Episode Transcript
[00:00:02] Speaker A: Sleeve's senior pickleball report is brought to you by TNC Network. Get ready for an exciting episode of people of Pickleball with Mike Sliva. We're about to dive deep into conversations with influential figures from the world of pickleball, so let's get it going.
[00:00:27] Speaker B: Okay.
[00:00:28] Speaker C: Today we have an interview with Connor Garnett, PPA and MLP Pro, first onto the scene not too long ago, and has made quite the mark in singles, making top five in the world, and also making his mark in doubles as well.
[00:00:41] Speaker B: But before we get to that, if.
[00:00:43] Speaker C: You like this content, consider subscribing to the channel.
[00:00:44] Speaker B: Check out all the links in the.
[00:00:46] Speaker C: Description, including our newsletter. Subscribe to that, get daily news in the pickleverse and also check out our merch page as well, and all the discounts on paddles and shoes. All right, folks, let's get to that conversation with Connor.
[00:01:07] Speaker B: All right, folks, we have pretty special guests to the senior pickleball report. And this is not a senior player. It's our second open pro that I've interviewed, and it's Mr. Connor Garnett, and he has made quite an impact in 2023. Welcome to the show, Connor.
[00:01:27] Speaker D: Yeah, thanks for having me pumped to be on.
[00:01:30] Speaker B: Sweet, man. So, before we get into your whirlwind year, really, in singles and doubles, obviously, let's talk about you were playing tennis for a long time. You played high level tennis in high school. I read somewhere that you went like undefeated or something, and then you played d one tennis. And then obviously this goofy wiffleball game comes into your life.
So talk me a little bit through that journey of being a high level tennis player and then switching gears big time.
[00:02:06] Speaker D: Yeah.
So I did tennis, then I did two years of working. I was doing investment banking and I was still playing tennis on the side. And I was kind of always chasing that college tennis level that I was. And so it was tough. I would play people that I was probably beating in college tennis and they were still like playing the futures, grinding it out and stuff like that. So I always felt like I was playing from behind and then got introduced to pickleball. And it was something that I could learn. It was new and I was getting better every day. And albeit I was starting from a three five level, it was still something that I could improve every day and see those improvements. So it was a lot more fun of a journey. Whereas tennis, I was at a point where I had to commit so much time and I didn't have that in the day. So pickleball gave me a little bit of that.
[00:03:04] Speaker B: Yeah. And I can relate to that a little bit. I was a college runner, and then once you leave that competitive world where it's day in and day out, and you are on it, because that's what you're there to do besides schoolwork, and then you try and get that back without the same sort of dedication or time.
It's humbling and it's disappointing, and I totally relate. And pickleball, for me as well, was sort of a rebirth, obviously much later in life. But I ran for 25 years, and I gave it up to play pickleball because I knew my knees could not do both.
So I feel you, brother.
Obviously, you come out of the scene and I remember, and I don't even remember who you were playing with at this point. Early match, first time I had heard your name, and we saw the two hander, the backhand, and people were like, oh, shit, don't hit it there. So obviously, maybe not. Was that sort of your best shot in tennis as well?
[00:04:08] Speaker D: Yeah, it all started from baseball. I batted lefty, went into tennis with a good two hander. My forehand in tennis was awful.
I hooked it when I first started, and so it needed a lot of reconstructive surgery, whereas the back end, I don't think I've had any technique taught to me, whether it's tennis, pickleball, it's just always naturally been there. Forehand, obviously completely reworked. But I don't know. I've been fortunate enough, I think that baseball helped get the kinetic chain involved and have been able to transfer it to a couple of different sports.
[00:04:49] Speaker B: Yeah. So you felt comfortable with your left being dominant, really what it comes down to, right?
[00:04:55] Speaker D: Exactly. Yeah.
[00:04:58] Speaker B: I was born into a family where my mother was right handed, my father was left handed. So once I decided, actually, in all honesty, I started to go to the two hander. After I watched you play, I'm like, oh, this is real. Because not a lot of people were doing two handers. There was a few three years ago, barely anybody was doing a two hander. You come along and a few others, and it seems to be a commonplace. And now the influence, obviously, with the paddle length of the handle, has changed a great deal. Everybody's five and a half, 5.75. I've seen some sixes out there, but I do think there is an advantage. Like you pointed out, I was comfortable with my right, and I switch hands a fair amount of times playing as well, so it's not a big deal, but it is tough. I think for folks who are not used to having their other hand be dominant in a swing to make that change. And I've seen a couple of little lessons that you've put up online and things like that. But if you were to give, like, one sort of drill, is it really to kind of work with that nondominant hand first?
[00:05:58] Speaker D: Yeah. A lot of people will do left handed forehands as kind of a way to get a little better. They'll choke up the paddle, and so they're hitting it not from like a full left handed forehand, but more that abbreviated your top of the grip. And that's a good way to do it.
[00:06:14] Speaker B: Right?
[00:06:14] Speaker D: I would say that's one of the things. And then just working on being able to hit cross court, I think it's easier to go down the line. So it's cross court gets that left hand involved.
Takeaway is left hand involved, but you can do that by hitting those left handed forehands or really working on pulling the ball across the body and cross court to get that left hand involved as well.
[00:06:41] Speaker B: Okay, so just a personal question.
When you're playing doubles, do you prefer to hit that? Do you feel more comfortable hitting your back on a particular side of the court?
[00:06:54] Speaker D: I always started, and it's kind of funny, I've only played the left in pickleball in doubles, and I had no idea what the left meant when I started. But just in tennis, I loved my backhand, and so I was always on that side pulling it. And I think I've learned the patterns well on where I can hit my backhand on the left side, the right side, it's a little bit newer. I've been practicing it just because, you know, with MLP, you never know what side you're going to be on. Absolutely. I would say it's more comfortable on the left right now, but I mean, put me on any side and I'll find a way to speed up my backhand.
[00:07:36] Speaker B: There you go. So let's talk about, obviously, 2023, gigantic year, I think, for you.
You are well known now you got a signature paddle, which we'll talk about in a little while. But walk me through, because obviously, from the beginning of last year, right around this time coming into 2023, and then if you look back at where you've come and the events you've been in and the places you've been, talk me through that, because not many people get to experience that, as I would say, a second athletic career and something that maybe has already exceeded your previous athletic career, I don't know. So talk to me about that.
[00:08:16] Speaker D: Yeah, no, I mean, it's been awesome. In end of January, I quit my job and so was doing this full time. And the first couple of months didn't have great results in doubles, singles, had some solid results, but started to kind of wonder, hey, am I going to get that medal? Was able to in Atlanta get to a final. So I think I lost four third and fourth places before that. So I was like, shoot, okay.
[00:08:45] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:08:46] Speaker D: And then got that silver medal and I think that kind of put me in a situation where I was in a final, so I was guaranteed a medal and that kind of boosted me across everything. And I've just been enjoying the journey, been getting better at doubles and a lot more patient, which is probably the hardest thing coming from tennis. And, yeah, ended the year super stoked, I think, got four silvers, four bronzes, so just really surprised. I think singles, I kind of had a hunch that I was going to do something like I did, sure, doubles, the Hertz, Daytona, whatever. That didn't. One of my goals was to get a medal in doubles, but I hadn't had the goal of getting to a championship Sunday this year, so it definitely exceeded my expectations there and I was pretty stoked on that.
[00:09:38] Speaker B: Yeah. And obviously singles come in natural to people who move from tennis, and it's somewhat mini tennis on some levels, but obviously going from doubles, gender and you even throw mixed in there, those are three completely different disciplines and you all are expected to do it in a given weekend. So talk about a little bit, because you have to depend upon partnerships and you have to set stuff up in advance and you have to look at where other people are on their journey, so to speak, as well. So talk a little bit about finding something that fits for you and the process of that, not only obviously in men's, but in mixed as well.
[00:10:24] Speaker D: Yeah, no, I mean, that's a great point. And something that I think a lot of people don't realize is it's difficult to get partners, especially if you're kind of a newer player on the come up. Your partner three months down the road is someone that is your level now. And so you get there in three months and it's like, oh, I could have gotten someone better for this tournament, but you've committed. And so it's a constant kind of juggling act of trying to get someone that's a little better so you can play into their level and you have to worry, like early on, I think at the beginning of this year, I was dropped four times by partners, and I probably had partners that were a little better than me, and so they were betting on my results. And I had been playing with partners that were not as good as me then. And so until you get those opportunities, it's tough and you have to constantly fight for them, and it's a battle out there to get those partners. And fortunately, now I'm in a position where I have enough credibility where I can usually have a partner that I'm pretty stoked with more. So on the men's side, women's side is like, at the end of this year, I would get some awesome partners, and it was just kind of like a roll of the dice. And so fortunate enough for next year to have some great partners locked in for more than a couple of tournaments. But this year you have one tournament with someone and they could be a top player, but you don't have that chemistry, and so it's tough. Yeah.
[00:12:06] Speaker B: And I think you bring up a good point because you can even get to the point where you do get that player that's maybe better than you. But chemistry plays a role, obviously, and somewhat if somebody's used to playing a particular side as well, they have particular tendencies and things like that. Seems to me like the part of the course for getting your name out there for most people, especially if they come from tennis and they have some sort of singles ability, is you kind of get your name and you build your name there. Like, okay, this person can play. At least my name is being talked about because I'm either on the podium or I'm knocking off some top seeds. And then you sort of step into that doubles world and like you mentioned and explained very well, you got to go through that process and try and do well with people. Maybe that at one point were a little better than you, but by the time you play with them, like you mentioned, you're the better player. So 2024, it seems like you have some things set up like you want. Can you talk about any of the people you're going to play with?
[00:13:08] Speaker D: Yeah, so I'm going to play some with on the mix side, Elise, I'm going to play a good chunk with her. I'm going to play a couple with Edda. I've played with her a few times, so know her game. Stoked for both of those. And then I'm going to play with Rafa to start the year, and then in the middle of the year, I'm going to play some with Christian. So just all those players kind of know. I know Edda Roth and Christian. I've played with them. And Elise's game, I see the, yeah, strong hunch that we're going to fit well together. And so, I mean, that's the other thing. It's like you just need someone out there willing to battle with you and all of them are going to. And so that's the most important thing, I think.
[00:13:54] Speaker B: Sleeves here.
[00:13:54] Speaker C: Senior Pickleball report powered by TNC Network. Just finishing up a practice session. World's worst pickleball courts and been playing with these bad boys for a while. Crown Pickleball link in the description. Check these out.
[00:14:08] Speaker E: Great ball.
[00:14:09] Speaker C: I haven't cracked any yet. Of course, I'm an old man, but really cool ball coming pink and this color. They got outdoor, indoor. And I think they're going to be a major player in pickleballs because people are starting to kind of gravitate towards this ball. I know the podcast king of the court. They love them. I love them. People talking about them, people giving them away with their paddles because they know it's a reliable, solid ball. So check out Crown pickleball, new player in town. And man, they came out with a bang.
[00:14:41] Speaker B: So love it.
[00:14:43] Speaker C: All right, folks.
[00:14:43] Speaker B: Hey, at the end of the day, that's pickle.
[00:14:48] Speaker E: Are you looking to stay up to date on the latest pickleball news and tips? Look no further than the sleeve. Senior Pickleball Report newsletter get the scoop on the sport, learn how to stay healthy while playing, and find out about upcoming tournaments. Subscribe now to get all the pickleball info you need.
[00:15:07] Speaker B: Absolutely. I mean, you named some names there that are solid individuals, some of them well established, some of them on the rise big time.
And yeah, I agree with you about Elise Jelly. Obviously, she'll go through walls, dive. The point is not over. And you seem to be a very scrappy player as well. So I'm really looking forward to seeing that as well. So pretty exciting. 2024. Obviously a little bit of things up in the air with MLP, PPA, merger stuff, but be some team events too. And talk to me a little bit about playing team events. You kind of mentioned earlier that sometimes you might have to play the right, but what was your experience playing MLP? And obviously get to mix up partnerships and explore partnerships that way as well, whether you're either playing with somebody or competing against someone and go, oh, that might be a good fit.
[00:16:01] Speaker D: Yeah, I mean, MLP is an interesting kind of event. Awesome energy, awesome team environment. Kind of like college tennis, but definitely a pressure cooker.
I kind of went through all the tiers. I went from minors to challenger to premier, and so you just see such a difference in each. And so it's like minors, you're like, someone's going to make an error and you don't have to play that clutch. And you're like, okay, this is fun. This isn't too bad. Then you go to challenger and you're like, all right, if I just take over the court and just get big and play first strike offense, I'm good. But you can't just expect someone to miss because then you're going to lose. And so it's like that next level, and then you get into premier and it's like, all right, now I got to be clutch in the big moments. And so it's crazy. I love it. But you get to that level and maybe there are some players that have shots that are just completely undefendable and they still can do that. But at least for where my level was this year, I had to just be clutch in those big moments. And it really is this situation where the amount of like 1921 or 21 23 or whatever it is, it's just all the time. And so it's just like two points of just being clutch. And so it's wild, but it's a ton of fun.
[00:17:34] Speaker B: Yeah, for sure. And so you mentioned a good point because I think that's the difference. Obviously, there's people that play at a very high level at this game, and people are hitting spots that you give them an inch, they'll hit it down the line on you and all that. So what's your approach to getting into your space where you can perform at your best and be good in those clutch moments? Talk a little bit about your headspace with things like that and events like that.
[00:18:02] Speaker D: Yeah. And what I found interesting is I think mental confidence is different in every sport, at least how I approach it.
Golf, and I'm not that good a golfer, but when I'm throwing some trash talk out there and my buddies, I have to be very calm, and it's a very calm mental space where tennis, it's all right. I had a saying where it's like, miss my second serve long and so I could live any point. If I missed my second serve long, I wouldn't be mad at myself at all. But anytime I missed it in the net, I would be furious. And I'm a player in tennis who naturally plays more defensive on the big points. So that was kind of my over. Correct. And so pickleball, you don't want to be too amped. So it's like a little bit calmer. You have to get in this space where it's a little calmer but also going for the right shots. And so you can't play aggressive in pickleball and win like tennis. You can play a full point and just be aggressive the whole time.
[00:19:10] Speaker B: Right.
[00:19:11] Speaker D: It's kind of a little bit of a mix of those two. And so that's what I try and get into that headspace of have enough reps of the shot where I'm just not thinking about it too much, but I am going to go for it. I'm going to be aggressive, but I'm not just like tennis amped.
[00:19:29] Speaker B: Yeah. And I think you make a good point because if you look at the top of the game, if you look at Ben and Colin in particular, people come in and they try everything. And obviously people that come into doubles that are maybe new but playing at a high level, they may take a game or so or maybe even a match, but it doesn't take teams of that caliber with that sort of patience and that sort of skill set very long to adjust to somebody who's just like you mentioned, super amped in trying to rip the ball through you at every point. And if you look at, especially the top of the men's game, that's what it is. And I think you have that. I like watching you because there is a calmness about you. You're fired up when you win points and stuff like that, but you can just tell. It's like, I watch folks like you, obviously, Ben jdubbs, another guy, just kind of know in knowing the pace of the game and the long war, so to speak. Yeah, let's talk about your paddle, because obviously this was a breakthrough year for you, getting a lot of recognition. Pro XR developed something. So talk me through about your relationship with them and really getting this signature paddle out to market.
[00:20:52] Speaker D: Yeah, no, I mean, I was stoked. ProxR has been awesome.
They're very nimble. They're great leadership there. They've done a lot of awesome things for me even before I had too much success. They came out with a rap song. I would say that just because it kind of speaks to. They're always looking to do something creative and looking for that next thing. And so it's a ton of fun working with them. They saw that I was doing well, so they got me a signature paddle, which was awesome.
I don't think I expected that my first year, so I was pretty stoked with that and definitely love the paddle.
It's got a lot of spin. The power isn't as poppy as some of the other paddles out there, but for my game, what I want is that ability to get the ball down, the ability to kind of roll that ball, and so spin is there and then they go down to the 14. So I have a 14, and that kind of makes up for that power. So you still need it. I wait the paddle up till I think, 91. I've slowly been adding a little more, so it might be nine two now. And that keeps me powerful in the hands battles and the speed ups, and I'm still able to get the spin. So it's kind of that balancing act of, yeah, need the power to be able to fight with these guys, but I'm able to also keep that ball in, hit some angles, really get those targets below the net so they have to hit up on the ball. And it's been a fun journey this year with the Pro XR guys.
[00:22:34] Speaker B: Yeah, so talk about a little bit about the preference you have for weight in the men's game. We'll just talk here.
Is that pretty average to be nine ish, or is that pretty high end?
[00:22:49] Speaker D: I think it's average.
It kind of depends on the paddle and the power that paddle gets as well.
Some of those more powerful paddles, you can go a little lighter, and the more tape and weight you put on it, the less you're going to be able to get the natural spin of the paddle. Luckily for me, my paddle has enough spin where I can weight it up and still be able to get that. And so I know guys that have it at ten. I know guys that have it at like 85, so it's probably in the range, but most of the guys want a paddle that has some serious weight behind it.
[00:23:29] Speaker B: Okay, yeah, I can push maybe 85, but then it starts to bother my elbow a little bit, but I'm usually around 8283, but it seems to be I'm the same with you. Although I like playing, I'm still at this point where I'm playing with a 16 mil because I just love the control of it. And I played a lot of volleyball, so I could put the ball away with overheads and stuff like that until I get to that level where I need a little less, I guess maybe go down to a 14, but right now I'm still sort of a 16 millimeter guy.
You have, obviously, you've delved into recently some YouTube instruction.
Yeah, so talk about that. And you have a website and some of the things you're doing with teaching and so on.
[00:24:13] Speaker D: Yeah, the YouTube just launched it, I think, last week. Just first video was how to hit the two handed back end. Figured that's what people want to see from me. That's what I've kind of been going with and so have that have website up. I've been doing some camps on it. 2020, I'm really getting into the space. There's going to be a lot more instructional videos on my YouTube, on Instagram, kind of across all platforms. I'll be getting on TikTok a little more and then really building out the team, the infrastructure and all that for the year. So that's kind of what I'm excited about next year and doing some camps, doing some corporate events and stuff like that. But coming from investment banking, I wanted to figure out a way to have some fun on the business side and keep that part of my brain still sharp. So it's a little bit of both worlds. But I also know that all these guys on the top are putting in serious hours into pickleball, so I can't let that take over too much. Where I need to spend more time on the court this year and then put in those right people and get the right team behind me to kind of help curate my vision on the business side.
[00:25:33] Speaker B: Yeah, absolutely. It's a balancing act, it seems to be. Obviously, there's the brand and you want to get your name out there and do the things you like to do and love to do, but. Right, like any professional sport, fair amount of time drilling and obviously playing practice rounds and things like that.
Talk a little bit before we get out of here. Some of your other partnerships that you have and what you're looking forward to most in 2024.
[00:26:02] Speaker D: Yeah, so partnerships right now are Proxr and Florence Marina, clothing brand. Good buddy of mine from Newport Pickleball was one of the big guys in it and know he helped me kind of grow my game. So awesome to be able to rep their clothing and then I'm not sponsored by them anymore, but one of the ones that I was sponsored with this year is they, David there. I mean, he got me into pickleball a little bit. He was kind of my first sponsor. So it's always cool, like that sponsor relationship. You get to really meet these people at the companies. They invest in your journey, you get to learn what they're doing and it's a special thing, so it's super cool.
[00:26:49] Speaker B: Yeah, you build some along, really, in a lot of ways. And it's the same with what I'm doing with this influencer gig. You meet people that become really good friends and you want to see. That's. I think what I enjoy about this game is everybody wants to see everybody succeed at what they're doing because there's enough, obviously, space out there for a lot of people in a sport that's growing this fast, whether you're a player or somebody who's trying to start a clothing company or a paddle company and so on. So I get that good community vibe from this game.
[00:27:23] Speaker D: Yeah. No, I mean, that's the coolest thing about it, is just everyone's there. Like, you look at a tournament and you got the booths, everyone's just kind of hanging out. You got the vibe, you got some music, you got DJ Selkirk out there.
[00:27:37] Speaker B: Right?
[00:27:38] Speaker D: Fun. It's a community.
[00:27:41] Speaker B: Yeah. It's going to be fun to see where it goes in the next five, six years, because I can't imagine this. I've never seen anything like it. I came from a beach volleyball background, and when that sport kind of exploded in the 80s, that was something else. But it's nothing like this.
On some levels, it's like, what is going on?
Well, hey, man, I really appreciate your time. Connor, best of luck. I'll be rooting for you all, 2024. Now that I got a chance to chat with you, check out the links in the description for all that Connor does. Look at his pro XR signature paddle.
Obviously, if you can grab a clinic with this guy, really will probably improve your backhand quite a bit real fast. So thanks again for your time and look forward to seeing what you can do this coming year, man.
[00:28:29] Speaker C: Hope you enjoyed our conversation with Connor Garnett. Check out the links below for information on how to get into one of his camps and get trained by one.
[00:28:37] Speaker B: Of the best in the world.
[00:28:39] Speaker C: All right, folks, until next time.
[00:28:40] Speaker B: Hey, let's pickle.
It's.
