebody and the funny thing is there's not a big I would think in San Francisco there would be a bit like someone would put some more money into it down here because but there's no big like, there's no big MLP team you know like an actual MLP team. There's no like. So I don't know what. I don't know what that's about, but it's. I mean, pickleball is huge out here, but it's also not it's like I don't know, it's weird, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2:Well, I think that's why I still keep saying to John, even though we're four years in this, like now, that there's still so much room for growth in this sport. We're just, we're still at the tip.
Speaker 1:Yeah, oh my God, this is not. This isn't even close to where it's going. Yeah, this is. You can't stop this now, yeah.
Speaker 2:Oh, yeah, yeah. So what do you want to do? Setting with it Like? I mean, it sounds like. Do you want to go?
Speaker 1:pro. Um, you know, I think that's like. I think I think that's like everybody gets to a point where they're like I'm going to go pro. Right, Honestly, I am going to take it as far as I can. And you know what I really like helping other people and I like kind of sharing my knowledge. So, honestly, I really find the joy in watching other people get better. But, yeah, I'll probably take it. I've done only one pro qualifier and I didn't really have the right partner that I had been playing with, but so I'll probably do. I'll probably try and jump onto the circuit at some point, but I'm only a year into it too, so I mean, I can't imagine two, three years. You know what I'm saying. So, yeah, so my goals are to probably at least give it a shot, because I definitely think I can hang with the best of them and also just help others. You know, help people just kind of develop their game, because it's really a cool thing for me to watch.
Speaker 2:So I love your mindset. You're like I think I could just jump in there with them.
Speaker 1:Oh, I'm not. You want to. This is how I got. This is how I got good, I walked into the pickleball gym and I go okay, that court looks like those are the best guys. I mean, literally my first day. I'm going to put my paddle down there. I don't care. I don't care what happens.
Speaker 2:No way.
Speaker 1:I always. And then I was like, okay, here's what I'll do, I'll start, I'll find a level that is enough for me to struggle, but enough for me to not be like over my head. And then I just kept climbing levels and I kept seeking out the best crew in the gyms and I just, you know, put got my, made my way in and I worked my way in and kind of developed that way, you know so and you sat in the mirror and you made this.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I check myself out.
Speaker 1:I do my little slice thing, I do my yeah right.
Speaker 2:I'm like, how am I holding my paddle here? Do I look?
Speaker 1:cool.
Speaker 3:What paddle are you using?
Speaker 1:I'm a Yola guy but I've been honestly. Recently just tried the Annalie Waters paddle. That's a whole different beast.
Speaker 2:Really which one?
Speaker 1:Let me see this thing.
Speaker 3:This one, oh yeah, the PaddleTech.
Speaker 1:Is it new? It's her new one. Yeah, it's her new one where she has her little AL with the crown on it.
Speaker 2:Right. There's no way that this thing's going to last, that long on the market.
Speaker 1:What's different, the power in this is you don't even have to play, like it does the work for you, it's just bizarre Really. It's the most power. Like you say, the gearbox is strong.
Speaker 2:This is just as much, if not stronger. So are you playing with that? Then Did you switch.
Speaker 1:I've been just using it. I love Yola and that's kind of like my dream is to get sponsored by them, uh, but yeah, because I, I, just I always have had a good run with that, that paddle, um, but the, the, I use the, actually the hyperion c2, it's, it's, yeah, it's kind of the newer, one of the newer ones, but yeah, I'm dying for their new stuff to come out. That's all. The pros have the new ones. I don't know if you've seen, like Tyson McGuffin and Deckelbar, all those guys. They have a new one that's out, but not out to the public yet.
Speaker 2:Okay.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so what do you guys play with it?
Speaker 2:may have that kind of power. Well, we're both Yula, but we're the Perseus.
Speaker 1:And so the difference between Perseus and Hyperion is thinner right. No, the hyperion just has the has the round top. It's like they call it the right. It's like the. I don't know whatever they call it, but it's more rat. Yours is like got more of a rectangular shape at top right right. And then I don't know like they say that the hyperion c2s are carbon charged. I don't know, that's just their new technology. The perseus might not have that, but the perseus is a great paddle, yeah.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's an excellent paddle, but you know what I mean? Literally, we're only what and I keep saying four, it's not four years. So March of 2020, so 21, 22, 23, 24. Is that four years? Yeah, four years. Okay, all right, I can't God, I'm doing my math here. All right, so we've spent. I mean, I can't even tell you how many paddles we bought, and maybe, and it's, and it just keeps the. It's like the technology, it's like an. If an iphone came out every other month, I mean I swear it's a cottage industry.
Speaker 3:You have everybody jumping in. Now it's like everybody wants a piece of the pickleball pie, you know everybody's doing it, everybody, yeah, it's.
Speaker 1:It's so crazy. It's like I'm a little kid in a candy store. I mean, the number of paddles I have is sick, it's just. But it's so fun, right, it's like it's a toy, it's just like it's just something that makes you so excited, like it was like a new baseball bat or some new glove right yeah, so yeah, but it was funny like along the journey and yours has been so quick.
Speaker 2:I don't know if this happened for for you, but I remember when I went to the Warrior right.
Speaker 3:Yeah, so Diadem, and that's a… Diadem, yes, diadem Warrior.
Speaker 1:And I was like power man, I got all this power. That was powerful, yeah.
Speaker 2:Oh, but then my wrist got all messed up. Yeah, because I'm too little for it. It weighed like over eight 84 or 85 or something.
Speaker 1:yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2:So then I went, then I dropped down, so then that's when I got the nickname Little Monster, because if it was flying it, was dying, that's funny.
Speaker 2:But now I needed control because I want to go to that next level. Right, I don't want to bang, I want to drop and I need the feel. And I went oh, I also had the icon too, which is no feel right, but I had great slice. I had icon too, which is no feel right that, but I had great slice. I had a great icon, not a slice. I had a great, um, top spin. That's where I had got learned my drive drop. But then you know so then. So each paddle is like kind of taught me a little bit more about the game does that make sense or like help?
Speaker 2:me with a certain skill in the game totally whereas now I'm like the Eula Perseus is kind of my perfect blend between the touch and the power. But I'm sure that the next level is going to be something else, like you're exploring, you know.
Speaker 1:And, yeah, I think that Perseus is a good. Like you said, it's a good. You know you can use it for multiple. It's an all around solid paddle, right.
Speaker 2:Right.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:Yeah, multiple, it's a, it's an all-around solid paddle, right and so, right, yeah, yeah, but it it also. It also, um, because I went from a heavy paddle to a lighter paddle, my timing was off, so you have to make adjustments. Right, because it's this one's going to fly through the air at not as much. It's easier to fly through the air because it's not as big, right, so the aerodynamics are there and so I had to learn to cut off a little bit.
Speaker 1:Um, make adjustments with each paddle yeah, it's, and it's so crazy because, like I said, the margin for error in this game is so small, like it's so small, even that little, even that little weight or that new grip on your, I mean, it changes your entire. Like it is such a crazy thing. This game like literally every look the wind or the indoor, outdoor, like it changes your entire game. So you have to play everywhere, inside, outside, with good people, with bad people, with men, with women, with you have to get it all, you have to do it all, otherwise it's just like the margin is too. You have to see it all. So it's tricky, yeah do you have now?
Speaker 3:you mentioned your dream is to have eula uh as a sponsor. Are you uh? Do you have some sponsors right now or are you looking for sponsors?
Speaker 1:holbrook and selkirk. I had a little deal going with them. But I I just felt like inside I just wanted to kind of wait. I felt like it, the paddle I love is a eula. And I I just felt like inside I just wanted to kind of wait. I felt like it, the paddle I love is a yola, and so I just felt like inside. It would be kind of like going against the way I'm cheating, yeah, so I just was like you didn't believe.
Speaker 3:You didn't believe what you were hawking.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so it's like you know, why am I going to switch to a paddle I've never played with before, right, I've never even tried. But you know it's when it's it's it was. It was kind of like um tough, because it's like you know, we're going to send you the gear and you got so much money to spend monthly on gear and paddles and this and that. But I figured if it's going to happen it'll come it'll.
Speaker 3:You know I'm so fresh in this game. So yeah, you know the game. The game now is getting to where because you were talking about how your drive is ridiculous and all that Um, it's getting people could hit the ball so much harder than I think they could just just a year ago. It's insane. You got people like Jack Sock who are on the tour, who are scaring people off the court and, um, it's going to be interesting to see if they have to start dialing it down a little bit, because I know that some of the illegal paddles people were accused of having and things like that, I mean it could be dangerous.
Speaker 1:No, and they will, and it's solely because of this new paddle technology. But I hear they're talking about you know, removing the grit and so you have to learn how to really control it, like they're talking about so many different ways, but enough people are going to lose their sight and their eyesights and things like that they're going to have. Or glasses will become mandatory, right, uh, so yeah, it's getting pretty nutty, though, like the, the power that I had in just a short time from when I started to now is scary. Like I mean, it's, it's ridiculous. Like I can't even believe I can hit the ball this hard.
Speaker 2:Like, yeah, it's what are you doing? Well, I think it's the base it's, it's the.
Speaker 1:I have the. I do a lot of like rotational exercises, a lot of like powerful um rotational stuff. But I don't know what it is, but I, when I rip that ball, it is like and even the top guys are like oh my god, like this is like wow, it's just I'm able to. I don't know if it's got to be a baseball thing, I'm just connecting right out in front rotating. You know, I just gotta well, and the paddle technology, you know, also helps.
Speaker 3:But I hit, you ever worry you're gonna hurt somebody. I mean, you ever have that doubt in your mind.
Speaker 1:There's's a couple of times after a swing when it goes a little high and I'm just like, oh geez, like yeah, and I've hit people too, and it's it's, you know it's, it's kind of scary close. You know what I mean. And so you just have to be yeah, just gotta be careful. That's all Now.
Speaker 2:I hope that they don't go to glasses. Have you tried the safety glasses? I just, I don't think I can do it. Yeah, just I can't.
Speaker 1:It throws off my depth. There's something on you just messes with me. Yeah, I'm not into it.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah yeah, so I wear a hat every time.
Speaker 1:Yeah, because I mean I have, here's the trick here's the crazy thing is this girl that we were playing with the other day. She had a hat on like this, really low. She got hit so hard in the side of the head here her right eye went out. She went black for like an hour oh my god and we're, she's playing with guys when we're ripping the ball. So yeah, she was. I mean, she was lost and she was crying. I mean wait a minute bad she's and she's a high five.
Speaker 3:Oh, like big time player this girl yeah, and she got knocked right in the temple, hit off the net too, and it hit off the net too.
Speaker 1:It wasn't a straight shot. That's how hard it was coming.
Speaker 3:That's what happened to you.
Speaker 2:That's what happened to me the other day. But where did it hit? It hit me right on the cheek.
Speaker 1:It got her like right under the hat right like in the temple. She's tough and it was. It was bad yeah.
Speaker 2:Well, but I can't wear the glasses.
Speaker 3:No, you can wear a helmet. You can wear like a little football helmet.
Speaker 2:Maybe I need a football helmet.
Speaker 1:The thing I'm really aware of is, just like you know, if you have good hand eye coordination man, just be ready. Don't, don't get caught sleeping, you know yeah, just be safe and don't because these new paddles are coming out. It's, it's a, it's a whole nother beast. You know, last thing you want to do is lose the thing you love to do, right, yeah so how many met?
Speaker 2:do you have medals? Have you been?
Speaker 1:yeah, I've got like I want to say like four or five now, uh, yeah but winners, yeah, solid wins too. You know pretty big, pretty big um the money. The ppa finals was the best. That's. That's the money ball event, because we played some pretty reputable people who are in the big youtube world, you know um yeah yeah, some pretty high level people. So you know five, threes, five ohs, five, fives um. And then the other ones were two mixed, two three mixed, three mixed and two men's.
Speaker 1:So yeah, okay, yeah pretty good, though, for not I mean just for kind of jumping right in, you know oh really good.
Speaker 2:Yeah, or we're, uh, we're not, we're not there.
Speaker 1:You guys will be there, though you guys, you guys seem to hey we're to do it the rest of our lives.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's all that matters. We're going to be like your parents.
Speaker 1:The medals, it's all just whatever right. It's about this whole journey of learning and getting better together and getting yourself better and learning that you can accomplish stuff, no matter what you're doing. You know what I mean. And learning that you can accomplish stuff, no matter what you're doing. You know what I mean. So it's really a. I've never seen anything like this in my whole life and it's really given me such a. I mean, I wake up and I want to play pickleball. Right, that's it.
Speaker 3:I've never seen a sport where you could walk out on the court, and there's never been a time when you could not judge a book by a cover, more than in pickleball.
Speaker 1:The the different shapes and sizes and ages of people it's just, you don't know what, you don't know what you're gonna get, and I've been I've been beaten by people twice my age who have rocked my world like literally oh yeah and it's like wow, wow, yeah, so it's cool, it's just, it's a blast yeah well, seton, you are, um, you're, you're an inspiration.
Speaker 2:I'll tell you that I mean in a year, like you said, you know, say you were in the darkest place in your life. You came out and found this sport and and it gives you a purpose every single day and I mean I can feel it and I, I can't wait to see where you go with this, because I mean you're, you're certainly driven and and we look, I love that. I love that you know, pickleball found you and you found pickleball and it's, it's, you're, you're on a, you're on a great trajectory thank you so much.
Speaker 1:You guys are so awesome. It was. This is so cool.
Speaker 2:I I love what you guys are doing and it's such a blast man we just want to bring more awareness to pickleball and, yeah, and, and you know, tell our pickleball stories because I think it's such a blast man. We just want to bring more awareness to pickleball and, yeah, and you know, tell our pickleball stories because I think it's just such a cool thing. And, if we can. You know, we have friends from different backgrounds, different walks of life, different ages than we ever would have had without this game, and so I wouldn't have known you without this game. And you live in California and I'm here, you know, and so I wouldn't have known you without this game. And you live in California and I'm here, you know. And that's the other thing about Pickleball is that wherever you go, you can plug into any community and play Any community.
Speaker 1:yeah, this is so cool.
Speaker 2:Well, I'm glad that we got introduced to you.
Speaker 1:Thank you, joel, yeah, right.
Speaker 3:We'll get your address. Later too. We'll send you a little swag, because we want you to be able to represent oh yeah, hey, totally, I'll rep you guys for sure, always, yeah.
Speaker 2:Awesome. Do you like performance wear or what do you wear?
Speaker 1:when you play football, it doesn't matter, do?
Speaker 2:you wear cotton or do you wear?
Speaker 1:typically, people wear performance where it's like moisture wicking. Yeah, I usually do cotton, but if it's blazing paddles gear, I'll rock it Saddles gear, I'll rock it.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I'll rock it you know what I'm saying.
Speaker 1:So you guys are awesome, man. This has been so fun yeah.
Speaker 3:Well, we'll have to check in with you again too, to make sure we're following the Sutton story, Because it's going to be pretty cool one day when we're watching and we see you pop up on the tube. Oh, I'll be there.
Speaker 1:I promise you that, yeah, for sure, yeah, and hopefully, if I come out there to you know, because I do a lot of traveling for the tournaments If I come out there I'll absolutely check in with you guys, for sure, 100%, 100% yeah, man, yeah yeah, we'll lock you down so you can give us a little lesson yeah right, oh, I'd love to, that'd be awesome yeah since you like to teach, yeah, I do. Oh, yeah, for sure, you guys, that would be sweet. Yeah, cool, alright, buddy well, god bless.
Speaker 3:I'm really happy that you've gotten where you are and thank you so much for being on here with us.
Speaker 1:This has been such a cool opportunity. Thank you guys so much, really Thanks a lot All right, thank you.
Speaker 3:We'll talk to you again soon.
Speaker 3:All right, bud All right son, Bye-bye, Bye son and, of course, a reminder visit dinkpro for pickleball apparel needs. We've got some great stuff out there. Some of it's snarky, some of it's serious. All of it's high quality, and you might get a couple of looks with a few of the shirts that will immediately identify you as a pickler. And as we continue to build this pickler community, don't you want to be able to recognize each other? Sure you do. I'm a pickler, so are you Special?
Speaker 3:Shout out to sponsor and friend of the show, kevin Perkins of Crown Pickleball. If you've not used Crown Pickleballs yet, I highly encourage you give it a shot. They're higher quality than the name brands right now. They are more cost efficient and they last longer. Oh, and they're easier to see, and I know the game's getting faster and faster and visibility is really really key. Try it, because you can pick this ball up much quicker than the others. Go to crown pickleball and you will be able to find any assortment of balls. He's also making paddles and some swag, so go check out Kevin Perkins on Instagram and crown pickleballs.