#1041: What does a pickleball coach actually do for a pro who already has all the shots? Tracie talks with pro player and CityPickle coach Benjamin Grant about why coaching at the highest levels is often less about technique and more about what’s happening between the ears. He explains why even great players need another set of eyes on the court and — when he’s coaching a pro in a tournament — how he knows when to call a timeout, help manage momentum and nerves, and stay fueled through a long tournament day. Benjamin also explains why watching your own match film — and leaning straight into the parts of your game opponents keep exposing — is one of the fastest ways to improve.

#1040: 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. They dig into surviving hands battles with younger players, knowing when to counter and when to reset, using “space not face” to make opponents move, and why a well-placed dink can be a much better weapon than raw power. Deb also shares practical advice for protecting your body, handling lobs safely, staying hydrated, choosing smarter targets, and continuing to add new tools to your game. Because getting older doesn’t mean lowering your expectations, it just means bringing a little more intention (and moxie) to the court.

#1039: 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. Mindy explains why in mixed doubles women tend to be the recipients of most of the balls, how to get your male partner more involved in the point, and why hitting to the middle can be smarter than going for those tempting wide angles. They also talk about the growing aggression in women’s pickleball, when it’s appropriate to speed things up in rec play, and why “reading the room” may be just as important as reading the ball. Plus, Mindy shares the three conversations every new partnership should have before play begins, especially if, like often happens with Tracie, you’re heading into a tournament with a complete pickleball blind date.

#1038: Lefties have a way of making perfectly normal pickleball shots feel completely wrong. The angles are different, the forehands show up where you don’t expect them, and somehow you realize halfway through the game that you’ve been feeding their favorite shot. Tracie talks with coach James Moore about how to stop giving left-handed players such an easy advantage. They break down when to attack the middle, why hitting to the less-dominant player’s paddle-side foot can create confusion, how to adjust when both opponents have forehands in the middle, and why communication becomes even more important when a lefty is involved. Plus, James makes the case for learning to play with both hands — while maintaining that lefties, who can make life so miserable for the other 90% of us, are, of course, absolutely dreadful people LOL.

#1037: Bangers love one thing: a nice, juicy ball they can slam right back at you. Tracie is joined by IPTPA Master Pro Lisa Palcic, author of The Complete Illustrated Guide to Pickleball, to explain how to stop feeding the beast. Lisa breaks down the simple adjustments that can neutralize hard hitters at the 3.0 and 3.5 levels: serving and returning deep, aiming at the body and feet, resisting the urge to rush to the kitchen, and learning why where you’re looking matters more than you might think. Plus, why “serve and stay,” moving together with your partner, and finding your own perfect strike zone, can keep a banger from turning your game into target practice.

#1036: Tracie welcomes pickleball coach and competitive player Benjamin Grant to unpack the idea that may explain why people can get so thoroughly obsessed with pickleball: he calls it flow. Inspired by Benjamin’s article by that name in The Dink, they discuss what happens when challenge and skill line up just right on both sides of the net and you become completely immersed in a game—no phone, no busy brain, no thinking about anything except that little plastic ball coming back at you. Benjamin explains why pickleball makes it unusually easy to find that elusive flow state, how games with longer rallies where the players have a complementary skill level keep us chasing “one more game,” and why playing with stronger players can help push us into the sweet spot where real improvement happens. They also dig into the social magic of open play, the difference between flow and control at higher levels, and Benjamin’s 20-60-20 rule for choosing who you play with. Maybe pickleball isn’t an addiction after all. Maybe we’re just hooked on being completely, gloriously present.

Read Benjamin's article in "The Dink" here: https://www.thedinkpickleball.com/pickleball-and-the-pursuit-of-flow/

#1035: Tracie and coach Leia Miller tackle one of pickleball’s most terrifying afflictions: the dreaded yips, when a serve you’ve hit a thousand times suddenly feels like your arm has been stolen by the gods. Why does it happen when the score matters most—and how do you get your brain and body working together again? Leia shares the simple serving ritual she uses with her students, from saying the score and taking a breath to slowing down, transferring your weight and remembering that the first job of the serve is simply to get the ball over the net. They also talk about pressure, unforced errors, why trying to hit the “perfect” serve can sabotage you, and the danger of convincing yourself that one missed shot means you’ve suddenly forgotten how to play pickleball.

#1034: Tracie welcomes her newest pro, IPTPA coach James Moore, whom she met by complete accident at PickleCon — and who turned out to be one of her best pickleball “blind dates” ever. James shares a brilliantly simple strategy he uses whenever a team gets stuck on a score: after two rounds of serving without scoring, stack. They talk about why changing positions can change the energy of a game, throw off your opponents, and even get you or your partner out of your own head. Plus, James explains why he calls it stacking on offense but switching on defense — and why understanding the difference between offense and defense may be one of the most overlooked skills in recreational pickleball.