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What changes when you’re still obsessed with pickleball but you’re playing into your 70s? Tracie talks with legendary coach Deb “Picklepong” Harrison about how older players can stay competitive by playing smarter, not harder.
Does gender really change the way you should play doubles? Tracie asks coach Mindy Yoder whether there is a difference between women’s doubles versus mixed, and discovers that yes, it matters.
Lefties can make perfectly normal pickleball shots feel completely wrong. Tracie talks with coach James Moore about how to adjust: when to attack the middle, why targeting the less-dominant player’s paddle-side foot can create confusion, and what to do when both opponents have forehands in the middle.
Tracie is joined by IPTPA Master Pro Lisa Palcic to explain how to stop feeding bangers the perfect ball. From serving deep to aiming at the body and feet, Lisa shares simple ways to neutralize hard hitters before they turn the game into target practice.
Tracie talks with pickleball coach Benjamin Grant about flow — the state where challenge and skill line up and you become completely absorbed in the game. They explore why pickleball makes that feeling so easy to find, why it keeps us chasing “one more game,” and how stronger opponents can help us improve. Maybe we’re not addicted to pickleball — maybe we’re addicted to being fully present.
Tracie and coach Leia Miller take on one of pickleball’s most dreaded mental meltdowns: the yips. Why can a serve you’ve hit a thousand times suddenly feel impossible the moment the score gets tight? Leia explains how a simple pre-serve ritual—say the score, take a breath, slow down, transfer your weight, and focus on getting the ball over the net—can help reset both your brain and your body. They also dig into pressure, unforced errors, the danger of chasing the “perfect” serve, and why one bad shot does not mean you’ve forgotten how to play pickleball.
Tracie welcomes IPTPA coach James Moore, her accidental PickleCon “blind date,” who shares a brilliantly simple fix for getting stuck on a score: after two rounds of serving without scoring, stack. They explain how changing positions can reset the energy, disrupt your opponents, get you out of your own head, and why James distinguishes between stacking on offense and switching on defense.
Coach Greg Dedrick uses a variety of strategic angle shots in his game and recommends incorporating angles whenever possible — with the caution that "angle beget angles" so be prepared for the return of your shot.
Master pro Lisa Palcic talks about how 4.0 is an attainable skill level for some people and what it takes to get there — while Tracie discusses how there seems to be a trend for people in recreational play to call themselves 4.0 without going in tournaments using the Dupr rating or taking (the very difficult!) IPTPA skill test.
Coach Mindy Yoder talks about the experience on both sides of the net when a less experienced player feels entitled to join a higher-level game "because it will make me better" without considering what that does to the more advanced level of play.
Coach Leia Miller and Tracie roll their eyes about heavy duty veteran lobbers, but instead of moaning, groaning and griping about players who barrage you with lobs, Leia suggests we take matters into our own hands! Better to find a way to "drive the bus" instead of being irritated about being jerked around by lobbers.
In tournaments it's a big decision whether or not to serve first (with only one serve but a chance to get on the board) or receive first when you'll have two serves? Coach Deb "PicklePong Deb" Harrison has medaled in hundreds of tournaments, so she has solid advice about all the elements to factor in to your decision — which can apply to rec play as well
Wondering whether your kids or grandkids should be encouraged to play pickleball? Megan Fudge is the APP tour's all-time total career medals leader by any player (89) and is married to pro player Ryler DeHeart, with whom she traveled the circuit in an RV so their two kids, Lily and JR, could be with them off and on the court. They are living proof of her belief that pickleball is a welcoming entry to sports for all children.
Master Pro and former pro competitor Lisa Palcic explains why two right-handed players almost always stack in mixed doubles on the pro circuit (no matter how good the female player is). But when, why and how stacking might make sense for amateurs in rec play or tournaments is another story.
Coach Veronica Alteri just started playing pro pickleball herself, but she remembers the mental challenges of the first time she played in a tournament. She and Tracie talk about the thrills and chills of playing competitively and how to deal with the way things change (for you and for your partner) when the score actually counts.
Coach Mindy Yoder says that hitting to the weaker player can make sense if your goal is to win the game, but can also backfire if the stronger player takes over the court and poaches aggressively, ending points quickly. In rec play, you might want to embrace more challenge and have better points by including the stronger player — which can make it a better experience for everyone — especially the stronger player, who is there to play pickleball and will not appreciate being "avoided."
Coach Leia Miller talks about whether there is an etiquette or sportsmanship issue about aiming the ball at an opponent's body, since "body bagging" has become a legitimate strategy. In earlier pickleball days, hitting someone with the ball might have necessitated a heartfelt apology. Leia talks about how the sport has become more aggressive so you need to be prepared to defend against players who aim for your body — or heaven forbid, your face!
APPLE SPOTIFY BUZZSPROUT
Coach Thomas Yelloweyes in Oregon explains you're giving gifts to your opponents by hitting their balls that are going out. Tracie talks about how frustrating it is to have a partner who goes after every ball, hitting balls that are clearly going out when she thought their opponents had lost the point — but suddenly that out ball is coming right back to her!
IPTPA Master Pro Lisa Palcic talks about a common flaw even in advanced players, especially in former tennis players, who transition to pickleball and bring their backswing with them. She explains how there should be no "take back" in pickleball except from the baseline. All other shots coming to the kitchen — and once you're there — should start and stay out in front of you. If you can always see the paddle before hitting, you'll have better timing for the shot and recover more quickly for what comes back at you. The backswing just holds you back.
Coach Greg Dedrick, the manager at True Pickleball Club, explains how to make a rapid determination about whether to take a mid-court ball out of the air, or take a step back and let it bounce before hitting it. Attacking a ball sooner gives your opponents less time to react, but if you take it as a volley, you need to be stable and in a good position if they make a fast return.
Coach Mindy Yoder talks about how to cope if you get distracted by other people on both sides of the court and how to quiet your own brain if you're bugged by a partner or opponents with a different skill level, physical ability or personality. She suggests focusing on an opponents' shoes rather than on their (or your own partner's) facial expression or distracting behaviors so you can interact positively with a partner by being self-aware and kind towards yourself and others.
Former tennis players were trained to think of the back third of the court as "no man's land" — a place to get stuck, trapped or pulverized by opponents. Coach Thomas Yelloweyes explains how in pickleball, you can embrace the "transition zone" as a place where you can make good things happen for yourself.
Coach Leia Miller emphasizes how important footwork is in pickleball, and undervalued from beginners to advanced players. She discusses the proper stance, the significance of planting before hitting, and the dangers of crossing feet or backpedaling. Miller explains how good footwork is the basis of injury prevention, is central to controlling shots, maintaining stability, and is fundamental to overall success on the court.
Coach Lisa Palcic urges her students: Don't forget the split step! In the rush to get to the kitchen after serving, people forget to put the brakes on when the opponents hit the ball. Getting to the kitchen from the baseline is best done with a stop on the way there! Embrace the split step so you can handle any shots coming at you in the transition zone — then continue on your journey to where the fun really begins
Deb "PicklePongDeb" Harrison calls the middle of the court "Divorce Court" because people bicker over whose shot it should have been when a ball flies past them both. Players should call it: "Mine"..."Me"..."I go"... Or conversely indicate to a partner: "Yours"..."You"... Or if you are lobbed, "Help!" Much better than saying "We should have talked" after you lose the point!
Coach Leia Miller explains how when you are serving, sometimes the 3rd shot — or the 5th shot — may not call for a drop. But neither is a drive the right move! Those situations might need a hybrid of the two shots — quite naturally referred to as a Drip — that will be the solution to getting you up to the kitchen effectively. She describes the how/when/where of this clever amalgamation of two other shots.
Coach Greg Dedrick talks about what happens when a poaching partner gets too greedy — and how to handle a partner who cannot curb his own appetite to hit your balls!
Thomas Yelloweyes (IPTPA and PPR certified) of Night Train Pickleball in Oregon discusses how to decide if you’re ready in your personal PB journey to try a tournament? Admit you want to win — an admission he explains is tough for many people, but without declaring it there's no point competing.
IPTPA Master Coach Lisa Palcic explains that as you get better, your strategy at the kitchen needs to change. The NVZ is not just a place to practice your dinks, it's where you set up winning shots for yourself and your partner. Different strokes for different folks: depending on whether you're a low intermediate player, high intermediate or an advanced pickler, your thought process at the kitchen needs to evolve, too.
Coach Leia Miller talks about how frustrating lobs can be and while they are rarely seen on the pro circuit, they can be a common weapon on the amateur court. She offers suggestions on how to keep them from rattling your cage, and even turn them against the lobber.
