Copyright timesnownews
When Ben Johns, widely regarded as the greatest pickleball player of all time, talks about the game, the world listens. Speaking on the Pickleballers Podcast, the 25-year-old shared valuable insights into how he mastered and continues to dominate the sport. “To stay good at pickleball, you have to be good at learning,” Johns was quoted as saying by the pickleball.com. “Mostly how I got good at pickleball was by copying stuff from other people and adapting it. Most of my shots you can point to a specific person that I got it from, so a lot of it comes down to practice and learning,” he added. He admitted that self-belief and adaptability were key during his early years. “Most things in pickleball, you can look at and think, ‘I could do that.’ I thought, whatever my opponents can do, I could do that, too,” said Johns. “Basically, I knew I could outlearn everybody.” However, even for the sport’s top player, the learning never stops. “I’ve had a general realization in the past year or two when some people started to do things and make shots where I was like, ‘I don’t think I can do that.’ I’d look at how Gabe (Tardio) would speed up from certain positions or how Anna Leigh [Waters] hits her backhand,“ he explained. “At some point, I was like, ‘Oh. They’re kind of good at this. I don’t think I can do that.’” That humility and openness, Johns believes, are what make his partnerships with Anna Leigh Waters and Gabe Tardio so effective. “Mechanics especially are going to take you a lot further than pure athleticism does in pickleball,” he added. “I think a big reason a lot of people seem to appreciate pickleball and like playing it is because it’s hard to out-athlete people in pickleball. Not that athleticism doesn’t help enormously, but in most sports, there’s other stuff you can do that compensates for athleticism, more than the usual divide,” he said. “Mechanics especially are going to take you a lot further than pure athleticism does in pickleball, so it’s a little easier to stay ahead of really athletic people because of it.” About Indian Pickleball Association: The Indian Pickleball Association is the official governing body for pickleball in India and is dedicated to promoting, developing, and organising the sport across the country. The association continues to inspire players of all ages and skill levels to embrace the game through events like the IPA Nationals. IPA is affiliated with the Asian Pickleball Association (APA) and the Global Pickleball Federation (GPF). About Pickleball World Ranking: PWR is a national ranking system that spans all age groups, skill divisions, and formats -including singles, doubles, and mixed categories. It serves as the official National Sports Federation Ranking for India. With multiple sanctioned events taking place every week across the country, PWR defines the top Indian players at every level and forms the foundation for team selection at the school, district, state, and national stages. Stay connected with all the latest news on Pickleball, exclusive behind-the-scenes content, tips, and inspiration you won't find anywhere else. Your ultimate destination for all things pickleball – where the community comes together for news, views, and the sport that's sweeping the globe. Follow us at @pickleballnow on Instagram and be part of the community!
