How did you discover pickleball?
Through my family, in the late 80s. We were a sports-loving family and had a basketball court in the backyard. My brother discovered pickleball at a YMCA and came home excited. From there, for several years we played in the backyard, on what was once the basketball court. Back then there were obviously few players in the area. For a few years then I didn't play, but when my son returned from university in 2014, I started playing again with him and the community of players in the area where I live. Ten years ago it was a small community, while now there are tons of players and courts.
What is pickleball like in California?
There are many outdoor courts, thanks to the mild climate of the southern United States. Fewer indoor courts. The limit of non-dedicated indoor courts - those built in gyms where volleyball and basketball are also played - is the parquet surface. The bounce is OK but the concrete is better. Years ago, pickleball sometimes took away tennis courts, as tennis was declining. Now this happens less and there is also less friction with tennis players. Moreover, in the clubs, tennis players notice the atmosphere of sociability, aggregation and fun of pickleball players and better understand the appeal of this sport.
Yes, some tennis players convert. But sometimes they are also the ones who do few drops and many powerful shots in pickleball, the so-called "bangers". How can we convert them to the "soft" characteristics of pickleball?
Bangers are obviously faced with resets (a drop in the kitchen) and slowing down the pace. And convincing them that hitting hard can produce some points against intermediate players, but at a high level a banger is usually a loser. Even a former tennis champion who switched to pickleball like Jack Sock, after an initial phase as a banger, is gradually moving to a game of dink and drop.
Were your visits to Italy your first pickleball trips abroad?
Yes, and they were wonderful. We met online by chance with the founders of Pickleball Italy Trips (a pickleball tour operator and clinic organization) and we immediately liked each other. Thanks to their invitation, I have been in Puglia and Basilicata in June and in Piedmont in September, visit their website they are the best www.pickleballitalytrips.com. I have been coaching beginners, intermediate and advanced for several years, the trips are the right opportunity for people who want to learn more sophisticated exercises and techniques, and also enjoy the wonder of this unique Country: Italy.
In the United States is being a pickleball coach a profession?
It is in various cases, although it can hardly be the only source of income. Unlike tennis, pickleball requires fewer lessons to play and have fun, so some of the players are limited to taking a few at the beginning and then that's it. However, there are instructors and they are certified by different organizations and for different skill levels.
You come from television. Is that why your pickleball videos are so popular?
Certainly having been the production director of television shows for almost my entire life makes it easier for me. Moreover, I have fun doing them. I try to make playful and smiling videos that help people practice exercises and improve their pickleball, but without forgetting that pickleball is fun and lighthearted. The fact is that now pickleball is central to my life, in terms of passion more than profession. When I am in the clubs where I manage pickleball activities I find myself in a beautiful natural setting, I meet new people, I have fun. What more could you want?
Will pickleball become a televised sport?
Personally I watch pickleball online, but in fact for now the following on television and at tournaments is certainly not comparable to that of more established sports. In my opinion, becoming an Olympic sport will be the key for pickleball. It is a pity that for the 2028 Olympics, which will be played right here in Los Angeles, they did not add pickleball. But it will happen, sooner or later.
What racket do you play with?
With a Komodo, usually the Katana model which is in kevlar. Sometimes with carbon fiber models. Kevlar, if you have sensitivity, adds something in terms of precision and is a great weapon against bangers.
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