This is one of those episodes where I went to write the show notes, and there were just so many great instructional tips for both beginning and advanced players. Teaching pro Greg Whitfield and I talk about what is the dining room shot, why the chip and catch is essential, and what is the number one mistake made in Pickleball. 

Amy Zaterman Seltzer has been near death two times and has beaten the odds to become a Pickleball player, competing in the Nationals. Her story is one of persistence and resilience and she shares what she had done to get on the court and play.

Sometimes on the court, you see players who appear so calm, and their game looks effortless. That describes teaching pro Mike Leigh, who recently wrote a book called Zen and the Art of Pickleball. Mike and I discuss both the mind and body in this episode as we talk about video analysis, proper mechanics, and the mental game.

Dick Johnson, who is now 82 years old, has so many pickleball accomplishments including being recently inducted into the Huntsman Senior Games Hall of fame. Dick has a great story. Plus he has some excellent tips on being offensive in Pickleball and we talk about how that helps your game.

I can not believe I have done almost 200 Pickleball Fire podcast episodes and have never talked about the grip in Pickleball. So today, I have Steven Schnitzer, and we're going to discuss the continental grip, western, and even the inverted backhand. 

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

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

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

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

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