Playmaker Pickleball

Your mindset is one of the most powerful tools you bring to the court. It can propel you to perform at your best or hinder you when the pressure mounts. In pickleball, as in life, balancing emotional intensity with composure is key. Whether you thrive on fiery passion or draw strength from calm determination, understanding your mentality is crucial to unlocking your potential. Let’s dive into how mastering the mental game can elevate your performance and help you dominate the court. Balancing Emotions: Passion vs. Control I’ll be the first to admit—I’ve let my emotions get the better of me on the court. While emotions can sometimes fuel exceptional play, they can also sabotage your game. When I play with controlled passion, I perform well—like a boiling pot with a jiggling lid. But if that lid blows off, my game unravels. I become overly aggressive, self-critical, and start forcing plays that aren’t there. On the other hand, playing without any emotion can also be a trap. This often lo...

T ournament play is an entirely different beast compared to recreational pickleball. If you've ever found yourself thinking, "Why don’t I play as well in tournaments as I do in rec?"—you're not alone. That's the reality for everyone, and understanding this difference is the first step to thriving in a competitive environment. Why Tournaments Feel Different In tournaments, nerves often kick in. Shots you’ve mastered in practice suddenly feel foreign. Leads can vanish in a flash—one moment you’re up 8-0, and the next you’ve lost 8-11. But here’s the thing: nerves are a good sign. They show that you care and have something to fight for. Telling someone to “just relax” or “play looser” isn’t helpful—it’s counterproductive. Instead, embrace the pressure. Recognize that the stakes are higher, and that’s what makes tournaments exciting and rewarding. Another key factor is the quality of competition. Tournament opponents are typically more skilled and strategic than rec p...

Love them or hate them, Joola has been — and continues to be — one of the top paddle manufacturers in pickleball. Quick disclaimer : This blog is not sponsored by Joola, nor is it intended to promote or bash them. For context, I served as a Diadem rep for a while and am currently considering becoming a CRBN rep. However, I’m still unsure about CRBN's TruFoam tech, mainly because it’s only offered in a 14mm version — and I’ve always preferred thicker paddles. Unfortunately, my recent injury has prevented me from playtesting it. Outside of those connections, I’m not sponsored by any brand. Honestly, I find it hard to be loyal to any company, especially with how quickly the market and technology are evolving. What’s hot today could be old news in six months. That being said, Joola seems to be one brand that really divides people. When the Joola Gen 3 line first launched, it was met with massive hype — and just as much scrutiny. I’ll admit it: the first time I played against someo...

Hi, everyone, and welcome to Playmaker Pickleball! I'm Colin, and I thought I'd say hello by telling you a bit about my history and how I became a huge pickleball fan. I do have a football background — I played college football until injuries drove me out. Working at my local health club in 2022, my manager approached me with an opportunity I never saw coming: be the pickleball coach and coordinator. I had barely even picked up a paddle at the time, but if I was going to coach it, I suppose I should play it. Needless to say she was pretty desperate for somebody to take on this role.  I jumped right in. My first tournament was 3.0 with my buddy Tanner, who also worked at the club. We lost all the matches — and somehow, I was hooked. I started scheduling group play on Mondays and Fridays to get more people to hit with, sharpen my game, and develop the local pickleball following. Slowly but surely, it was worth it. I progressed to medaling at 3.5, and soon thereafter I found a coa...