Copyright timesnownews
Heavy metal and pickleball may seem worlds apart, but Avenged Sevenfold frontman M. Shadows has found a way to merge the two "I like to fancy myself quite the pickleball player," Shadows said in an August 2024 interview ahead of Rocklahoma. "I play lots of pickleball. I started playing it on tour, and I've been teaching other bands how to play. There's a little group of artists that are starting to pick it up, so that's been cool. His introduction to the sport came with a dose of humility. "I met a bunch of old guys that were talking smack," he laughed during Iron Never Lies with Brandan Schieppati. "I'm like, 'Oh, I'll kill you guys.' The next day, we start dinking the ball, and I'm just running around like a mad man, and they're not running anywhere. That experience turned into a full-blown passion. "I enjoy pickleball because my wife plays it, friends can play it, and my kids can play it. We can all go there and just have a good time," he said. "When we go to play pickleball, my kids are screaming at each other, yelling, cussing. It's embarrassing. They're competitive." Confidence clearly isn't in short supply. "All you've got to do is ask [Falling In Reverse singer] Ronnie Radke who the best pickleball player he's ever played against is," Shadows quipped. "I got him into pickleball on tour. I showed him how to play once because there was a pickleball thing set up outside of Atlanta… The next day, he had his guy go out and buy pickleball nets and all sorts of stuff, so every day, in the arena, they would tape out pickleball courts and we would play pickleball for probably four to five hours before every show. The obsession ran so deep that concerts sometimes had to wait. "There's even a show when the kids had to be walked through, the line had to come through, and we wouldn't stop," Shadows recalled. "The whole line's out there watching us, yelling, screaming. It was great. From late-night jam sessions to pre-show rallies, M. Shadows might just be heavy metal's loudest ambassador for pickleball. 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!
