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The Story of DJ Young And How He Beat The #1 Johns Brothers
491 Plays1 year ago
Pickleball podcast featuring pro pickleball player Darrian DJ Young. Learn his winning strategies especially against Ben and Collin Johns, training routines, and life off the court.
👤 CONTACT: buildingpickleball1@gmail.com
DJ's social link: https://www.instagram.com/djyoungpb/
Chapters
00:00 intro trailer
02:19 beginning
02:37 the urban legend
04:17 being a better competitor
05:38 tournament day prep
07:58 strategy against Johns
12:12 playing left or right
13:47 how right side can help set up left side players
16:33 setting your partner up bad
21:07 the uniqueness of playing with callan dawson
24:37 his time in Austin, TX
26:45 his weight gain and working out
43:04 dj's introduction to lifting
48:21 what DJ would do if he couldn't play pickleball
52:47 being back in SD, starting a family
01:01:16 leaving CRBN for Engage
01:03:34 DJ young signature paddle
01:04:58 dj's paddle setup
01:08:21 ppa daytona bronze medal
01:11:55 strategy for game 1 of any match
01:13:39 most significant accomplishment of his career
01:15:15 fatherhood
01:16:36 whats left for his career
01:18:52 top 3 things holding him back from being the best
01:21:13 winning APP Punta Gorda with Thomas Wilson
01:25:33 dj appearing on podcasts outside of pickleball
01:27:47 MLP teams, big name investors
01:29:38 indoor vs outdoor facilities
01:32:54 mlp ppa merge
01:34:26 advice for younger players
01:36:24 what impact do you want to leave on pickleball
01:37:25 ppa austin, hayden patriquin
01:41:44 what does it take to continue to grow the sport
01:43:21 closing - my first interaction with DJ
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Transcript
Playing Against Top Players
00:00:00
Speaker
When you're playing someone like Ben and Colin, Ben's got great hands, really good attacks and Patrick was just on everything. The thing with Ben and Colin is that they're so good. Between like you and Pat, why'd you play left? What are some of those things that like a right side player can do to like set up a left side player like yourself or Jay?
00:00:16
Speaker
Now I'm just eating whatever. To some extent, at some point, I won't need to cut some weight. You know, because I'm kidding. Keep going, keep going, dude. To get better at apic, well, you should be doing, come on, you know exactly what I'm going to say. Just way to weasel it in there. Because otherwise, this guy's going to try to kill me.
00:00:35
Speaker
Has there been a big difference between carbon and engage and what was that decision like? When can we expect the DJ a young battle? Like given you've come into the sport at such a young age, what advice would you give to young kids who want to pursue a path similar to yours?
Life Changes and Paddle Incident
00:00:50
Speaker
From moving to Austin, Texas for his pickleball career to the infamous paddle throw and now being back in San Diego and starting a family, DJ Young is making big changes, not only to his personal life, but physically as well. My favorite part about the conversation was asking DJ about him and Pat Smith's win over the Johns brothers and getting in depth on why it worked and the strategies he uses for doubles. I really enjoyed this conversation. DJ is someone I've been following since his move to Austin, Texas in 2020.
Chocolate and Practice Stories
00:01:26
Speaker
Candid photo. Dude, you're looking huge in this photo. It's just the lighting. Oh, dude, the chocolate. Chocolate? The chocolate. Yeah, that's actually, I like open up to check on it. So it actually came from Honolulu Pickleball Company, this guy named Jam. He sent me a bunch of paddles and stuff. Okay. Dig into that. Yeah, I will. I'm going to snack through it as we podcast. I'm going to try it real quick. Yeah, dude.
00:01:55
Speaker
Are they all the same? Yeah. Oh yeah. Do you like nuts in chocolate or no? Yeah, like hazelnuts and shit. Yeah. Dude, hazelnuts. It's my fucking rock. Do you have like a jar of Nutella at home? I take that as a yes. No, I don't. Just because I know what I would do to it. You know what I mean?
00:02:17
Speaker
Welcome to another episode of building pickleball. I'm your host, Brian Lim. And today my guest is DJ young. Thank you to all my subscribers and thank you to my, uh, sponsor Viori DJ. Welcome to the episode, man. What's going on, bro? How you doing?
00:02:32
Speaker
Good, dude. Something I've been waiting to say is when you lived in Austin, whenever we would come across prose, things would be said in the grapevine. You'd hear these stories and you were spoken about as some urban legend.
00:02:55
Speaker
And it like almost felt like we didn't sometimes when you would compete, we didn't like sometimes always see like the same guy that was talked about. Basically what I'm saying is like, when people would talk about you, they said like, when you're in practice, like D people like word for word. I don't remember who said it. Someone's like DJ is like a God in practice, like und
00:03:14
Speaker
undefeated, like unbeatable.
Practice vs Tournament Performance
00:03:16
Speaker
Like in practice, apparently you're just like super slick and smooth and just like things are just like seamless and they flow like really well. Where's, where do these stories come from?
00:03:27
Speaker
That's a good question, I don't know, I mean obviously a lot of the times we practice way more than we actually like play tournaments, right? So I would say if you're practicing like let's say four times a week in a weekends tournament and you're gonna go out and play on Saturday, out of those four days there's maybe like two days where I played really well, one day that I played okay and one day that I played bad.
00:03:54
Speaker
And then the tournament, the tournament, you don't know which one of those is going to happen. Um, so I would say just a sample for tournaments is a lot smaller than it is for practice. So I might be able to, I might be more of a practice player, but that's only because I practice way more than I play tournaments. I would say that's probably where it comes from.
00:04:14
Speaker
Yeah. Have you figured that out? Like, is you competed in tennis growing up and then now you, you may be in pickleball for like a few years now. Like, have you figured out how to close that gap as far as competing and, uh, practice and like caring practice over into competition?
00:04:37
Speaker
Yeah, I would say so. Obviously, having competed in tennis helped, but there's nothing like playing pro pickleball in the big scene, you know, in center court itself. And luckily throughout the years, I've been able to do so more often than not. Thanks to my partners, thanks to like my training, my coaches, my regimen. So I would say I've been able to kind of translate to
00:05:03
Speaker
the, my practice to the tournament play pretty well. Um, but then again, like if, if one Saturday morning you wake up and you're not feeling it, something hurts, uh, you're having some issues or maybe you're just like, you know, your timing just a little bit off. Um, there's just not a lot you can do about it. Uh, but just try to play around the weaknesses that you have that day. Um, but then again, like I said, like a lot of the times,
00:05:28
Speaker
You know, it's, it's just a one day tournament. And if you're off, you're off and you try your best, but sometimes it just doesn't go your way. Have you been in like slumps in the beginning of like a competition day and then you've like come out of it. You've just like triggered something throughout like your mind
Tournament Strategies and Victory
00:05:45
Speaker
or something like that.
00:05:46
Speaker
Yeah, absolutely. Especially back in like 2022, where I was playing a lot of APP. There will be a lot of the times where I would get lazy in the morning and I wouldn't wake up at the right time. I wouldn't eat the right things. I wouldn't
00:06:01
Speaker
even drink my coffee the right time and not to mess with jitters and little things like that. And so I would start slow. Um, but as the day went through and I got more control, more used to, uh, the food that I was eating or maybe that was like done and now I'm eating healthier at 12 PM or the jitters are, you know, no longer there. Uh, then you're sort of playing better and better throughout the day. What do you like change throughout the day?
00:06:25
Speaker
I don't think I would change anything necessarily. I think just the fact that now your body's being awake for like three hours, four hours, now your mind is awake as well. Maybe the caffeine that you had at 7 a.m. when playing at 8 a.m. is no longer there, so your timing becomes a little bit better, because you get a little bit of that.
00:06:49
Speaker
feeling when you're like, um, jittery almost. But I wouldn't say that I don't really change anything. It's just the preparation coming into 8 a.m. tournament. If I'm not doing it great and I'm still at a tournament by 11 or 12, then all of that kind of goes away at the 7 a.m. mark. And then once it's 12, then it's kind of foregone, then I start playing different pickleball.
00:07:13
Speaker
So it's just like a matter of like time and things like easy and like timing of the body and like the day Yeah, for sure like if I'm having like an icing bros bagel I like 730 a.m And I'm playing a match at like 8 like I'm gonna feel I'm not gonna feel great. I'm still digesting. I'm probably tired I'm probably somewhat full so I'm not feeling great and then once that goes away then it kind of turns into a different Like mode like a different level
00:07:38
Speaker
Well, dude, you've had like definitely some like highlights throughout your career. I think you and I talked about before, like some of them was like playing with Callen Dawson, Newport Beach, PPA in 2021. And then you and Callen beat Ben and Matt and got silver. Then also like something more recently was beating Ben and Colin with Pat Smith, beating the Johns brothers is like always like a great, I guess like a great win considering like the resume. But man, like Pat Smith, he was like injured. And then he's like,
00:08:07
Speaker
He's also like, I guess in pickleball years, kind of like a veteran. It's cool to see him coming back now. Like he had those, he had a good set of games with Jay. Like that's another example of like what was going through your head during the match with Ben and Colin because it was already like zero six, I think in the first game, like what was going through your mind there and like even leading up to that match.
00:08:32
Speaker
Yeah, I would say, I would say for me personally, going into the match, it's always a little easier when you're playing someone that good, because I know that my skill level is there. And when you're playing someone like Ben and Colin or a team like that, you're kind of in that like practice mode mindset where you're like, I got nothing to lose.
00:08:56
Speaker
Right. So when you're just kind of going in, like if I lose, nobody's really going to talk about it. If I win, everybody's going to talk about it. So you go, you go into the match thing and I could blow different mindset to the extent of like.
00:09:11
Speaker
Yeah, you know, you have nothing to lose and if you play well, it's great. And if you don't say, okay, well, Ben won again, right? It's not a big deal. Um, so those matches are always a little easier mentally because if you lose a match that maybe you're not supposed to lose, then that, you know, kind of hits you harder. But if you lose to Ben, it's like, you know, he's so good and he already beats everybody anyway. You're like, okay, I'm just one more. Right. But when you win, it just, everything kind of escalates a lot more.
00:09:37
Speaker
Um, so those matches are not that difficult to go in, in my opinion, uh, just because of that reason. Um, that said on, on the other side of the coin, like, I mean, Patrick played unbelievable. Like there's no way I could have won that match without Patrick. His hands were on fire and there's not a lot that Ben could do because usually Ben kind of like, uh, gets away with attacking the person in front of him really well. Ben's got great hands, really good attacks. And Patrick was just on everything.
00:10:07
Speaker
So even though I was playing the left now was getting a lot of credit for that I mean Patrick did at least half if not more of the work. Yeah Yeah, he had like some really good gets and stuff. Yeah, like you guys are staying the points Some of that notices you you feel you and Jay use drop volleys a lot Yeah
00:10:29
Speaker
Usually like most pros like don't do it because then you're just inviting people up to the kitchen But of course it's very contextual like if you're great at it like you and Jay and it's like making the ball It makes it very difficult for anyone to like even get to the ball. Even if they do they're gonna have to like pop it up Why would did you use it more frequently in that game because you were like across from Colin?
00:10:50
Speaker
I don't, I mean, I think I'm probably one of the drop value users that we use it the most anyways. The thing with Ben and Colin is that they're so good at defense, especially Colin, right? Like he's known to just like.
00:11:06
Speaker
Like he can reset with his eyes closed, right? Like he's just resetting everything perfectly. So like to do so, he already has to be leaning back to some extent to be able to like relax and kind of like, you know, hit those Reza bottles really softly into the kitchen.
00:11:21
Speaker
So in my opinion, sometimes it's better if you just do a really good drop volley because it takes away his strength, which is, you know, putting the ball in a very uncomfortable position for me to hit a really good shot, right? Because he not only he like resets it in the kitchen, he also hits really shallow, which makes it kind of like bounce less.
00:11:42
Speaker
Right. So then like, if I try to go for too much and I'm hitting it out or deep, right. Or maybe into the net. So a lot of the times that ball is coming in high. And luckily for me, I have like long arms and I'm kind of a, you know, decently sized human. I'm able to reach in, hit a drop volley. Now I'll have him running in a forward, maybe not as imbalanced. Maybe he's not as quick as he's as good at resetting. And so I just thought that was a pretty good strategy. And Jay, like you said, uses it really well as well.
00:12:09
Speaker
Yeah. Makes a lot of sense. Like Colin isn't the most mobile of all the players, not necessarily the most mobile. You kind of like see it happening like mixed and you saw it in that game between like you and Pat, why'd
Court Positioning and Risk Management
00:12:20
Speaker
you play left? How do you, how do you come to that decision with that partner?
00:12:23
Speaker
Yeah, with me and Pat specifically, um, me and Pat had played, I think one or two tournaments in the past before. And there was one that we played PPA San Clemente. I don't know if it was 2022 or 2023, I'm not sure. Uh, but we did really well. We beat, uh, we beat Tyson and Jay, we beat Callan and Tyler, we, we Spencer and Cole, Spencer Smith and Johnson Cole would be some really good teams.
00:12:47
Speaker
And so I think for us was just kind of looking back at how we did that and just trying to trying to repeat it or mimic it, you know, and going back and thinking about it, watching some videos that are on YouTube of that specific situation or scenario.
00:13:08
Speaker
Um, it just showed that me playing a bigger role on the left, kind of like what Jay does with Pat was what made the most sense for us. Um, cause as you can see this year, right? Like Jay and Pat being back together, they play, they play really well together. And even though Jay, uh, takes a lot of the court, it doesn't take away from like Pat doing a lot of the work itself by setting up Jay really well and having Jay play on the stretch. So we used to very, very similar, um,
00:13:37
Speaker
Uh, strategy going into our tournaments together, uh, just because I feel like we both play our best that way. Anyways, when you mentioned like Pat setting up Jay more, what, what are some of those things that like a right side player can do to like set up a left side player like yourself or Jay? Yeah, I would say.
00:13:58
Speaker
For me specifically, when I'm playing with decal, for example, and I'm playing the right side, I like keeping the ball.
00:14:08
Speaker
keeping the ball basically not far away from decal, right? So I like keeping it close to decal. So whether it's in front of me or whether it's going middle, that would definitely get big. If you go too far behind on someone's forehand cross curve for me, then the core gets bigger and the decal can get a little more exposed. And that's my job to not get decal exposed, right? But if I go line and I go behind the person in front of me, then decal can even come in more through the middle.
00:14:37
Speaker
and take those forehands in the middle or even more on my back inside. Going middle, same thing. So just kind of like shrinking the court, strategically speaking, makes a lot of sense for somebody like Deco or Jay that like to take so much of it. Dude, we were just talking about the content stuff. Why aren't you sharing this on your page? I'll clip this for you. Perfect, sounds good to me. Yeah, I'll clip this for you. Dude, that's super interesting. Damn.
00:15:07
Speaker
Tammy, I don't know if I've heard someone talk about like that, like shrinking the core, which makes a lot of sense. Yeah, for sure. I mean, someone that shrinks the core really well, it's, it's count, for example, right? He can put the ball in such specific, uh, parts of the kitchen, even, even if it's not just like behind someone, he can also hit it really, really shallow in front of somebody. So there's like not a lot of room to work with, right? That's kind of like.
00:15:33
Speaker
His strategy is like, I'm going to hit my dinks as short to the kitchen as possible. So the person, so if anyone tries to attack, everything is going to be up here. So now they can hit down on it. Right. So it's like, it's just very, there's a lot. It's like chess, right? Everyone says pickle. Well, it's like chess sort of thing. And it's true. It's.
00:15:52
Speaker
My job, whether I'm on the left or whether I'm on the right, it's not to win. The point is to not put my partner in a really, really bad messed up situation. Right. If I'm kind of playing freely and I'm doing like stupid things and my partner gets killed and we're probably going to lose anyway. Right. So my goal has always been to hit shots that I feel like my partner should be able to handle. And obviously like, or I will be able to handle. Obviously I'm not going to.
00:16:22
Speaker
be able to succeed every single time, but, but being aware of that. So I'm not putting my partner in a, you know, a compromise situation. What are some like obvious examples of like compromise, like putting your, you and your partner in like bad positions or situations?
00:16:39
Speaker
Yeah, I mean, if I'm on the right side, one of them would be like thinking way too far out wide, right? If I'm, if I'm just, the more I'm thinking cross court or further out wide, the more my partner needs to shift and then my back ends in the middle now, which is not ideal. It's not bad, but it's not great, right?
00:16:54
Speaker
I would probably want to keep Dackel's forehand in the middle more than my backhand, right? Another one would be if I'm hitting too dead of dinks, so like short hopping is fine, but I don't want to like short hop and make it bounce high and make it bounce dead.
00:17:10
Speaker
Right. Then he just kind of sits and then now that cold would have to like kind of guess or something like that. So I want to, I want to put, I want to put my shots in a, in a certain, uh, specific spot on the court. So my partner doesn't get, uh,
00:17:30
Speaker
uncomfortable, basically. I want to keep my partner as comfortable as possible. Yeah. Like minimizing the opportunities for like your opponent. Yeah, exactly. Like you're not like, okay, do I have to cover here or here? Like, especially the left side player. Right. So if you're on the right side and you're going cross court, if you're not trying to go too far wide, like I would assume like more your cross court opponents, like forehand, are you trying to like look for more like inside foot or like putting the ball like more like directly in front of them?
00:17:57
Speaker
Yeah, for sure. But it depends, right? Like there are so many things that go into just hitting a dank like it's depth, right? It's speed, it's spin and so forth. So I would say I just don't want to go if I'm playing with Jay, for example, or that I don't want to dank.
00:18:17
Speaker
too far away from the right foot, their right foot, right? Because then that opens up the core down the line. They can go middle, they can go body, whatever it is. So I could think to the right foot. I couldn't think, I guess like between their legs, right? Right at them. I could think at their left foot. And then just within those three spots, now I can vary. If I want to hit a slice, a topspin, a short hop, I can do a short in the kitchen. I can do middle of the kitchen. I can do deep
00:18:44
Speaker
Uh, past the kitchen, just kind of depending on who I'm playing against. Uh, but when you start messing with speeds of the ball and you start messing with spins, now you have a bigger repertoire, basically. Yeah. Yeah. Do your ball manipulation is like crazy. It's also like.
00:19:00
Speaker
They call like pre-contact cues. It's like, usually whenever you're like practicing, you're like looking at a lot of different like piece of body language, right? Like you're looking at your shoulder, looking at the person moves their body, looking at like the, the paddle face and the panel angle. It's like, do whenever you're like people watch you play, or at least when I watch you play, it's like crazy. You you'll be looking like you're going to do one thing and like you're holding it and the last minute, like the ball just kind of goes somewhere else. Yeah. It's a little misdirected. Yeah. Yeah.
00:19:28
Speaker
Yeah, I would say, you know, just within, like you're just not hitting a ball. Like a lot of the times what I try to do, especially hitting forehands is like, I try to, I try to like make up a story and then I give you different stories. So I try to like show you something, go for something else. Right. And that way.
00:19:46
Speaker
Uh, I might catch you like leaning back or, you know, thinking you're, it's going to go harder. Your body. I might catch you like leaning to the left and I'm going to the right. So, you know, it doesn't, it might not make you miss, but now I'm like, it might make your thing a little bit worse, which is good for us. Right. We're just looking for like very, very little, uh, percentages of trying to get on top of each other, basically. Yeah. It's like kind of like, uh, you can kind of see that I'm like fighting. It's like fakes and faints. Yeah. Like very like misleading. Um,
00:20:16
Speaker
Especially boxing. Boxing is a lot of that. Like a lot of like, you know? Yeah. Or even basketball, like, like, clump fake, clump fake. Like, you know, it's a lot, it's everything, you know? Yeah. You're trying to tell a story that's not really fair, basically. Yeah. You definitely noticed that on like the higher levels. It's like things are more like drawn out in a sequence and you could kind of think of it as like in boxing, it's like combinations rather than like,
00:20:42
Speaker
At a more like amateur level. It's maybe like one shot or two shots, but then like sequences at the higher level It's like we're using the one to set up like a hard right and then using that right to set up like your left hook Do you did mention count? I know you guys like play a lot too and I know like in the previous podcasts We've talked about how like his dad Steve Dawson who anyone listening? He's also like someone very well known and throughout the community as well. They own and run Bobby Riggs
00:21:11
Speaker
It's a whole history there with how they got you into pickleball. But dude, what is it like playing with Callan? Cause like as a spectator, you're like, dude, that guy like doesn't really miss. And he's like, everything seems very, it like can kind of seem passive in a way. It's just not like super aggressive. But then when you're talking about the way he dinks,
00:21:31
Speaker
You're like, it's shallow, but he also like moves it around crazy. Like the ball's coming this way. It looks like he's going to go back that direction. And he just like half volleys it to the other direction. And like you starting to see now his hands are starting to change a little bit more. Like his hands starting to get like a little bit more aggressive in some ways. Yeah. Um, yeah. Do you like, what is it like playing with gallon? Yeah. I mean, I personally love playing with gallon. Uh, we, we go, we go way back. Um,
00:21:58
Speaker
funny story too regarding Cal and I don't know if I was like 13, 14, 15, 16, you know, whatever, you know, somewhere around those lines. And he was on his way to being a firefighter, you know, he was like trained really hard, like,
00:22:14
Speaker
maybe even working for them at the time or whatever it was one of the first times that I truly like met Callan and he shows up to Bobby Riggs I'm like done playing tennis and he's like shaved head or whatever it was just like ripped out of his mind I thought in my mind I was like dude he's like the coolest guy ever you know it's like we go way way back obviously I don't think that anymore and I just tell him all the time but yeah playing with him it's it's it's really fun like he's
00:22:42
Speaker
He's like actually really funny, but the thing with Callan is that he doesn't
Friendship and Gratitude
00:22:48
Speaker
have one mean bone in his body. Like he's just like the nicest guy. Like he's like, he's helped me out so much, right? Like Steve has helped me out a lot too. Um, but like anytime, anytime I went out with Callan for like lunch, dinner, breakfast, like just to get like something at seven 11, like he's like, dude, I got it, bro. Like whatever it is. Like he's always been, he always takes care of his friends and his people.
00:23:10
Speaker
So it's very refreshing to be around him. And then on top of that, he's just really funny. Like you might, yeah, you might be, he says, he says some stuff I can't repeat on video, but you know, we'll be playing some practice or we'll be playing some like matches or whatever it is. And you know, he just has like the best one liners. So he's just really fun to be around and he's just super mellow, super nice. And then on the other hand,
00:23:39
Speaker
I feel like we are able to help each other a lot because our games are so drastically different. It's like two sides of the spectrum. When we talk, and obviously we're very open to each other, we're really good friends, I can learn defensive neutral things about him and how he does it.
00:24:00
Speaker
And he can learn offensive shots or ways to do or create offense from me. And we're open. We talk about it. We even mess around with it, right? Like he'll try some offensive stuff and I'll be like, dude, that's terrible. Just don't do it again. And then I'll try to reseal the ball. And he's like,
00:24:19
Speaker
Really? You know, so he's kind of go back and forth. We mess around with each other, but ultimately we just try to like help each other go up too. Yeah. That's cool. Damn. Yeah. So she just seems like such a low key guy. He is. It was awesome. It seems like very California low key.
00:24:35
Speaker
Do that's cool though. Like you, it seems like you surround yourself with good people though. Like, like the way you talked about counts seems like the impression that I, and I feel like many other people may have gotten when we used to see the content of you and Thomas and the Wilson's Brittany Wilson of two, of course. And you know, you were hanging out with Vivian too, when you were living in Austin. Um, what was that time like? Cause you were here for how long? Two years.
00:24:58
Speaker
Yeah, I have I have this thing where like timelines are always blurry to me, but I might have moved back in like at the very end of twenty, twenty one or somewhere along those lines. And then in twenty, twenty three, I was kind of like already I wasn't fully gone, but I was mostly gone. So last year. But yeah, no, I I love my time in Austin.
00:25:24
Speaker
Thanks to Steve Kuhn, I was able to drive in with my little Ford Focus from California and he took really good care of me, gave me a place to live. I started the Tuesday Night Pickle Bowl, they made some money. I got sponsored by Duper, so he just opened up a lot of doors for me and Steve Kuhn was like number one guy to me.
00:25:42
Speaker
um and then as far as like living here it was it was really good for a while and i and i loved it um but for some reason like uh it's just one of those things where like you feel like you kind of grow out of it um so i just started kind of like oh like i don't want to do as much striving anymore like i i miss my friends i miss my family
00:26:03
Speaker
I just want to go to the beach, you know, because I'm a California guy. Right. So I really miss those interactions with like my friends. And, you know, I have I have friends here in Austin, too. Like I get along with that go really well. Zane really well. Like, right. But just I never had that homey feeling in Austin where it felt more like I'm moving for work, which, you know, it was. And to me, just like it was kind of time to go back.
00:26:31
Speaker
Um, but who knows, you know, maybe in a couple of years, come back, maybe go to Phoenix, you know, just figure it out. But I think San Diego is also really hard to beat. So jealous man. If I didn't live here, I would live in San Diego. Dude, you were like 50 pounds less back then I was.
Health and Fitness Journey
00:26:50
Speaker
Yeah. So like the thing was with me is that.
00:26:55
Speaker
I was always really bad with food, so I would play tennis and eat candy. I would stay up all night and drink monsters, things like that. So then there was a time in my life where I was like, I'm going to change for the better.
00:27:15
Speaker
And what happened was that I started trying keto and I went like six months with keto and I dropped like all the way possible. I looked like I was dead, you know? And then after keto, I went like gluten free for the longest time. But the thing with gluten free was that I was so strict that the things that I was eating.
00:27:36
Speaker
Just wasn't ever able to get enough calories. So I was skinny. I was like cut, right? I was like skinny. Um, but I just felt terrible all the time. Kind of depleted. Yeah. Like I was just so tired. Like I wasn't, I never really drink enough water. That's something that I've been trying to get better at, right? So I'm not drinking enough water. I'm probably overdoing it. I'm like, whatever electrolytes I'm doing. Cause that's the only way I would drink anything.
00:28:00
Speaker
and then I'm just eating like some eggs some like chicken some rice but like just not in like big portions so I was like I just couldn't put any weight in and then I just I would start feeling so tired all the time that I went
00:28:18
Speaker
the other round, like the other way completely. I was like, now I'm just eating whatever. Like I'll wake up, I wake up pretty early, like five, six, and I'm just eating like a English muffin with peanut butter, banana and toast, you know, whatever it is. And I'm making like a three egg omelet and I'm making like some oatmeal, like that's all before 10 a.m. So now I'm just like eating a lot.
00:28:38
Speaker
This is what's happening now. That's what's been happening for the past year or more. And I find myself that I just feel my best doing so. To some extent, at some point, I won't need to cut some weight. You know, because I'm kidding. Keep going. Keep going, dude. I mean, well, too heavy for pickleball. I'm probably like 220 right now, like right off the bed.
00:29:05
Speaker
So I probably need to cut at some point but then again like that's only because of pickleball because I really do feel my best like doing this like I wake up I eat I feel good I drink a bunch of water drink some coffee like I feel great like when I eat I like it's just actual fuel and like when I look back at how I felt like
00:29:24
Speaker
Oh, I'm not gonna, I'm gonna fast this morning, you know, and then I'm not gonna eat for like X amount of hours. And I'm having a little bit of rice with some eggs. I feel, I just felt terrible. I looked pretty good in the sense of like, I'm, I had somewhat of a six pack going on. Like I love handles right in this big and stuff, you know, but like, like thinking about how I felt, like I just want to.
00:29:44
Speaker
be as far away from that as possible so it's like i'm still trying to figure out that like middle ground like you know balance whatever of like being cut being cut being in good shape uh and feeling good without
00:30:00
Speaker
eating like 17 times a day yeah you know because that's just kind of what i do now it's like i'll practice eat not well i'll wake up eat practice eat workout eat like i'm just always eating now so that was the biggest thing and when i work out like
00:30:15
Speaker
I like, I worked out the other day with my friend Eaker and Pablo was there. Like Eaker, is he the one Eaker PB Pro? Yeah, Eaker PB Pro. We're good friends. He makes a lot of content for me. Yeah, it's content sweet. Yeah, it makes a lot of content for Federico. But we worked out and like the thing when, when I work out personally and I hit, I'm mostly hitting weights more than anything. I got into a lot of cardio and I should, uh, is that I just go extremely hard every single like set. Like there's no, there's no like.
00:30:43
Speaker
Saving energy for the next set or saving energy for a certain exercise Like I just got as hard as possible and if I got to pull the weight like with my entire body So be it but I just like always go extremely hard. Are you working with the trainer? On and off. Yeah, they say about like going to failure. I
00:31:01
Speaker
So they, they don't love it because what happens is the more you do it, like the more injured you could get, especially with how much I train and practice right now. Cause it's really all I do. Um, that said though, like they understand that certain people, that's just how they function. Right. So you can't like, I feel like when I talk to them, like they,
00:31:23
Speaker
They're like, yeah, we don't love it. But if that's how you are, and that's how you want to do things, that's how you function, then we can't tell you to do otherwise. And then when I do my workouts with them, they're very more dedicated towards footwork, plyometrics, ladders,
00:31:44
Speaker
like jumps, sprints, like things like that. So they will never, they will never, ever make me do weights. We'll do a lot of like single like word, little things like that. But then on my own, I just, I just love like, uh, hitting the weights. It's a good feeling. Yeah, it is a good feeling. And I find that when I, when I'm playing somewhat of my best pickleball is when I feel confident. And when I feel confidence, when I'm just like strongest.
00:32:09
Speaker
Shit. Yeah. So it's like, that's kind of how I feel now. Like I used to feel so strong and I walk around and I feel like people noticed me and I'm just like, yeah, I'm the man. Right. But when you're like tiny, I mean not tiny, cause I'm still somewhat tall, but when I was like smaller, I was like, I don't feel good. I'm not strong. You know, I might look okay, but it's like, I can barely lift anything. And I'm just tired. So like the confidence goes a long way. Yeah. Damn. That's super interesting.
00:32:41
Speaker
Yeah. Yeah. Like if you're lifting to failure, it's like, okay, maybe we can't like necessarily change this aspect of this person, uh, to that degree. But what we can do is like, we can just come up with like a better recovery plan and just making sure like the rest of the day. Doesn't have to look the same or repeat like that same level of effort. It's like, okay, maybe the rest of the day he is like, just pick a wall practice. Like that's his one part of the day where he goes like 80% or a hundred percent. Um, damn, that's interesting.
00:33:08
Speaker
I don't work or I've never really worked with anybody full time. So it's like a lot of times they don't really fully know what I'm doing anyways, right? Like they don't know how hard I'm really going. It's just whatever I say like, Oh, I did this this morning. I'm kind of tired. So we're going to focus on like, like work today or whatever it is. Um, where if I was fully working full time with somebody that
00:33:33
Speaker
You know, has, or they have my attention or they have, or I have their attention at all times and they'll probably look a little bit different. Cause I also feel like as far as strength goes right now, probably the strongest I would ever need to be for pickleball specifically. Um, so yeah, at some point it'll go down and I'll focus more on like, like, like, like work, uh, cardio endurance, like being quicker, but right now I'm like focused on like just getting stronger.
00:34:01
Speaker
Yeah. All that stuff is so interesting though. Like, uh, essentially just like the transfer of training, like it is the exercise I'm doing with like the workouts I'm doing, like transferring directly to pickleball. It's like people will like, there's an example of like the world's like this guy like set the long jump record, never touched a weight in his life. Cause.
00:34:20
Speaker
The, this guy named like Franz Bosch always talks about, he says like, people have this like, uh, utopian view of lifting. And they say like, they only ever really talk about like the positive effects of lifting, but they don't talk about like the negative effects. Like not every lift or exercise has a positive transfer to the sport or, or motor skill. It's like some of them have like a negative transfer. It's like also just trying to figure all that out. Like what kind of lifts do you enjoy doing? Like.
00:34:50
Speaker
Yeah, I'm just curious because I've lifted since I was like 15 years old. I've like always loved it. Yeah, I mean the ones that enjoy the most have nothing to do with pickleball. Yeah. Yeah. Like the ones I enjoy the most is like anything to do with military press. Okay. Anything to do with like, uh, anything back and biceps. I love like anything rowing. I'm like so strong ass. So it's like what I enjoy the most. Uh, like if I do, if I do Facebook, I'm maxing out the machine.
00:35:16
Speaker
You know, it's just what it is. I'm actually not the way schools are great. Yeah But I don't I don't think those like translate to like pickleball I mean, you know, like you gotta have a strong back, but my back is probably strong pretty easily strong at that point so those like like the ones that I enjoy the most of like doing and those are probably the ones that I lift the most weight anyways, so
00:35:36
Speaker
Um, but really like to get better at pickle wall, you should be doing a lot of like single leg work, a lot of like rotational stuff, right? Like rotational is huge. Correct. Like, like you just need to be flexible. Um, you probably want to do like speed work, you know, anything lateral movement wise you want to do. Um, which I do just not to the extent, uh, that I do more weights, but then again, like at some point I'm going to like.
00:36:07
Speaker
You know, like basically like flip-flop, right? Um, the one thing that I don't do as much, um, and this is just for like personal reasons, uh, that I'll share after I say it, it's, I don't, I don't go to the gym and do like as many like squats and like as many leg days as I would want to, because I feel like when I'm already practicing every day, when I'm already like doing single, single leg work or when I'm doing, uh,
00:36:36
Speaker
Sprints or whatever. I'm getting a lot of leg work there So for me to go to the gym twice twice a week and hit legs really hard I feel like my practices are just not like my legs are not fresh ever at that point and so my practice is gonna never be as As good as I would possibly want them to be when my legs are just tired all the time
00:36:58
Speaker
No, you're definitely onto something. Whether like you came across that on your own or like someone else told you that, it's like same idea of that transfer of training. So also like contextualized training, like if you want to gain more like action capacity, like the ability to perform or do things within the relative environment, what you want to do is more of that specific environment. Like doing more squats and doing more like power lifts probably had,
00:37:27
Speaker
it will be effective but more effective would be spending more time on the court because then you're getting like contextualized like repetitions and you're also getting like if you're also like practicing at the right intensity right like you're treating games as like 90 intensity then that transfer will be greater than if you were to be
00:37:47
Speaker
uh, like in a, uh, gym doing like squats or doing like, uh, rear foot, elevates, splits, squats, broke areas, what squats, RDLs, anything like that. So like, now you're right. Like that makes sense too. I think being an exhaustion and fatigue is also a good into some practices, but for the most part, like you're right. Like.
00:38:04
Speaker
Get the reps in the quality reps are gonna come from your time on the court because your body is responding to that specific context and like that transfer is gonna be greater than being like isolated and like Lifting in like a gym or things like that. Yeah, absolutely and the last thing that I would add to that is that You know at the end of the day like I'm playing pickleball right like
00:38:33
Speaker
I need to be good at pickleball. I don't need to be good at lifting, right? So it's like, to me, like, you know, there's a pyramid of like things, right? And the very first thing is like, you need to just be really good at the sport. And I think the last thing is like, okay, like you work out, right? But there's like.
00:38:52
Speaker
Probably somewhere in the middle, just kind of like a, you know, at the top of my head would be like really get a pickleball. But then it's like, you need good recovery, right? You need to hydrate and good nutrition. You need all of that becomes more important than just like working out in my opinion, because if you're already good at pickleball or really good, you don't.
00:39:11
Speaker
I would say that the working out really hard is just like the cherry on top. Yeah. Right. Yeah. There's a lot of, I mean, you can look at like Roger Federer, for example, in tennis, like when he took off his shirt, like, this guy's good at tennis. Right. But I mean, the guy is like amazing. And he doesn't, I mean, I'm sure he works out. I don't know what his regimen was, but he doesn't look like he worked out. Right. So it's like a lot of the times.
00:39:37
Speaker
A lot of things that we do or that I do don't really fully translate to the court. And you just need to spend more things doing, you just need to spend more time doing the things that are going to make you better. And a lot of times that is just playing more pickleball or practicing something with like the mindset of like, I need to get better at this specific thing. And then like, after you do that, if you want to just work out really hard and get ripped and then so be it. That's how I see it.
00:40:06
Speaker
I think there's definitely like truth to there, or there's definitely value to what you're talking about before of like it builds confidence. You know, like, I think there's also like value in like different types of practice. Not every practice is like a hundred percent intensity, or it's not always like simulated games. Some practices or like, uh, training seasons can be focused on like, if you don't have a competition coming, that's like, okay, like what do we want to focus on? Maybe we want to focus on confidence. Maybe we want to focus on fun. And sometimes it's not always about like learning a new skill set, but like,
00:40:36
Speaker
I think there's some value to like how you talked about with lifting. It just makes you feel confident. If it makes you feel better, like in the head and really many things can do that, especially like anything that has like placebo related. Um, but even just lifting, if that makes you feel more confident on the court, then like there's definitely a value in that.
00:40:57
Speaker
Yeah, yeah, absolutely. And, and for everyone is probably different, right? For me, it's like, obviously, like I don't want, I don't want to get to the point where I'm like just massive, you know, just walking around like, let me hit a dink this way. You know what I mean? Like, I don't want to do that. Um, but to me, like for some reason, I just translate, like I look good. I feel good. I get my haircut. I'm kind of strong, like playing well, you know, for some people it might be like, they just love going to hiking.
00:41:23
Speaker
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. You know, whatever it is, like some people get that confidence from waking up really early. Like I just, I think it's different for everybody for me just happens to be like, um, well, I mean, I'm lifting and honestly, if I didn't play pickleball probably get, I'll probably be even, I'd be, I'd be bigger because I'd be doing less pickleball stuff. How tall are you? How tall am I? Yeah. On a good day. Probably like six to good day. I don't know. I don't really, I do. You have like a huge frame. Yeah.
00:41:50
Speaker
I have like wide shoulders and like a wide back. Like you don't have chicken legs either though. Yeah. So like, yeah, you have like, it's all pretty like well distributed. Yeah. Um, and that's the other thing. Like I always joke around, uh, be like dude, if I didn't play pickle, I look like Kratos or something. Just like when I'm, I'm a lot more conscious of like what I eat.
00:42:16
Speaker
And what I drink like when I'm like actively working out. So like if I know I'm about to work out, I'll like actually drink like, you know, two liters of water or something like, so like the pump and everything is like better. Um, and like one thing that I do a lot of the times is like, if I, if I have like,
00:42:39
Speaker
a dinner or a lunch or a breakfast or a coffee thing with somebody, like I'll always finish with arms, always. So like once I put on the shirt, I'm just like, I just looked choked. You know, right now I haven't lived in like a couple of days. I'm like smaller and whatever, but if I'm actually thinking about it, like I'm doing like whatever I can to make the pump bigger. It just lasts longer too. Did this come from just like a recent, like, um, like obsession or fascination with lifting?
00:43:08
Speaker
No, not at all. I was lifting like a shit ton. I think it was like back in like 2019, 2020 or something like that with a trainer called Patrick, he lives in Oceanside, where I used to live. And I think I was still living on my parents then or something. So this is before I even moved to Austin. And like that's where I like really learned how to like live properly and what to do and what kind of workouts. And I got decently big, but obviously I was younger so I couldn't like,
00:43:37
Speaker
you know, then again put as much muscle and stuff and then now like almost being 24 and And just working out more and eating a lot more and being more conscious about it For me has been more of a like it's not an addiction sort of thing because I don't have to do it every day like I guess I haven't done in a couple days But it is true. Like when you start seeing like some form of results, you're just like oh shit like they're fucking noticing, you know, like now like
00:44:05
Speaker
Obviously like we're a couple of terms into the year, but I was like pretty big at Daytona and like nobody really noticed. And then like I came to PPA Mesa like doesn't know that like three months. Right. And like, they're like, Oh, sure. You look huge. And I'm like, dude, I look pretty big in Daytona. Yeah.
00:44:25
Speaker
Did you? It's like, you know what I mean? Like, but now I'm getting all these comments, but also I think it has to do with like, yeah, I'm working out really fucking hard, but I'm also eating a lot of food. But also I feel like I'm hitting sort of like the man strength as well. Like, you know, about to be 24 and like less than a month. Like I feel like an actual grown adult more than like a kid.
00:44:46
Speaker
You know? Dude, it's so fucking weird that you're 23 years old. What the fuck? Yeah. So I don't know, just kind of growing into my body really too. Like I've always, I always was kind of like skinny fat too, a little bit of that. Oh really? And, and now I'm like filling up like egg cells. Yeah. So. Damn. Yeah.
00:45:06
Speaker
I mean, that's also got to be like a crazy feeling. Like as a 23 year old, you're significantly larger than most men, not only just like larger in like stature, but also like strength too. Like, okay, like height is something that you're just kind of born with, but like strength, that's something I earned completely. And it's like, if I'm putting this work in and I'm also seeing the results, like, damn, like you're kind of like towering over guys, not that like you're a bully or anything, but you're like,
00:45:31
Speaker
It's just kind of a guy macho thing. It's like going around other guys. You, you kind of like compare yourself a little bit. Like who is the biggest guy in the room? Just like for the sake of maybe we're competitive. Maybe it's just things like that. You're like, maybe our egos, but you're just like, damn, who is the biggest guy in the room right now? And you're like, shit. I guess I am when this room doesn't matter because you.
00:45:51
Speaker
but no it is true and the thing is like I always I always compare but I compare in a way where I make it positive for myself right so I'm like okay this guy's really big
00:46:11
Speaker
I'm not thinking like I'm jealous. I'm thinking like, what the fuck does he do? I want to get that big, right? Like I always try to like view it in a very positive manner. So like, I'll be at the gym and like a lot of people might not understand this. Like if I see a guy at the gym that looks how I want to look like, I'm not like, Oh, fuck that guy. Like never like, that's fucking awesome. I'm watching his workout while I'm working out. I'm like, what is he doing?
00:46:35
Speaker
It's a free lesson. Like, yeah, it's like, like, okay. Like, and I'm not saying I'm like totally like looking at, I'm saying, Oh, there's things on Facebook. Gotcha. You know, go back to my thing. Oh, he's doing like this. Okay. You know what I mean? So it just kind of depends. And I'm very like detail oriented. Like sometimes it has to do with like what grip they're using, you know, like worth it where their thumb is when they're like holding the barbell, whatever it is, like little things, right? And I'm very detailed oriented that way. So it really helps me.
00:47:00
Speaker
Um, and then you see all these people doing very different things too. And so I try to just like learn from like everybody, like whatever I can, you know, like, why is he good at this? Like, what does he do? And like, what, what, what is he lifting? How much is he lifting? Like, is there a reason why is he using his legs? Like, is it, is it just really straight? Like, is it slow or is it fast? Like whatever it is. Right. Um, but then again, going back to what I was saying is like, once people start like realizing that you're like putting in work, you just want to put in more work. Yeah.
00:47:29
Speaker
Right. It's like, okay, like, you know, I'm getting there. I'm going to get bigger now. You're going to say it again. They're going to say whatever. So it just has to do with like, um, I think, I think as a, as a man, like you just want to be respected and you want kind of people to like give you that respect and show you that, you know, they're paying attention to. So if you put in the work, like
00:47:52
Speaker
There's just like this whole thing of like delayed gratification. You don't always like see the results early on, but like to be able to see it as the work has been accumulated over time, it feels great. And like people noticing is just like this really nice added bonus. You're like, Oh, wow. Like it, cause you do see yourself every day. You're like, am I like really getting bigger? And then when other people know, she's like, okay, then it's happening. Um, what else would you be doing?
00:48:23
Speaker
as far as what? If you weren't playing pickleball and you couldn't play tennis.
00:48:28
Speaker
Like sports-wise? You know exactly what I'm gonna say. We just weasel it in there. Dude, I would love to like, I don't know, like here's the thing, like we both know like how hard like fighting is, right? And there's like, there's no money, there's not really any money to be made there if you're not like insane at it, right? And these people that like grow up with it, they don't have no other choice. Like they're just savages, like straight up savages. So it's like,
00:48:57
Speaker
I personally would do, I would get into some sort of like MMA stuff. I would love to train, right? If I was going to compete at something, I would probably do like some sort of jujitsu. So I'm not getting like smacked on the face over and over and over again. Also because I feel like my frame would help, like long limbs, you know, I'm like decently flexible and I'm like pretty strong. So I feel like I would be decently good at that.
00:49:27
Speaker
But I would say like I wouldn't I wouldn't compete in anything. That's not like you get sue because I just Like the shorter the fights are because people are just swinging for the fences like one clean hit and that person is just
00:49:49
Speaker
Yeah, exactly. And like, obviously I'm pretty big now. And if I went through like a proper cut, uh, I would not wait what I wait, but like, look at the people that are fighting now. They're like my weight. I mean, it's insane. Like it's like two twenties. That's like yawn. Like the artists old John John, I guess never fall. Is that, is that like lightweight, like light heavyweight, lightweight, it's like two Oh five.
00:50:18
Speaker
I mean, how crazy is that? Can you imagine me fighting John Bones? Dude. And I'm heavier than him. I mean, not really after the cut, but it's insane. Like there's no chance that I shit my pants. Shit, dude. That'd be terrifying. Yeah, I wouldn't, I would not go in there. There's no way.
00:50:44
Speaker
All right, I'm going to DM John, let him know that you're down for a boxing match, pickleball and MMA. You know, the funny thing is like I would have no problem doing it with anybody. The thing is though, like I would do it under like.
00:51:00
Speaker
Let's just go and get it done. But there's like no millions involved because otherwise this guy's going to try to kill me. Like I would get, I would get into a boxing ring. I would get into like an actual like cage with anybody considering like once I'm knocked out or something, like it's over. Um, but that, that said like for me to go in and try to fight John Jones for like money, like there's no chance. Like, like I would not go in there, but on a different setting, I would.
00:51:27
Speaker
Maybe a grappling match. Grappling would almost be like even more humiliating. Like have your, you've probably seen him grapple. It's insane. Like what he does to people. Yeah. I mean, we can, I mean, we can go into whole different, like could be bright. He's just like mauling people. Dude. It's insane. Dude. He's probably weighing like 205 now.
00:51:44
Speaker
Yeah. I mean, that's the thing. And these people are so insanely strong and it's like anything, right? Like, like your weight, obviously your weight matters and stuff. Like the bigger you are, probably the stronger you can get. Right. But the way that like they, they use their body. Yeah. It's idea of like leverage and stuff. Exactly. And how they like to read things and how they feel things. I guess just completely different, right? It's like the same thing. You can translate it to pickle ball, right? You can have someone like.
00:52:11
Speaker
Hayden, for example, that is not, it's not, it's not a very big human. He's not, he's not like strong, but I mean, he hits the crap out of the ball, right? There's like so much, like, there's like so much strength in the legs and there's so much like rotational and stuff that add into the power that he can get. That like it all translates to UFC, whatever it is, grappling is the same thing. Like, I mean, someone that's like one 60 is still gonna like, fuck me up. You know, cause it's just so strong everywhere.
00:52:39
Speaker
How's it been being back in like San Diego, Carlsbad, and then now you like, is she her fiance? She's fiance. Courtney. Courtney. Yeah. I remember I like had seen her when I was filming, helping film with like Julian, when you, you two played at Dallas, it was last year. Yeah, she was there. Yeah. Um,
00:52:59
Speaker
and then you guys have a kid on the way, right? Is it a boy or girl? So that's why you've been getting big. So you protect her when she starts dating and stuff. I went out to breakfast with one of my really good friends from high school. His name is Nick. Obviously we're not as close anymore as life happens, right, and stuff. But he sees me for the first time in years.
00:53:27
Speaker
And he goes, you're having a kid, right? And I'm like, yeah, dude, absolutely. And he's like, I would be terrified, terrified to date your daughter. I was like, what do you mean? Do you know me? I'm super chill. And he's like.
00:53:41
Speaker
I just know if I do something wrong, you fuck me up. Yeah, dude. But it's funny, because for me, I'm so mellow. I'm super mellow. And I'm pretty nice, for the most part. And I feel like I look at myself, and I don't think I'm that big.
00:53:58
Speaker
Right? Like, I don't know why. Maybe I'm not. Maybe it's because I see it every day. Maybe I feel like I need to be bigger. I don't know what it is. But like, I feel like people are looking at me like, this guy's massive. And I'm like, I'm really not. But my friends is really funny. It's like, I just be terrified. I wouldn't even shake your hand. I just run.
00:54:15
Speaker
Dude, it's the tattoos. Then you got like your big dude. You don't have like this, like innocent. You don't have like a baby face or anything. You got this like could be beard. You got like the Dagestani beard going on. I'm going to shave my mustache. How's it been being back in California? And like, what is it like now being like 23 years old? You're.
00:54:41
Speaker
I don't know where you are really in your career. You're, you're definitely not. Yeah. You're
Family and Equipment Choices
00:54:46
Speaker
somewhere up there. Like I don't really know what you would call with the point that you're at in your career, but you're definitely like still doing great. Right. Yeah.
00:54:54
Speaker
Good. I got you. Yeah. So basically we're back in Cali. My fiance is born and raised from San Clemente, right? Where they have like close to the PPA lifetime San Clemente area. It's a nice area. And then I was born, well, not born. I was raised in Oceanside. I'm born in Spain. I moved to the US when I was 13. So 2013.
00:55:16
Speaker
And we are living in Carlsbad. So we basically got a three bed, two baths, like 1500 square feet renovated, like awesome place. We're really, really happy to be there. So we have our master room, we have baby room and a guest room, which is really all we need.
00:55:32
Speaker
And honestly, being back in Carlsbad has been really, really refreshing because I don't really believe in balance, but having someone by your side that is just amazing,
00:55:48
Speaker
It just makes things so much easier, right? Like having someone that just like supports you, loves you, like wants the best for you and then is willing to just even sacrifice things about her that just to like make the relationship or make you better. It's just great, right? And then I reciprocate or I try, right? I mean, she's just too good.
00:56:07
Speaker
I got really lucky. But yeah, we made the decision that we thought it was best to be back in California, close to my family, close to her family. We have, her name's going to be Leighton. She's due April 1st. And to be back in Carlsbad, and I just told her, like, you know,
00:56:26
Speaker
I want to be in Cali, but I don't really want to be in Orange County because I don't know as many, as many people there. And if I'm going to be the one like training and working on and bringing home the money and stuff, I just want to be a little more like local to like what I, what I do and what I know, being able to practice with Kalin, uh, Hayden's in town all the time. Um, so yeah, we're, we're very, very fortunate and really happy to be back in, in Carlsbad. That's dope. Yeah.
00:56:55
Speaker
How'd you meet Courtney? Here we go. Yeah. No, that's a funny story. So she's actually like a pretty good pickle baller. Um,
00:57:05
Speaker
There was basically, it was a minor league event. Uh, I dreamland. Okay. And like 22, some, sometime in 2022, I think it was. And she was playing for, I don't know the name of the team, but she played for a team where I was hosting the two guys in her team at my tiny home on the, on the, like property. So they were staying with me in the tiny home. How'd you fit?
00:57:33
Speaker
So I had a loft in a tiny home So I put one like bed up there and one of them slept there and they don't step on the couch on the in the living room So, you know one day basically like I hosted them that we went down to the courts we practiced together and then
00:57:50
Speaker
I didn't know who she was, but she came from the airport straight to the courts and then we ended up playing a game together against the two guys. We beat them, blah, blah, blah. Um, but yeah, that's like the very first time that I met her. So that's kind of like that started ish. Did you know as I'm only like, damn, like I'm going to shoot my shot. I actually, I actually didn't. I actually didn't at all. Um,
00:58:16
Speaker
She She was really shy and I just like I tend to like mess around there with people that are really shy So I'm not I'm not shy, right? Like I just it's gonna go around and mess around with people or crack some jokes, whatever So she was really shy. So we just like
00:58:32
Speaker
You know, make some comments, whatever. But what happens is when you're the way that I am, like you don't know if they like you or if they don't like you. It doesn't matter if it's a guy or a friend or a girlfriend, whatever it is, right? Like parents, like when you're just like start cracking jokes and you don't really care about how they're going to react to it. Like.
00:58:49
Speaker
It could go very like different ways. Right. And I think, I think she was more into like, Oh, I think school sort of thing. So that kind of worked out really well for me. Um, but yeah, we didn't really start like really dating until like four months later or something like that. So it was, it was kind of like slow and gradual. Yeah. How'd they do in that tournament? They want it. Damn dude. You're like, you're like the rabbit's foot. Yeah, exactly. She's pretty good. I mean, she used to be pretty good. I mean, she still play a lot.
00:59:19
Speaker
No, she's really pregnant. Oh, yeah, that's true. Dude, she could be Brooke Bruckner. She was really pregnant back in Vegas, BPA, and she played 5.0 mix and 5.0 woman, and she won one of them and got silver in the other. So she's pretty good. That's pretty good. Damn.
00:59:43
Speaker
Have you guys ever talked about like, yo, if you can get to a certain level that we can play together and like pro the pro bracket?
00:59:50
Speaker
No, but honestly, like, I think that's what we work well. I think that's what we work together so well. It's because she has like zero, like she's not competitive at all. She just likes playing the game. Uh, she's super mellow laid back, super easy going. So she's like, she hasn't really aspired to be a pro or anything. She was like, I want to be a stay-at-home mom. Yeah. Perfect. And you know, a lot, and a lot of the times when they're the one to be a stay-at-home mom, like it comes with a lot, a lot of very, very good qualities that come with it.
01:00:19
Speaker
Yeah. Yeah. It was definitely like, it was like touching to hear that you found someone who was a partner who's like willing to sacrifice like peace parts of them in some way to like for the betterment of the whole, right?
01:00:34
Speaker
Yeah, for sure. And I do the same thing, not to the same extent, because she's just super awesome. Every relationship is different, obviously, but for us, we've been able to work out really well in the sense of
01:00:52
Speaker
I'm able to, we're both able to put things aside and compromise with each other and come to like some sort of agreement anytime. Like, you know, some, we're like uncomfortable with anything, which doesn't happen really very often, but it's very, it's very easy because we're both like, yeah, like you're right. It's cool. Like, you know, one dude hand, you know, so it's pretty well. Has there been a big difference between carbon and engage and what was that decision like? Um,
01:01:23
Speaker
Not really. I mean, both companies are actually, let me rephrase that. Both people that run the companies are extremely nice, extremely cool. Obviously I get along with Garrett really well at Carbon. They make really good paddles and we got along really well. On the other side, same thing with Josh and Robert. We get along really well. We text, we call, you know, we find new paddles, they send them. It's all good.
01:01:53
Speaker
The only reason why I left carbon was because we were just having too many issues with like the paddles being like, I think at first it was like grit, right? And then they got banned. So I had to play with the Yola. And then after that, it was like the land things. Then I had to go back to the original paddles, which were not as gritty because they had to like change that. And so like, it was just one of those things where I personally thought that it was best for my career
01:02:20
Speaker
to kind of move on if I wasn't able to play with the best piece of equipment that I thought I could get. And then again like those paddles are great and I love the people and we're in really good terms. When I left it was more like
01:02:34
Speaker
an amicable thing like, Hey, like, you know, this is where I'm at. Are you okay with this? Like, yeah, totally get it. Like, no worries if you want to come back, like it's fine. Um, so that was, that was totally fine. And then engage was one of those, uh, companies that I feel like we were, we were both always interested in each other. Like even going, going back years, like nationals, Indian Wells, whatever, like, Hey, like, you know, let's talk, you know, try to figure something out. I remember.
01:03:02
Speaker
I think I might've been working at like even a Bobby Riggs or something and they were like interested. And that was like years, years ago. So before they moved to Austin. So I think there was always something there. And I think, you know, they always thought I had the potential to be really good. And I always thought that they made really good paddles. So, you know, there was always something. And then I was really happy to finally be able to work something out with them where we were both happy and, you know, being able to work together.
01:03:32
Speaker
When can we expect the DJ Young battle? That's a good question. I don't know. I mean, honestly, like
01:03:42
Speaker
I think the only reason why I wanted my own paddle was because I thought that the logo was really cool. The two wings, I actually have them tatted on my back. So it's always been like a, like the wings thing has been always a thing, like kind of like the flying eagle was a thing for a while or whatever. I don't know if we'll ever make this step of like having my own paddle. I personally,
01:04:08
Speaker
would hate the fact of like making my paddle and they're like, nobody buying it. You know, looking at the sales at the end of the year, it's like we sold 10 and you were nine of them, you know? So just because of that reason, like I just, if we do something, like I don't want it to be like selfish at all on my side. I want it to be like beneficial for both engage and for me. And I just don't think I'm at a point where I would sell many paddles.
01:04:31
Speaker
I think I'm at a point where people would ask for a lot of free paddles like, Oh dude, that's sick. Like, let me get one. Um, which I wouldn't mind doing, but then like that hurts engage. Right. So it was like, that's not something that would really work out for anybody. And I wouldn't want to put engage in that position. Um, but if we're ever somewhere where I feel like they could make some money and I could just get something out of it, then great. But if not, I just don't think it's worth the time for anybody.
01:04:56
Speaker
How do you like your paddle set up? How do you like it stock? And then what do you do to it afterwards? Yeah, I mean, the paddle itself doesn't play different than a normal EX. So it's like the same paddle. It just has blue on it because of my logo. So it plays great. I personally get them really light, probably seven, seven, seven, eight, something like that. So I can put a bunch of lead with it and not feel super heavy.
01:05:24
Speaker
Um, but yeah, I get the paddle. Um, I take out the stock grip and I add one. Like you on Yonex, uh, white grip and so you can feel the ridges on the paddle pretty well. So you know, kind of what you're holding it. And then after that, I just put just, I put like two full things of lead tape around it. Sure.
01:05:48
Speaker
What does it weigh it? It comes so light that it doesn't weigh that much. So I'll probably probably eight five. Oh, yeah, it's not that heavy. But that's the thing. Like if I, if the power came at eight point two or something where it's like already heavy, now we're talking about what, like nine, nine point one input. And I think that's pretty heavy.
01:06:06
Speaker
So I get in light so I can add that amount of lead. They feel pretty comfortable. It doesn't feel too heavy, still plays pretty poppy. So that's the only reason why I do it. But if it came heavier, then I got to do one, you know, all over the paddle. So it just really depends. What do you like like about like different features of a paddle? Like, do you like them to have like more control, a little bit more pop or power? Do you like, like a high swing weight, low? Like where do you like the twist weight specifically like shapes and stuff?
01:06:35
Speaker
Yeah, it's hard to tell just because there's always new things coming out, right? Like we're having like new paddles every month or new companies coming out of nowhere, having a really good paddle. I personally find that I play with a shorter grip, like standard grip for so long with brokenics back in the day that I don't really love the long grip paddles.
01:07:03
Speaker
And I'm already decently long, so I don't need as much extra reach. And I feel like with the standard paddle, I'm able to, I have like more surface to work with. And so like my blocks and stuff are a little bit better and my hands a little bit quicker because it's more compact.
01:07:22
Speaker
But you do get a little bit less like to work on the ball because there's not as much leverage to work with right because of the grip And then the one thing that I love about engage personally I don't know if it's the core or what it is but like you can really tell you have a sweet spot right like if you Hit the sweet spot and engage like you know
01:07:43
Speaker
If it's a counter ball, it's going to be over. You know, if you hit a good drive and you hit the sweet spot, like, like you actually get rewarded for being good at this point, you know, where like some other paddles, like they have either too many dead spots or maybe the whole thing is a sweet spot, which makes it not really a sweet spot. I guess it depends how you see it. Um, but I just liked the fact that I kind of like, okay, like double wasn't great. I didn't hit the sweet spot, you know, but just also being rewarded when you do, I think it's a good thing. Yeah.
01:08:12
Speaker
Yeah, but I don't know if it's become, I don't know if it's the core. I don't know if it's how to make the paddle. I don't really know. I'm not too much of a geek in that sense. I just like to go out there. Um, dude, another match I wanted to talk about was the PPA Daytona beach 2023. You and Tyler got a bronze medal. Um,
01:08:33
Speaker
I think the bronze medal match, that was the one against Jame and Wyatt, right? That was our quarter finals. Okay. The bronze medal match was Matt Wright and Travis Reinemeier. Got it. Dude, I was watching the one against Wyatt. You were winning like 90% of those hands exchanges. Yeah. Like, and you had probably practiced with Wyatt when you, did you practice when you lived in Austin too?
01:08:55
Speaker
yeah um i did not as much because at the time well he still lives in uh new prom falls but i think his schedule was not as open maybe maybe high school i don't know what it was but his schedule wasn't as like open at the time and having so many people out of treatment already then i would just hey definitely want to drill
01:09:19
Speaker
You know, are like, Thomas, you want to come and play whatever. So I didn't play with him as much. Um, but also like why it's gotten so good over the past couple like months, like he's playing unbelievably good. Um, where a couple of years ago, he was a little more up and down and they didn't really like figure it out yet.
Match Strategies and Teamwork
01:09:37
Speaker
But right now, I mean, he's a, he's a total stud. Yeah.
01:09:41
Speaker
What was it about that match? Well, like you were either, I couldn't tell. I think he was speeding up just as many, if not you were attacking, but like it looked like he was coming on those attacks. He was initiating attacks too. And like you were just like, pop, pop, pop, pop, pop, pop. And it like.
01:09:59
Speaker
Was there something about him where you're just like I'm I can win every single one of these So i'm just gonna stay in these Well, not necessarily. I mean why it's got a really good forehand speed up and he has a really good backhand punch Which makes for a great right side of the player. Um I would say just the only thing is that in that match specifically and this happens a lot of the times like
01:10:22
Speaker
Once you win a game that's like so close, because I think the first game might've been like 1210. Like whoever wins that game is playing the second game freely regardless. Right? It's like, okay, that was close. You know, now you go and play the second game. So I think the first game was tight. He was getting away with some of the speed ups that were really good. And maybe I wasn't on it as much. It was going through the middle a little bit more.
01:10:46
Speaker
But then once you get like that first game like jitters out and then especially I think with them beating, you know, Ben and Colin and the court and the run 16, I think it was, they're coming out pretty hot and decently comfortable. So you kind of weather the storm a little bit. You win that first game and then you play a little more freely and now they're like, maybe like we're not at luck, you know, sort of thing. Where on the other hand,
01:11:15
Speaker
If they won that first game, which it was really close and they totally could have, I think they would even play even better. And then it could have gone a totally different way. But like winning that first game, like really always makes a huge difference because once, even in a first round matchup, right? Like you're like, okay, first match of the day. I don't know these people are, I don't know how they're going to play.
01:11:36
Speaker
I don't know how I'm going to play the first match of the day. So you start questioning some things. You missed a couple of shots. You're not really fully warm. So I always think winning the first game, it's super important. What do you look for in game one of any match?
01:11:54
Speaker
Uh, yeah, it is, it is slightly a little bit different with everybody depending on, uh, if I know who they are or not. Right. Or if I know what their partnership looks like, have you ever played together? Have they not do the practice together, whatever it is. So a lot of the times it's figuring out like what their patterns are. Right. If you play with some, if you play against somebody that plays together often, they're running certain plays that.
01:12:20
Speaker
like are very beneficial to them. So you try to break those patterns as soon as you can, right? And then on the other side of that, I would say you start looking for some of like their holes, right? Like nobody, nobody is perfect. Like even as good as Ben is, like there's holes there, you know? So you start, once you figure that out, then you start, and then, you know, first three, four, five points, you start figuring out what are some of their holes. Like where can you hit it? Where are you safe? You know, where are you in danger? Little things like that.
01:12:50
Speaker
And then I would say the biggest thing, it's just making sure that you and your partner are also communicating and understanding of what they're good at and what they're not good at as a team and individually.
01:13:09
Speaker
But I think like it all, you just have to, you just have to be really like, you just have to pay a lot of attention, right? Like sometimes like if someone comes over and takes a ball, they're just not coming over and taking a ball. Why are they taking that ball? Do they want to be on this stretch? Do they, are they covering for somebody's backhand? Like why, you know, like really getting down and understanding why is like the big thing.
01:13:33
Speaker
Yeah. Just have to be like very present, which is tough because you have, if you're like competing, then you have like thoughts about like competing. You're also like thinking about yourself. Yeah. What do you think has been the most significant accomplishment of your career so far?
01:13:51
Speaker
I mean, for me, it would have to just be like being able to make a living and provide for my fiance and my future daughters. I mean, I think that's the biggest thing, right? Like, I think as.
01:14:06
Speaker
as a guy or as a man, whatever, how you want to view it, you want to be able to provide and protect. So being able to do that at such a young age and not to like, then again, like, you know, you always compare a little bit, right? And I don't want to do it in a negative way.
01:14:24
Speaker
That said, when you look at other people that are maybe older, maybe younger, maybe same age and you're a 23 year old providing for your future daughter and providing for your fiance, it really, really brings a lot of confidence and it brings a lot of
01:14:40
Speaker
I mean, there's stress definitely, you know, but there's like a different level of like Confidence that comes with it like whether you make 50,000 or whether you make a million like obviously you make the millions better but being able to like provide and protect like it's it's just a really really important thing in my opinion and he just brings a different level of like intensity and and and Confidence in your life and you really are a man once you're doing that in my opinion so
01:15:11
Speaker
When you, when you have your daughter, like you've probably already been thinking about like fatherhood and that whole like kind of domain. What are some things that like stick out to you as far as like how you can be the best father for you in your terms for your daughter, Leighton?
01:15:36
Speaker
Yes, good question. I mean, I think I think that will change over time, depending on how or how old they are and stuff like that. Like when I think of like my childhood.
01:15:48
Speaker
I just don't remember anything, right? But I'm sure when I was two, or when I was four, I remember what happened when I was two. When I was like eight, I'm sure I remember what happened when I was six, right? So in the very first stages of her life, I think just being present, right?
01:16:08
Speaker
being there supporting my fiance, helping out, right? However I can, uh, being there for like the first like Disneyland trip, right? Being there for like when she first walks or crawls or, or anything like that. So I think the very first thing would be being present. And then I'm sure as like, she gets older and older, like that will change. Yeah, but I'll still being present. Yeah. Disney space mountain. Yeah. Uh,
01:16:38
Speaker
Not that your career is anywhere close to being over and not that you've even reached like your pinnacle or the peak, like what accomplishments do you feel like you still have that you want to make?
Personal Reflections and Achievements
01:16:56
Speaker
within my pickleball career? Yeah. Yeah, that's a good question. I mean, I'm always going back and forth with it. Part of me is really hard on myself because I'm not the best player that I could be considering how talented I am. At the same time, I understand Ben specifically, it's like,
01:17:24
Speaker
It's like really one of a kind, right? Like you don't really have like a ocaras like or a band that is able to dominate when they're so young. Most people hit like a certain period of time in their lives where they're like really, really good at something for a small amount of time. So just kind of understanding that I'm still only 23, whether it's like my brain not fully developed, whether it's my body not being fully developed. I don't know exactly which one it is.
01:17:54
Speaker
or you know kind of not putting things together to the extent that I would want them to be but just knowing that I still have time to get better and I'm still yet to hit my peak
01:18:08
Speaker
I don't know, it's tough, right? Because I obviously am competitive enough and I'm good enough to where I really want to be the best player in the world. That said, it's trying to balance out being hard on myself, but at the same time, okay,
01:18:24
Speaker
you know most people like are not really good at something until like 26 27 somewhere along those lines so it's like i don't know it's it's hard it's really hard to navigate it really because it's like i said on one hand it's like okay like get to fucking work on the other one it's like okay get to work but you know it's okay so trying to trying to navigate that right now
01:18:45
Speaker
If you like created a list of what is holding you back, like, cause talent is definitely there. That's like what I was alluding to before when we first started this. It's like the way people talk about you in practice. If you were to make a list, like what do you think of it? It's like those top three things that might be holding you back.
01:19:06
Speaker
I think number one is proper training. Um, like when I look at a lot of these people that are like getting really good, really fast, they had a lot of proper training and whatever sport that we're playing at, right? So they're like really physically fit everywhere. Um,
01:19:27
Speaker
Number two might be a little bit of a mindset thing where I understand it's proper training, but I'm still like hitting weights really hard every day, right? Instead of like working on like flexibility or mobility or, you know, things that.
01:19:43
Speaker
are not maybe as, uh, like they would bring more meaning to my training than what I do now, but I don't find it must be like maybe beneficial in the, in the short term sort of things where now it's like, I get a pump and I look massive. Right. And I love that. Um, and then number three.
01:20:06
Speaker
I don't know. I mean, I don't think there's anything physical about me that lacks any anything really. So outside of those first two, I just think it's really being harder on myself and being more
01:20:27
Speaker
packages, just going to be more, just going to know why I'm doing certain trainings and understanding how that's going to make me better. Right. And I think that's, that's why I do so much weights now, because now it's like, okay, I do this. I'm really good at it.
01:20:49
Speaker
I'm going to get bigger. I'm going to look better. I'm going to feel better. And that's why I keep doing it. Where on the other hand, like maybe if I'm doing like sprints, I'm like, I'm like really slow. You know, I don't know if I'm even running properly and it's just really worth it. So it's like, you know, those, those two things going along with it.
01:21:07
Speaker
Dude, tell me about, uh, tell me about 2021. Uh, you and Tom is playing APP Punta Gorda. It was like that gold medal match. I was like super late at night. The end of the match to game to 15 was like 18, 16 or something.
01:21:23
Speaker
Yeah, drive down the middle. Was serving and driving down the middle. Yeah, I mean, I don't know. Thomas and I, we were really good friends at the time. We're good friends now. But I was living here at that time, I think, already. And so obviously, when you're around, you're practicing together and grabbing lunch. You just get closer, right? And then once you're not doing that anymore, that goes away a little bit. But it was still in really good terms.
01:21:50
Speaker
Um, but that term meant a lot to me because number one at that, at that point, like if you want something, it was considered a lot of money and then, uh, sponsors, um, prize money matching. Uh, it was really good for us.
01:22:05
Speaker
And then number two, it's kind of like going back to same thing with Pat, same thing with Callen, like when you win something, that already feels pretty good. But when you win it with somebody that matters to you, that's really where it's kind of taking you to the next level. Because a lot of the times, like, yeah, you're playing for yourself, but you're also gonna try your hardest if you're playing for someone that you care about and they care about you.
01:22:33
Speaker
Right. So for Thomas and I, or, you know, I'll speak for myself, but for me, winning that with him was like one of the best experiences ever, because I, and at that point, like I cared about him and he cared about me. Yeah. Right. And I have a meaning in that, that we don't know. Uh, but at that point specifically, we were like such good friends, you know, and we're good friends now. And if we played, it would be very similar. Um,
01:22:58
Speaker
But I mean, back then we're traveling together. I think we probably even stayed together somewhere. I think probably never BNB. Uh, so you're just like really, really having that strong bonding time as well. Um, and I'm sure it would be the same if we played this year, but he's really good now. I think at that point he was like kind of like brand new and he was already really good. And right now he's just a freaking freak. Yeah. It's crazy.
01:23:27
Speaker
I don't really know what it is. I mean, he just gets everything over and he's just got such a like, uh, a lot of tools in the toolbox. It's like, got an answer for everything. And it could be, he could be very offensive. He could be like defensive. He'd be passive. He could be aggressive. He also is very like adaptable and malleable. He like plays left, but he can also play right. Like when he was playing with Christian.
01:23:50
Speaker
Al Sean this past weekend he like played right and then there's then they were like they were being super aggressive against Connor They're like kept poaching and so like Thomas would end up on the left and yeah, it just like seems very adaptable
01:24:03
Speaker
Yeah, well, he's extremely athletic. He's very adaptable. And I think the biggest thing outside of his overall skill, which is amazing, I think it's the fact that he's just so easy to play with. There are some people that you might make a mistake or something and it's like, oh, fuck, are they mad at me?
01:24:20
Speaker
You know what I mean? Where he's just like so easy to play with and so easy going. You make him insane, he just laughs. Alright, fuck it. Let's go for it again. So I think, I think that's like his, as good as he is on court, I think his overall best quality is the fact that he can just like make anybody play really good. Zane is the same way in my opinion. Like they both, like they both bring the best out of you.
01:24:46
Speaker
Um, which is something that like, I probably lack personally, um, cause I'm just more focused on like, what am I doing wrong? What am I doing? Right? Like, how do I win this match? You know, where for them it's like, it's just, it just happens. Like they just like really, they're just like really, really good genuine people.
01:25:04
Speaker
genuine people, um, that are actively trying to make you play the best you can. And he just comes across very naturally. So you don't feel like it's being fake or anything like that. So it works out pretty well for both of them. Yeah. Yeah. He just looks like he's always smiling and just never looks upset. And like when him and Vivian are playing together, they're like, dude, are these guys even like competing? Like, can they take this seriously? Um,
01:25:32
Speaker
Damn, that's interesting. Oh yeah. That was the deal with that rich summers podcast that you were on. That's like a, for people that don't know, I took like a brief look at it. It looks like a real estate guy, but yeah, feel free to.
01:25:43
Speaker
Yeah, Rich Summers, he is my fiance's uncle.
Learning and Cross-Industry Collaboration
01:25:50
Speaker
So it's my fiance's mom's brother. And he's one of the coolest guys I know. He's been super helpful to me. Anything he ever says is super knowledgeable. So I personally just love to sit and listen. And then the funny thing is we've gone to dinner with the family and stuff, and I just hammer him with questions, because I just want to learn.
01:26:12
Speaker
Like okay, so you know, so why do you do this and then within the question I asked another question now just I just had to like Get as much out of it as I can and you know, he's like Such a good guy and he just really wants to help anyway So one of those guys that you know, he can he want to see other people grow And so we just tend to get along really well and I think it's like extremely smart and so he was you know, I
01:26:35
Speaker
kind and gracious enough to just let me come by and hang out a little bit, drink a coffee and do a podcast with them. So I'm super, super thankful. Yeah. Super cool, dude. What'd you guys talk about in the podcast? I don't, I don't think I've had a chance to like, I don't know if it's been released yet or it just got released when I was looking at my phone and just got released. Oh, just now. Yeah. Just now. All right. Um, we just talked about, you know, pickleball where it's going. Um,
01:27:00
Speaker
We talked about me. I kind of like turn the tables on him a little bit and ask him some questions And then you know, we talked about because obviously he's in real estate So, you know, we kind of talked about like what we both and what I thought You know, what's the best way of like going about? investing in pickleball, you know and little things like that right because like he's huge on that raising money like getting a
01:27:24
Speaker
getting places like hotels like little things like that, so Yeah, I mean it was it was it was awesome. He's like super easy to talk to We get along really well, and he just always asked the right question So it was you know one it was one of the best podcast abandoned and this was this one, too
01:27:41
Speaker
Yeah, there we go. Do that investing stuff kind of reminded me of yesterday. The Texas Rangers had like the South bi-panel event and those like, of course, like all the players and stuff, but there's like investors. So I didn't know like Texas Rangers actually have like a pretty loaded.
01:27:57
Speaker
investor group or like the whole back and like their whole like team and their staff. Yeah. Like little Wayne is one of the investors in like kid LeRoy who I don't listen to may have come across a song like here and there, but there's like Scotty Scheffler. And then there's also like people from like the tech side, like to tech investors. So Tim Kledges smart man. Yeah. He's awesome. I love Tim. Yeah. He's yeah. He's building up something like up North. Um, have you heard about it at all?
01:28:26
Speaker
I mean, um, yes and no, like I played for the ranchers, uh, MOP, I think 2022 when I was, um, and I feel like he's been actively trying to get courts here for a long time. So like, yes and no, like maybe not that one specifically, but I know he's always been like, his goal has always been to like open up facilities and stuff. Yeah. Yeah. He has a spot. Awesome pickle ranch. It's not.
01:28:54
Speaker
I don't personally know people that like a lot of people that go there just because it's on top of a parking garage. It's like kind of sloped. There's like one walkway. Like I, it's a great like idea in theory, but I think in practice it turned out to be like, okay. But you can't help, but like at least have some respect, respect and appreciation for the fact that he did it and he tried. And like it's those people who help us.
01:29:18
Speaker
understand like what works and what doesn't so like I don't there's other people also doing the parking garage thing but he's building a spot like up north that's actually gonna be like do I don't know how many like acres of or like square footages but apparently there might be like nine indoor courts or something like that yeah nice yes he's still way to go man
01:29:40
Speaker
I love indoors. That's actually a good like topic to go into is like, you like indoors, but say the future of pickleball is still like very much outdoors. How do you think indoors affects outdoors? Yeah, I mean, I think, I think pickleball is such a great sport that it'd be fine regardless. Um, I just think that,
01:30:07
Speaker
If when you, when you play indoors at a good enough facility, like the level of play just goes like up the roof, right? Like it's just so good. Like the level of play is just so good. The quality of play is so good that when you play outdoors, like the points are just not the same.
01:30:25
Speaker
You know, like, points are a lot quicker. You have to be a lot more, like, precise with your shots. You can't really get away with anything. Like, you know, it's like, oh, you hit a good shot, wins. You know, points over. Especially in certain places where, like, the wins really bad. So to me, like, playing indoors, even when, like, the visibility is not as good, which happens a lot of times, like, it just makes for better points a lot of the times. It's just more fun to watch. You can do a lot of different things. There's more room for error.
01:30:55
Speaker
Um, so I just, I just think it's more fun to play more fun to watch where like, sometimes you go play somewhere. It's really winning. You're like, okay, this is pointless. Like, what are we doing here? Yeah. You know, we're indoors. That would never really happen. Yeah. The only thing I guess, like from a competition perspective, it's like just not having the variability of like wind or like the constraint of wind and like sun and lighting conditions. Um, just like those random things that, but do most sports have them though?
01:31:25
Speaker
like wind and lighting issues. Like that affected as much? I don't know. Like I never, I've never been serious in a tennis. Does that tennis have that issue?
01:31:35
Speaker
I mean, it does, right? Anything outdoors, it will, but I just don't think it's us much. I really don't. Like I said, anything wind related to pickleball is nearly awful, right? I mean, how many times, I don't know about you, but I can mention a lot of times where I'm like, it's too windy and everyone's tanking and everyone doesn't care and it's like, okay, this is stupid.
01:31:59
Speaker
Yeah, playing a tournament this past weekend, the winds are probably like in from like 12 to 18 miles an hour. Yes, exactly. There's like also became like an equalizer. You're like, this team might be better than us, but if they can't adapt to the wind, then it gives us like an advantage. But also if we can't adapt to the wind either, like.
01:32:15
Speaker
Yeah. But even, even at that point, like even if it does become some sort of equalizer, which might be good in a way, like what's the quality of play line? You know what I mean? Like, okay. You hit two shots over the neck, right? Like, I don't know. Like to me, it's just like the overall quality is not as good. Yeah. People don't. Yeah. It's less of like the traditional, like conventional pickleball. It's just like whoever has the wind in front of them is going to rip the ball.
01:32:42
Speaker
Yeah, I was going to stay in every time and you're just going to get frustrated. Speaking of MLP though, um, like the last time I saw you at MLP, you were on the pandas, you were with Zane.
Pickleball Growth and Inspirations
01:32:58
Speaker
Um, did you get, did the whole thing already happened? Like the whole, like the merge and like that whole debacle happened before you were able to get on, like, hear anything about being on like another team or anything.
01:33:11
Speaker
No, I think when I was with the pandas, when I got traded from Masters to the pandas, there was already a merge done. And so to me, 2023 was like the best pickleball year.
01:33:27
Speaker
In my opinion like everyone was playing PPA for the most part everyone's playing mop for the most part if you were good You got paid if you didn't if we weren't good you didn't get paid so to me like that was the best like pickleball was at But yes far as like the merger happening, I think it was probably after it was After pandas when the merger like was like
01:33:55
Speaker
So like, what is the situation going to look like now? Or is everyone just waiting for the next like draft? Yeah, I believe so. I think the war in the street that is that, um, they're going to have a draft around like the beginnings of April. I think we're not Carolina's going to be. Uh, so we're all just kind of waiting to see if that's when it's going to happen or not. Like I honestly don't, I wish I could tell you, I have no information or anything. Yeah. Interesting.
01:34:22
Speaker
Like given you've come into the sport at such a young age, what advice would you give to young kids who want to pursue a path similar to yours?
01:34:40
Speaker
If Ben won a triple crown somewhere, he might've made like a couple thousand bucks, maybe. He does a triple crown, right? So, like, there was really no money to be made, and I never won a triple crown. I've done a couple, like, two crowns sort of thing, like a... But even when I did, there was not a lot of money involved. And so, I would say that, like, if you truly enjoy and love doing something,
01:35:08
Speaker
I would say like whether you want to pursue pickleball, whether you want to like pursue something else, like if you really love it and you want to give it a go, like just go. And you know, when I moved when I moved to Texas from California, I just I think I got in my car, I packed some clothes, got like a TV in my PS5 at the time and I just left, you know, because I really this is really what I wanted to do and I didn't care.
01:35:33
Speaker
How much money I had at the time I didn't care how much money I was gonna make it was more of a like I Truly love this and I think at some point it could pay off like nothing's gonna be paying off overnight But it's like really truly what I wanted to do and some people thought I was crazy when I just grabbed my car and like left and
01:35:51
Speaker
But you know here we are now and I'm doing pretty well and I'm decently happy for the most part, right? So yeah, I would say there's something that you really Think for yourself that it's gonna work out and so do it You know people other people don't know how you feel about things. So just go for it
01:36:08
Speaker
Exactly. That's a good thing. Like when people start looking at you, like you're crazy, like do that decision is wild. Like you're like, Oh, okay. That's the green light I needed. Yeah, exactly. This is the right thing. If, if I'm doing something like so far out there to some other people, then that means that there's a probably like a.
01:36:26
Speaker
good enough amount of like, like somewhat like insanity and like belief in myself that I'm doing something somewhat unconventional. And if that's a path less taken or road less taken, then that's a good thing. Yeah, absolutely. What impact do you want to leave on pickleball?
01:36:48
Speaker
Um, I mean, I use, I use one people at some point to be able to learn and grow from what I was able to like give them really, you know, like I love playing. I love competing. Um, I, I like what it gives me in return. Um, so if anyone else is able to somewhat have some sort of path that is similar to mine and they're happy with it and
01:37:16
Speaker
It pays off for them as well. I think that's like the best thing I could possibly be. Who are you playing with this weekend? I got Allie Phillips. We're playing qualifiers tomorrow. And then if we do well, we'll play Friday. And then I have big age, Hayden Patrick or men's. So, I mean, I love him. We're just going to talk so much shit. And then like the thing about, the thing about Haydn is that like, I don't know how tall he is, but he's not very big, but he plays like he's decal.
01:37:43
Speaker
He plays like he's just like six five huge just like all over the place I mean, he's just so fun to play with you practice together all the time Yeah, so as soon as he starts chirping assault chirping with them, you know, he's like support him just be his right side coat, you know
01:37:59
Speaker
Dude, he's awesome to watch. Like this past weekend in Minnesota, like it was crazy to watch him him in, um, Leah. Yeah. Leah come back from like a two nine deficit into the second game or third, third of the match. And they just, he just kept going down the middle, speeding up down the middle. And you're like, Oh my God, are they going to like solve this problem? And they just like never really did, or it took them like six points until they did. What do you like? What is it like practicing with them?
01:38:28
Speaker
With Hayden yeah, it's it's really fun like to think the thing is for me personally like There's nothing you could possibly say that's gonna bother me right like it doesn't matter who you are Even if it's something that I could be extremely hurtful. I was like okay like maybe he's right like how you know How do I change this right so you can't really hurt my feelings? So it's like with Hayden you know that's gonna talk some shit, right? You know he's gonna just say some stuff
01:38:51
Speaker
And it's up to you whether you want to like, you know, be in it or not. So sometimes I say some stuff back for fun. Sometimes I'm just like, all right, you know, whatever. It doesn't matter what he says, right? But yeah, we get along really well, really good friends. I would take a bullet for age. He's a really good kid. I was not as smart as he is or respectful as he is at 18.
01:39:17
Speaker
You know, a lot of people probably, most people only view him on court, right? When he's like chirping a little bit back and forth, but he's, he's very smart. He's very thoughtful. Uh, he's very respectful and we get along really well. We have good conversations. Um, and I, I just try to help him out with however I can and you know, he does the same. So yeah, we're just, I just, I just love being by his side.
01:39:40
Speaker
That's dope. Seems like a cool kid. Also seems like he's playing his career pretty well as far as just finding a way to stand out without trying to be something he's not. Everything that he's doing kind of comes off as if that's very much just him. Yeah, we need someone. We need more people that are kind of flashy, more outspoken.
01:40:01
Speaker
you don't really I guess you don't really hear him talk but like on the court he's just a little bit he seems louder in a like figurative way he's also like just kind of like flashy of course he plays great don't take not try to take anything away from that yeah he plays awesome watching him play is just like
01:40:18
Speaker
Damn. It's a big personality. Yeah, yeah. It's just good. It's what we need. I mean, whether it's applicable or life or whatever, it's like, you know, like the better the personality, the better, right? And the good thing about Hayden is that he's a genuine person.
01:40:31
Speaker
You know, there's, there's a lot of noise in my opinion. Nowadays, like people just say things like create noise and be talked about and whatever. And Hayden, in my opinion, just straight to true to himself. And that's just how he is. And he doesn't give a shit about what anyone else thinks. So it's good. I just love that. That's good. He shouldn't. I hope he stays that way. Oh yeah. Something else I was going to say earlier was like the investor thing about like the Texas ranchers and the sport and like how you got rich summers. He was like on the real real estate investment side. It's like.
01:41:01
Speaker
Also on the South by Southwest panel and they're one of the questions that I didn't get to answer was like one of the people was like How do we get the sport like keep growing? I was like, I think that's like a really good point
01:41:12
Speaker
point is like this cross pollination of people outside of pickleball. It's like you got your like rich guy, rich summers, who's like on the real estate investment side. He gets you on his podcast. He gets someone who, um, has been in the sport for quite some time can, has been at from like down at the amateur level, all the way up to like the pros who's also like one and has pretty much taken in all the experiences of not just like PPA, but APP and also MLP and also like
01:41:41
Speaker
Now you're like doing the content creation. So you get someone who like is very involved in this sport in that way. And it's like taking the path of like being a professional athlete very well. So like you got to go like spokesman there. I think I think that's what it takes is like breeding with like other industries outside of pickleball so we can get like different eyes and stuff. I don't know if you have any like opinions on that.
01:42:04
Speaker
Yeah, absolutely. I mean, I think, I think it's all a collaboration, right? Like figuratively speaking and like actually like, you know, whether it's like a Instagram collab to like an actual, like, you know, hand in hand, like, let's talk about this, like figure something out, like whatever it is, right? Like, like we should all grow together, right? Like if, uh,
01:42:30
Speaker
Yeah. Then I don't have a good example, but I don't know. I always think like helping and being good is like the way to go. Right. So like, why not do it for everybody? You know, so obviously like when we're out of here, like, or, you know, I think it was even when I was supposed to come here earlier in the year and I couldn't make it and understood that. And, you know, just give you some love, like repose your post, like say, you know, like you send you some love and have people maybe check out your profile. Like just.
01:42:58
Speaker
actively trying to help each other out. Um, and then, then again, like, you know, with rich and I collaborating on that and yeah, I just, I just think that everyone should help each other and just grow with each other. Yeah. It doesn't matter if it's real estate or pickleball or tennis, just, you know, everyone can go up.
01:43:14
Speaker
Yeah. It's like the benefit of social media, like a huge upside to it. Um, but yeah, dude, I appreciate you sharing all that stuff. It was very interesting. Like one of the first interactions I had was never in person. It was actually like online and it was when I was very big and I was probably like a three, oh, at best. And I was like coming out to California as like, uh, coming out with like this chick I was dating at the time was like, man, I want to like find good places to play. Cause California is like the Mecca. And I remember I sent you a DM.
01:43:42
Speaker
It was just like, it wasn't like a short message. It wasn't like a brief message. You like ended it with like an open-ended question. I like just appreciate that you gave me like tips on where to like play and stuff. And most people would just be like, I don't know, or like go here. And that's the end of the conversation. But you were very like open-ended about it. So yeah, I just appreciate it. It's always like funny to have these moments of like coming back to some point in like a friendship.
01:44:09
Speaker
So, um, yeah, it's one o'clock. So want to just give you a moment to plug away, say any like last things you want to end for the podcast and the guests.
01:44:20
Speaker
Yeah, for sure. Well, first things, uh, thanks for having me, bro. Really appreciate it. Yeah, absolutely. Thank you for coming out. Um, that said, uh, thank you to everyone for believing in me, whether it's, you know, just a friend out there, a fan, or whether it's, uh, my sponsors, you know, engage stack and head and, you know, let's just keep going, keep them growing and just help each other out. Where can more people find out more information about you?
01:44:44
Speaker
Yeah, I would say just go on Instagram DJ young PB. I believe, you know, that keeps changing, but, um, yeah, just giving you a follow or something. And let's, uh, let's figure, figure it out. Yeah. Let me make sure I got, I don't know if it was Darian or DJ. I think it's the, I think I changed it. I'm still trying to figure out, you know, what I wanted to be there in our DJ DJ young. Yeah. All right. Cool. Dope, man. That's it. Uh, yeah. Thanks again, everyone for sitting through this and hope you enjoy the conversation. Dope.