I recently got into the sport of pickleball. Coming from a competitive tennis background, I wasn’t quite sure I was going to love it, especially since my only experience with pickleball until about four months ago was that it is (take no offense) a gentler “old person’s” version of tennis played with grumpy seniors and a cheesy wiffleball.
Holy cow, was I ever wrong.
So who is this guy anyway?
McGuffin is extremely involved in all areas of pickleball and is an incredible ambassador for the sport. He runs clinics all over the country, releases free YouTube instructional videos, hosts The McGuffin Show Podcast, and promotes pickleball as a game that anyone can learn and enjoy.
This isn’t everything, however. If Tyson is not teaching or competing, he is spending time with his #1 fans. Tyson is married to the love of his life Meg McGuffin, and they have four beautiful children: Skyler, 15, special needs with a heart of gold; Ty, 8, superphysical and creative, Banks, 2, who has him wrapped around her little finger, and Mac, 1, a bruiser who’s walking and talking early.
During our discussion, you’ll discover:
–How would Tyson describe pickleball to people?…09:29
- Best racquet sports out there
- It is the better version of tennis and ping-pong
- It caters to everybody, all demographics
- Learning curve is very quick
- It’s easy to play, it’s fun
- There is this whole new community that people feel like they’re a part of, it’s super embracing
- Tyson puts his wife because of pickleball
- How pickleball started
- Ben’s experiences playing the game
-How did Tyson get into pickleball?…13:57
- Grow up in a family of wrestlers, the youngest of 7; dad was a wrestling coach for 40 years
- Had a wrestling and tennis scholarship; took the tennis scholarship
- In 2005, a guy at his tennis club who cannot play tennis anymore because of an injury invited him to the game
- Got his butt kicked by guys in their 50s and 60s at the local YMCA
- Watched a lot of videos and a week later went back to that YMCA and beat up on some old timers
- Within about eight months, Tyson played a guy that was ranked in the world’s top 10
- Started playing professionally
- Resigned as a director of tennis, went on the road, started teaching camps
- Tyson McGuffin
- TM Signature PB Camps
- The McGuffin Show
-Can you win money in pickleball?…16:06
- In tennis, if you make the first round of a Grand Slam, if you lose, French Open, US Open, or the Australian Open, you are guaranteed 40K
- Pickleball has three different rounds
- Tom Dundon, the owner of NHL’s Carolina Hurricanes acquired the PPA
- Next year Tyson is going full-time pickle
- Brand endorsements, appearance fees, and prize money
- Last 7 years have been spent doing 20 to 40 camps every year and on content
- 90% of pickleball players now work an 8 to 5
- Winning the US Open guarantees $5,000, plus sponsorships
- Building your brand and making yourself marketable
-What does a typical day look like for Tyson, like an optimized training day?…20:10
- Play 25 to 30 tournaments a year, on the road 30 to 35 weeks out of the year
- Tournaments are a total grind:
- Practice session Tuesday morning
- Tuesday afternoon, fly in, then get a good night’s rest Tuesday night
- Practice Wednesday morning and maybe afternoon
- Rock and roll Thursday through Sunday
- thursday singles
- Friday mixed doubles
- Saturday gender doubles
- Championship Sunday
- Play anywhere from four to eight matches a day
- Tournament days start at around 8 am and end around 2 to 6 pm, depending on how the day goes
- There is a 4- to 6-week break during the summer
- Gym
- Strength training and ffunctional training
- Mixture of boxing and cardio
- An average day
- Wake up at 5 am, then hot tub
- 6 am, check emails and get all social media stuff done
- Do some hot and cold in the morning
- 7 to 10 am practice
- Train with Craig Feistner at CDA FITNESS 1ON1
- 2 hours at the gym with Craig
- interval training
- Functional training
- band work
- cardio boxing
- Core, hand speed, foot speed
- 2nd practice 1-3 pm
- The Zone for recovery – cryo, IV, NAD every 5 to 6 weeks
- Bemer morning and night
- Compression boots morning and night
- Mixture of everything high reps, low weight
- Off-season – try to build some muscle
-Is there any special diet Tyson recommends?…24:06
- Stay away from sugar, bread, fried food
- Stick to smoothies in the morning, supplements, protein shakes morning and night, protein and veggies
- Try to do everything to the best of his ability
-What’s the best way to get started in pickleball?…25:43
- Go to usapickleball.org to get signed up as a member and check where those courts are
- Pickle Play app, owned by Blake and Alex Renaud from Indianapolis
-What kind of things could you do if you can’t get to the court that help your pickleball game?…27:50
-Why does the paddle matter?…30:34
- Ben’s paddle is a Selkirk – one of the top pickleball equipment manufacturers
- Tyson McGuffin uses a Selkirk Invicta
- Paddle technology, in general, is starting to get a lot more advanced
- Starting to play with different materials like honeycomb and carbon
-What sort of training program would you put together for a top pickleball athlete?…39:29
-What to do about cramping?…58:57
- It is rare that cramping is due to a loss of electrolytes and dehydration during actual competition
- The number 1 reason people get cramps is alpha motor neuron reflex
- Alpha motor neuron reflex is a protective mechanism
- Magnesium deficiency is the number one reason for cramping
- Recommendations
- FastVitamin IV
-And much more…
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Click here for the full written transcript of this podcast episode.
Resources mentioned in this episode:
-Tyson McGuffin:
– Podcasts And articles:
– Books:
– Other Resources:
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