Senior Pickleball Tips

Wow! What a 50th episode we have for you! Paddy chats to Lee Whitwell, the world No.1 Female 50+ pickleball player, US Next Gen coach, businesswoman and all-round bloody amazing person. They discuss her early introduction into tennis then pickleball (in Gibraltar and England), what advantages are there to being a leftie, misogeny in the pickleverse (actually not that bad!), her book "The Third Space Effect: How Pickleball Became the Place We Belong" and her philosophy about the sport.  Also we are SO lucky - because Paddy manages to get some seriously valuable tips for the 10 Essential Shots including... "I don't believe in hitting winners, I believe in setting up points" Lee shares a joke and a funny story (she likes to make people laugh), then describes her work founding GameChangeHER Events which helps all players but especially focuses on women 40+ and why she feels the community side of things is much more important than the pro tour, the medals and the cups. But she should know - she's done both! So listen to them chatting away and you might just take away a gem of advice or an incredible tip that will make a difference to your game.   Find Lee's book here : https://www.amazon.co.uk/3rd-Space-Effect-Pickleball-Became/dp/B0GJ75B5Y8   Go to Game ChangeHER Events here : https://www.gamechangeherevents.com/   Be one of the first to join our new Senior Pickleball Academy here : https://www.skool.com/senior-pickleball-academy-9457/about

Wow! What a 50th episode we have for you! Paddy chats to Lee Whitwell, the world No.1 Female 50+ pickleball player, US Next Gen coach, businesswoman and all-round bloody amazing person. They discuss her early introduction into tennis then pickleball (in Gibraltar and England), what advantages are there to being a leftie, misogeny in the pickleverse (actually not that bad!), her book "The Third Space Effect: How Pickleball Became the Place We Belong" and her philosophy about the sport.  Also we are SO lucky - because Paddy manages to get some seriously valuable tips for the 10 Essential Shots including... "I don't believe in hitting winners, I believe in setting up points" Lee shares a joke and a funny story (she likes to make people laugh), then describes her work founding GameChangeHER Events which helps all players but especially focuses on women 40+ and why she feels the community side of things is much more important than the pro tour, the medals and the cups. But she should know - she's done both! So listen to them chatting away and you might just take away a gem of advice or an incredible tip that will make a difference to your game.   Find Lee's book here :  https://www.amazon.in/3rd-Space-Effect-Pickleball-Became/dp/B0GJ75B5Y8 Go to Game ChangeHER Events here : https://www.gamechangeherevents.com/   Be one of the first to join our new Senior Pickleball Academy here : https://www.skool.com/senior-pickleball-academy-9457  

Okay, okay I know - this is OVER AN HOUR LONG!!!!! BUT - we've moved to high-intermediates (3.5) so there's more to to talk about. More ways to hit these essential shots. So many potential serves - which should I do? Do I do a 3rd shot drop or a 5th shot drop? What can I do if my backhand drive isn't as good as it should be? Is it good to 'Shake & Bake'? How do I prepare properly for a re-set shot? What do I need to do to try and get to 4.0? I was going to cut this into 2 or 3 episodes - but decided to keep it as one to avoid muddling it with the 10 essential shots for other ratings. So maybe listen to it in sections. Or, if you have that 'seniors'' patience - just go for the whole hour!! But, if you're a high-intermediate (like me) - you NEED TO LISTEN TO THIS EPISODE.    Check out Coach Jeff at his YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@limitlesspickleball   Here is the ultimate guide to the 10 essential shots for intermediate senior pickleballers - for you to print out and keep: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/lou9bvyp8mopsgr0si0mm/SUMMARY_PDF_10-SHOT.pdf?rlkey=wlola530lwa5m8sd0g11kig93&dl=0

Okay, okay - yes, this is a full 45 minutes! Yes, it's long. But this episode is FULL OF AMAZING INSIGHTS AND TIPS for low-intermediate players (at around 3.0). Maybe listen to it in 2 or 3 stages - but listen to it you must! Coach Jeff (Limitless Pickleball) & Paddy go through the ten basic shots and what you should be doing at the 3.0 level. The serve, return, third shot, forehand & backhand drives, lob, dink, smash and the (all important) reset shot. They discuss each shot in some detail - what to do and what NOT to do! But don't worry it's not super-serious, they also have a bit of fun along the way! Hear Jeff's 'pearls of wisdom' and learn how Paddy deals with each shot (he has just gone up to the dizzy heights of being a high-intermediate player with a DUPR of 3.6 !). If you're at about the 3.0 level - this episode will certainly help you improve your pickleball. Check out Coach Jeff at Limitless Pickleball here https://limitlesspickleball.com/ Check us out here seniorpickleballtips.com    

Karen Mitchell is an absolute star in regard to pickleball in England, and indeed throughout the UK. After starting to play the sport (beware putting your bins out in sleepy Sussex villages!!) she saw the need, together with Frank Arico, to organise pickleball in the country. So they started Pickleball England in 2018 to promote the sport, organised a tournament (with about 320 players) and, as they say, the rest is history. The last English Open (largest tournament outside North America) had 2,350 players - with senior categories in 5-year cohorts from 60+ upwards (Paddy played in the 65+ category in all three events). Hear how the sport is growing in the UK - thanks partly to Karen's efforts - and her views on global growth of the sport. Karen and her colleagues had their greatest victory when they won the right to be the National Governing Body - beating the (English) Lawn Tennis Association in that contest (yes that's right, the folks who organise Wimbledon every year and have millions £££££ !!!) - by putting together a petition of pickleball players (yes, Paddy did sign it!).  Learn about Karen's own pickleball story and about the army of volunteers who are the life-blood of the sport in the UK - including her husband Chris - who work tirelessly behind the scenes. If you live in the UK - PLEASE JOIN YOUR NATIONAL GOVERNING BODY (no cost) - it is important that together we support our pickleball and have a strong voice over the sport. Join Pickleball England here   https://www.pickleballengland.org/individual-membership/ If you live in Scotland join here   https://pickleballscotland.org/ If you live in Wales join here https://www.pickleballwales.org/ If you live in Ireland (incl NI) join here https://pickleballireland.ie/   Check out our website here https://www.seniorpickleballtips.com  

If you're an advanced beginner (2.5) this is 38 minutes of pure gold. You're probably thinking "Whaaaat? THIRTY EIGHT minutes???" ... then remember you are a senior and (unlike many of our younger generation) you have the patience to do this...!!! Paddy and Coach Jeff (Limitless Pickleball) take advanced beginners through the 10 essential shots they need to know about - from the serve, return, third shot, through to the forehand and backhand drives, and then the dick, lob, smash and the (all important) re-set shot. All from the perspective of the Advanced Beginner. We know this is a long episode (and we did consider splitting it into two parts) but listen at your leisure - maybe in two or three goes. But listen to it you must ... to improve your game and enable you to have MORE fun. Coach Jeff goes through each shot with Paddy steering the conversation - but they have some fun along the way too!!!   Check out Jeff's YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/@limitlesspickleball For more tips and advice check out seniorpickleballtips.com

This is the episode for all beginners - especially those who are new to the sport. Paddy & Coach Jeff Gehm (Limitless Pickleball) systematically go through each of the 10 essential shots in pickleball, aimed specifically for new beginners. Starting with the serve, return of serve and the third shot, then moving on to the forehand and backhand drives, then the dink, the lob and the smash and ending with the tricky re-set shot. It's all here in one episode! So grab the dog for 'walkies' or maybe listen on your way to play - this will give new beginners the confidence to just give it a go! Oh - and we have a bit of fun along the way!   For Jeff's YouTube videos click here: https://www.youtube.com/@limitlesspickleball For more tips and support click here: seniorpickleballtips.com For a Beginners Guide click here: https://senior-pickleball-tips.kit.com/2f1f5a4d23      

In this episode Paddy meets Karen Thomas from Seattle, who came to the sport 10 years ago (through her mother!), was the head of marketing at Pickleball Central for some time and is now the Marketing Director at US Senior Pickleball.  They chat about everything pickleball - including the growth of indoor facilities in the States, the costs of membership and playing, the continual growth still of seniors playing the sport and the importance of spreading the message to as many seniors as possible to consider pickleball as part of their own on-going health and wellbeing. Paddy even mentions his pickle-related coffee mug! Karen explains what USSP is all about and what members can get for only $20/year (see notes below for more details) and her call-out for more USSP Ambassadors to spread the word - if you're interested contact Karen direct at USSP. So if you know of any seniors wanting a great new activity to make sure they 'use it, not lose it' - then get them to contact USSP https://seniorpickleballtips.com https://usseniorpickleball.com/     A US Senior Pickleball (USSP) membership costs $20 per year. USSP is a non-profit organization focused on providing affordable tournaments and a dedicated circuit for senior pickleball players.    Membership Benefits As a member of the US Senior Pickleball organization, you gain access to a dedicated community and specific benefits tailored for senior players: Affordable Tournaments: Access to low-cost tournaments designed specifically for age and skill groups within the senior demographic. Dedicated Circuit: Participation in a national circuit of events for seniors who want to compete. Community Focus: The organization is run by seniors for seniors, ensuring the events and structure meet the needs of its members.    How to Join To become a member and support the largest senior circuit, you will need to register via the official website. You can find information on joining the organization and registering for events on the US Senior Pickleball official website. https://usseniorpickleball.com/  The membership is a great way to stay active, compete, and connect with other senior pickleball enthusiasts

In this last episode in the 'Singles Series', Paddy goes through the importance of having a 'mental edge' - having those steely nerves when the chips are down. The importance of the mental side of singles matchplay cannot be overemphasised. It is SO important. If you can become mentally strong in singles (and doubles!), you can win more competitative matches and maybe even tournaments as well. Most pickleball players are not mentally strong and this will definitely give you that 'edge'. Paddy explains techniques to help get mentally stronger - like breathing techniques and tricks to avoid distractions - everything YOU need to get better, win more competitative matches and enjoy your poickleball even more (AND win tournaments!!). So, if you're into singles, this is a must-listen podcast. https://seniorpickleballtips.com  

In part 3 of this 4-part series, Paddy explores the arsenal of shots that you need to focus on to win at singles. Surprisingly you don't need a whole aray of different fancy shots - but you do need some of the basics and you need to get them right technically. And you need to know when to play them. Serve, return, volley, 3rd/5th shot, lob, smash, re-set - all the usual suspects are there - but for singles it's about placement (even more so than for doubles!). Paddy goes through each one and explains their importance in the singles game - especially from a seniors' point of view! https://seniorpickleballtips.com

In the second part of this 4-part series, Paddy explains why the return of serve is (in his opinion) THE most important shot in singles pickleball - especially if you're a senior. He goes through all the options for the return of serve, including what to do and what NOT to do!  Then Paddy talks about court positioning and the importance of predicting where your opponent's shot is going to go - and how to do this. He explains how, as seniors, we do NOT have to running around like complete idiots - how we use our experience of sport and life to enable us to be in the right place at the right time. Throughout the episode Paddy tells us about breathing techniques, using the timeout and gives all kinds of hints and tips to help YOU win on the singles court. https://seniorpickleballtips.com

How on earth did they do it? How did they get to the 3.5 (65+) English Open final? The largest pickleball tournament outside USA! And did they win? Listen to this episode and find out! And also discover how they both helped each other through it, how they communicated and how they changed tactics suddenly when they needed to. Go through their trials and triumphs on that day last summer. You might learn something. You might take something away that helps YOU in your next tournament - or just to improve your game. https://SeniorPickleballTips.com

In this episode we meet Gustavo Alonso Gonzalez who was (un)lucky enough to be paired up with Paddy for the English Open 2025 3.5, 65+ doubles tournament. Having never met each other, they met one minute before their first match!!! Bearing in mind that the English Open is the largest tournament outside USA, this is quite a big deal! In this two-part podcast describing their journey in that tournament, we first meet Gustavo and get to know him a bit. He is the founder of Senior European Pickleball Players, plays as many tournaments as he can, is a qualified tournament referee and is basically all-round, bloody excellent bloke! In the second episode they go through the matches in the tournament, the mistakes they made, how they got on as partners, how they helped each other in every match and how they (somehow) got through to the final... ...and that is when you discover if they got the gold or not.....!!!   Find Senior European Pickleball Players Facebook group here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/169839999456871   Join our membership here: https://seniorpickleballtips.com  

Paddy starts his deep dive into pickleball singles. This is the first of four episodes to help YOU not just compete in singles, but to WIN in singles. Many seniors shy away from singles, but for many of us we love the independence of doing things for ourselves and the friendly competition with other similar 'singletons'. There is no doubt that singles attracts the more competitative player, so these episodes focus on strategy, tactics and especially the mental aspects of the game in regard to playing in competitions (for example, breathing techniques, how to avoid distratctions etc.). Paddy draws on his own experiences winning national gold and international bronze singles medals (for his age group). Doubles players would also gain from listening to these as well. In this first episode, Paddy argues againt the notion that 'singles is not for seniors' and explains why. Then he starts the ball rolling on the importance of the serve and why it's different from doubles, including the importance of the willingness to take risks as, generally speaking, consistency may not be enough to get to singles' knockout stages. Note: This podcast is part of the course on Singles Play. For this, and many other courses, check out: www.seniorpickleballtips.com

Paddy has found a segment from his interview with Coach John Gill (aka Aussie John Pickleball) where they talk about keeping safe from injuries and mishaps on the pickleball court. They discuss the main things like court shoes and eye protection, about what to do and (maybe more importantly) what NOT to do! You may feel you've heard this all before - but it is well worth a recap, to keep you on the court and playing. We've all witnessed on-court injuries and we know that they are 90% preventable - so listen up and keep yourself active and playing. https://www.youtube.com/@AussieJohnG www.seniorpickleballtips.com

Please find in this episode, 8 minutes of mindfullness and calm - to listen to before you go on court. Whether you're going to play for a bit of fun with your pickle friends or about to play in a major tournament - you may find it useful to have this 8-minute moment of peace, to help you focus your mind. Keep it with you wherever you go - play it in the car, walking to the courts or just before you warm up - you never know when you're going to need it! https://SeniorPickleballTips.com

In this podcast Paddy chats to Steve Willis who is not only fanatical about pickleball, but is also highly involved with US Senior Pickleball. Discover Steve's story as he goes from swimming to pickleball, gets addicted (like a lot of us!) and what he does when he realises that he wants to put something back into the sport. USSP supports the development of pickleball for seniors throughout the United States - listen to what they can do for you... https://usseniorpickleball.com/ https://seniorpickleballtips.com

In this episode Paddy talks through how to transition from tennis to pickleball. Although there are MANY advantages such as an understanding of footwork and court positioning, there are also disadvantages such as going for the sidelines and too big a backswing.  Listen to Paddy as he goes through all this, while giving examples from his own transition - after playing tennis for 50+ years.  So if you've come from tennis, this is a must-listen.   Check out our website: www.seniorpickleballtips.com   Join thre waitlist for a 30% discount on the membership website: https://senior-pickleball-tips.kit.com/63394dc96f

In this episode Paddy talks to his doubles partner, good friend and pickleball coach Phil about partner communications. They have entered a 50+, 3.5 tournament together for the first time and discuss how they are going to communicate with each other before playing, during play and afterwards.  The tournament is in two weeks' time, so it's important they 'get their act together'! Partner communication is not just about calling 'Mine' or 'Yours' (although these are incredibly important), it's also about keeping each other's spirits high, NEVER being negative (not until after the game anyway!) and being crystal clear in what you communicate and how you communicate it. They also talk about communicating with partners in competitative round robins - whom you may never have met before, as well as partner communication in informal, rec play. So give it a listen - your partners will thank you for it!   Also, please check out our website... www.seniorpickleballtips.com   Website launches in August, click here to join the waitlist and get discounted membership https://senior-pickleball-tips.kit.com/63394dc96f

In this episode Paddy talks with Ron Ponder who is the Director of Officiating at the Global Pickleball Federation and all-round great guy. They talk about how he got into pickleball and then got into refereeing while helping with DUPR and expanding the sport into the far reaches of this planet. For example, how Ron got to officiate in Madagascar's first national tournament after explaining to about a dozen enthusiastic players how to play! Ron is very knowledgable about pickleball and shares some of that knowledge with us.  He discusses issues such as refereeing and how to get into it, why pickleball is so popular around the world, it's phenomenal growth in Asia and the inevitable topic of needing ONE international body to get our sport into the Olympics. But don't think that this is a boring interview - Ron is an engaging and erudite guest, willing to share his colourful pickleball journey with us, and we are privileged to be a part of it. https://globalpickleballfederation.org http://seniorpickleballtips.com   Click here for 30% discount on membership price: https://senior-pickleball-tips.kit.com/63394dc96f