Coach Evan Gaudreau, a former D1 player, has been giving pickleball a go, not as a switch from tennis, but as an addition to it. This is his journey from tennis to pickleball.
Crafting a style in pickleball
I suck at Pickleball.
When compared to my tennis. It’s hard to find the balance and the comfort I have strategically on the tennis court and transferring that to Pickle. On the court, I’m like Tom Po in Kickboxer. Pick your poison.
I have multiple ways of putting people to bed. I can stay back and play deep, zone tennis with Heavy ball; I can manipulate baseline patterns; I can rip you off the court; I can finesse you to death; I can serve and Volley, etc.
I built a style on the court that echoes my life. I can absorb pain and pressure and deliver the pain two-fold.
Yet, on the pickle court, I’m like an infant baby. And I’m sick and tired of players soliciting the basics.
-“Play the kitchen”
-“Get the ball deep”
-“Third ball drop”
I get it.
But, I want more. Getting the ball deep is too basic. Where’s the identity if a player follows what everyone else is doing? I’m not a sheep!
Pickleball identity
It took me three weeks to figure out the question bugging me.
What is your identity?
I keep jumping around.
Two hander or one-hander?
Slice or top?
Kitchen or drive?
Lob?
The idea is the same on the tennis court. It’s the same in life. Who are you? And what are you known for?
I’m in pursuit of an identity on the pickle court. If I have an identity, I will have comfort. Until I have an identity, I shouldn’t be working on new things.
It’s taken a few bad beatings to realize this.
I have no identity on the pickle court, but now I do. At least, I think I do (and ideas change with the wind).
The thing driving this is that my pickle rating and tennis rating are way off and I’m not one to sit back and have a designated timeframe for when this will occur. If it took you five months to transition to pickle, I want to do that in half.
I like proving people wrong. It’s the drive. And there’s no changing the philosophy.
Back to the basics
I’m learning to go back to the basics. With seems logical when going from one sport to the other. From tennis to pickleball.
Work on one thing to be good at. Attack an area with a specific type of spin (regardless of the player…because that’s picking low-hanging fruit and holds you back). And be relentless.
Establish a base plan to work off of until you have proficiency and also have an eye for the future.
Know the 3, 6, 9, 12-month plan. Set goals, but make them realistic
But, first, and most importantly, find an identity.
Whether tennis or pickleball, do you have a strong identity as a player? And what is it?
More on pickleball
What is pickleball? A guide.
Tennis players now playing pickleball
5 Tips to Improve Your Pickleball
Swingvision for pickleball
Getting started in pickleball
Pickleball paddle reviews
