My Conversation with The Smartest Coach In Pickleball, Dayne Gingrich

[@keelanramsey848]

Great interview Kyle. I loved the comment “that shot will win points, but it won’t win matches”.

[@thatpickleballguy]

I said that? Gosh, i gotta remember that when im playing 😂

[@danskiludvik8358]

Probably the best 40 minutes I've ever spent on KZbin. It helps me understand the conflict I feel about pickleball: that at the same time it amazes and excites me with its seemingly infinite variety of problems to solve, and avenues to explore to try to solve them, I am overwhelmed with the realization that I will never come close to actually doing it. Thank you to both of you for putting this out there. Well done!

[@thatpickleballguy]

Thats awesome! Thanks for watching!

[@leestonum5319]

This is what I explain to people as to why this sport is so addicting.

[@cwarner5909]

Kyle, you and Dale have great chemistry, you both are entertaining to watch and still deliver useful ideas and information. You two doing a podcast would fill a void in this content space. Enjoyed the video!

[@solohour]

I think you might like the 4.0 to Pro podcast. 😊

[@CalebFreund-hd9xx]

As a training Psychologist who is passionate about pickleball, I am in love with this blend of thoughtful sports commentary and exploration of what a healthy masculinity looks like! Kudos to you both!

[@thatpickleballguy]

Awesome! Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for watching :)

[@danr9659]

...the guy literally admits to being an asshole on the court as a way to maintain his competitive edge. How is that healthy?

[@klaforever6933]

I really enjoyed the insights on strategy and adaptability in relation to who is on the other side of the net. The BONUS, and what I enjoyed more, was when they both were vulnerable and spoke about their true feelings and inner truths. Not always easy to do, but something most people viewing this can totally relate to.

[@pmgps]

Thank you. This was the most informative Pickleball video, I observed so far. Everyone talks about techniques and dos and don’t. First time, I heard intentions, and observations as way to improve the game. I love your presentation.

[@thatpickleballguy]

Thanks for watching!

[@hollymurray3566]

Love this so much! Y’all need to do a podcast!! Thank you both!

[@JoonieThinx]

Ever see Comedians in Cars getting coffee (Seinfeld & Larry David episode)? This is that level quality re PB Study. Sooooo good that I’m stopping halfway through to mull over it. Will be back to watch second half when I have time enough to digest and enjoy it. Really really good. Thanks for doing it.

[@waynebuckelew7597]

Podcast would be great with you both!!

[@jillcoster315]

I'm not finished watching the video & I have to say this: I'm at a beginner level - barely 3.0. Eagerly listened to so many better players giving skills sessions saying receive - burn, (serve - stay) drop that third shot no matter & get to net! I'm trying to master the 3rd drop but don't know WHY in any given situation .... this video is SO important.

[@leestonum5319]

I struggle with what Dayne talks about re demeanor on court too but watching Jack Sock and Jaume shows me who I really want to be on the court. Particularly Jack. I want people to be intimidated by my game not my personality.

[@thatpickleballguy]

Love that articulation

[@madrum]

19:06 recording games and drilling sessions has made it much easier to identify what worked, what didn’t work, footwork, paddle position, recovery, shot selection, etc.

[@mikemiller724]

Thoroughly enjoyed this interview! The discussion certainly provokes me to think about what I forget to think about when I'm playing. Keep the amazing content coming!

[@thatpickleballguy]

Thats great to hear

[@marvindennis3664]

Excellent. At every level the person who is better from the neck up is most likely to win. Intentional critique is the best way to learn. If this is what you intended but this is the result it's much easier to determine what went right and what went wrong. Brilliant. Thanks

[@thatpickleballguy]

Well said!

[@denise21970]

If you join forces for a podcast I and many others would be here for it!!

[@cdwoods365]

Love the idea of a podcast with the two of you…please do it. Loved this video watched it twice back to back!

[@jpize]

This video is important beyond pickleball...so many good things shared. Thanks for making this one!

[@thatpickleballguy]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@suzyinsb]

I vote yes on the podcast! You guys are very entertaining together😊

[@thatpickleballguy]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@a.joseph4233]

Learned a lot....very helpful to my P/B game.....just ordered Dayne's book.

[@thatpickleballguy]

Awesome!!

[@JonBLodi]

I very much appreciated the valuable higher level thinking, especially putting intention above mechanics. And, yes, I vote for a podcast. Just signed up for your newsletter, too. Thank you!

[@thatpickleballguy]

Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for watching and subscribing to the newsletter, hope you enjoy it!

[@margueritestafford2713]

Very intelligent discussion. Great to listen to. I want more 💥

[@Gary-W]

Great Video.. You guy's should do a podcast.. Good stuff and real..

[@Schnitzone]

Another great video Kyle! I made it into the top ten in the world in the Open division. I’m a five time US National Slalom Champion and 2000 Senior World Slalom Champion. I invented two products that are on every high end slalom ski sold today. I coached all over the world and now coach Pickleball. While I was competing in skiing, there was a lot of friction between me and those I competed against. I retired from competition in 2007 and since then, some of that friction has worn off, but definitely not all of it. I considered most of the people I dealt with in the waterskiing world to be friends as I do in Pickleball however the animosity against some still lingers. There is an old saying, “it’s lonely at the top” and what Dwayne is experiencing is normal. To be exceptional means you need to stand out, to stand above. To do this you need to first have a GOD given talent and second, work your butt off to bring this talent out while trying to make a living, have a relationship, raise a family, etc., etc… you need to be so totally focused on YOUR goals and be willing to make extreme sacrifices. This grit and determination along with that GOD given talent can and often does rub people the wrong way. On game day, put on your game day hat and attitude. I wrote an article years ago titled “The Programed Skier”. It basically asked the question, what would a robot do in that situation? A robot has zero emotion. A robot does exactly what it’s supposed to do in every situation. On the court, you need to become like the robot, emotion free and running the program you have ingrained into yourself through massive repetitions. Off the court, be humble, kind and helpful. Help others to achieve their dreams. By helping others, you gain deeper insights into yourself and your game which leads you to new, higher levels of play. In closing, if you have GOD given gifts, they should be shared with humanity! They should not go to the grave with you. Did I mention I just bought both books? 😁

[@denisesullivan3639]

I'm just a 3.5 player trying to improve. You're videos have helped me the most to prepare, with your humor and way of explaining things how I am able to understand. I've only done a few tournaments and that week leading to it is NOT fun. This week I was struggling with "Who" you have to become to win during the tournaments, and that is not fun. Very doable, but not fun. Of course you are happy to win, but I feel bad when I beat friends. Winning and losing graciously is a fine art. 29 mins in spoke volumes to me regarding the focus and mind frame that you have to achieve to compete successfully. I appreciated the vulnerability that was expressed. Recently I watched a brief interview with Mike Tyson and William Shatner that talks exactly about that topic. Mike said he cried before every fight, because he knew the person he had to become to win, and he didn't like that person. Well done gentlemen. Thank you.

[@thatpickleballguy]

Glad you enjoyed the video!

[@leestonum5319]

Dayne echos the best advice I ever got when I started. “Have the right idea, worry about the execution later.” Focusing on figuring how to make the decisions first and then figuring out HOW you can do the thing you’ve decided to do second is the way.

[@thatpickleballguy]

Really good!!

[@stephenbloch5017]

This is such a great video. I'm in 4.25-4.5 range and my takeaway is I need to spend more time thinking about my opponents patterns. Kyle-my wife and I are in AZ every March for ten days and would love to jump into some of your games. Had some really good matches in Surprise!

[@joiedevivre541]

I could not love this more!! Thank you! I am a fan of you both but together you are awesome!!!❤

[@thatpickleballguy]

Wow, thank you!

[@DavidCNealACTOR]

Gentlemen, this was so fantastic. Invaluable insight, so much to think on and start to incorporate. Obviously a YES from me in terms of any future collab...no matter the vehicle. Your personalities and chemistry are such that I hope it's not 100% audio only. For what it's worth, a 'Train your brain' moniker would set you two apart based on what's out there already. Also, I can imagine you doing a more orchestrated approach around the three pillars Dayne is clearly focused on, which I now thanks to you think of as "The Why, Where and Who of Pickleball Strategy"...I can't wait to think about answering those questions while playing and post-match, too. Dayne, thanks for sharing your struggle around on-court perception vs real-guy reality. I have known you for 40 minutes and you aren't a ... jerk. And I do sincerely hope you can eventually find a way to be the best player you can on the court while feeling like it is closer to your true self. I can imagine how satisfying that would be of you could get there. Off to buy the book right now. Thank you both.

[@weswes5876]

Great conversation guys! Thanks

[@thatpickleballguy]

Glad it was helpful!

[@thatpickleballguy]

Actually just a regular hoodie i put a logo on!

[@1groovygreg]

Thanks for posting such a candid and informative discussion. There were interesting points made about learning in-game awareness, commonly held misconceptions, and the challenges involved with playing competitively. I'm a recreational player at about a 3.25 skill level, but I found some useful "takeaways" from watching this video. I also laughed and took a bit of solace from Coach Gingrich's off the cuff comment near the end of the clip about the "serving yips" since I seem to be going through that very thing at the moment. I plan to order a copy of "Pickleball Mindset" in hopes that it will be another helpful tool to elevate my game.

[@thatpickleballguy]

awesome!! Thanks for watching

[@donnettewand6197]

Love the comment about vision and feel before mechanics. Think the game and then develop the skill.

[@thatpickleballguy]

Awesome!

[@jarkkovallin4348]

Absolutely great and very interesting conversation. And now I must try to get Dayne´s book 😃

[@thatpickleballguy]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@monty_beaumont]

Amazing interview - learned loads from the first watch and will go over it loads more

[@thatpickleballguy]

Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for watching!

[@MGrove-t9i]

Great interview, Kyle!! I hate to sound redundant, but a podcast with you and Dayne would be priceless. I got a few good nuggets out of this interview and chuckled more than a few times too! Thanks poodles!☺️

[@thatpickleballguy]

In due time :) Glad it helped

[@getbeyondfit]

Great stuff guys. I was talking to my son about pickleball and how I'm gaining life lessons from playing in tournaments. Summary (JOY/CHOP/FLOW): Be in the moment and joy of sport and competition. Chop wood by focusing on the task at hand, the very next point with knowledge from the last point. Be open to receiving abundant flow states for which you can let go and sail sail sail.

[@thatpickleballguy]

That is awesome! Love to hear it!

[@MirAhsan-lg6vt]

Playing aggressive and being compassionate on court are not mutually exclusive. It’s just the mindset that you are choosing. Good discussion, wish you both the very best.

[@DanKaschel]

I agree. He acknowledged that he doesn't actually know if he needs that to keep his edge, he just fears losing his edge. His internal conflict sounds more likely to be a hindrance to his success than a precursor.

[@JamesBond-zd5jx]

I agree completely about capping power.

[@madrum]

Thanks y’all! I heard several new perspectives that I love. I’m getting that book!

[@thatpickleballguy]

Glad you enjoyed it! Enjoy the book!

[@ViewsandLikes-xb4mk]

Great discussion on the why of shot selection vs mechanics.

[@thatpickleballguy]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@angelamonson210]

Great stuff!! The “rules” given by various coaches drive me nuts. IMO predictability is the worse thing one can do. If you only follow the “rules” your opponent can predict you 100% of the time. I completely agree that technique and mechanics need to be individualized. If I have lower reaction speed then my opponents my play needs to change to help negate this.

[@frankiealex11]

i think a podcast was born from this collaboration

[@jimreboulet186]

This is fantastic !!!!

[@joq702]

Yes to capping rebound or hot response of paddles. Yes to capping spin as well. There are limits or else spin becomes a different form of unregulated power. That is my opinion.

[@matta.4816]

Do the podcast!!! Definitely would listen on the regular.

[@thatpickleballguy]

Coming!!!

[@PickleballVids]

Congrats on the 100K subs, bro! Well done.

[@thatpickleballguy]

Thanks!!

[@stymeron]

Great interview

[@crazyjcaldwe9]

I’d listen to that podcast.

[@denise21970]

Great video!!

[@PB.BennyBonobo]

Just got a bunch of Selkirk stuff with your code. Love the scalloped hoodie and T omg

[@thatpickleballguy]

Love it! Enjoy!

[@ccbowers]

31:26 Good question, and his response had a hidden assumption that being liked was somehow incompatible with competition. It just isn't true and may be a way of rationalizing behavior that could be changed for the better (I say this not having any preconceived notions about the guy, but just based upon what he says here). Athletes at the highest levels of competition have all sorts of personalities and some are viewed as likeable or not independent of their competitiveness on the court (or field or whatever). It seems like he's holding onto some antagonism that he thinks is necessary for winning, and isn't appreciating how unnecessary it is. It seems he has concluded that it is necessary for him, but hasn't explained very well how ir why

[@KneeDownFPV]

really enjoyed this conversation

[@thatpickleballguy]

Glad it was helpful!!

[@elizabethfaulkner6281]

Kyle-this was pretty special!

[@thatpickleballguy]

Glad it was helpful!

[@jesturcastillo]

Another great vid 🫡

[@thatpickleballguy]

Thanks!

[@roberttalmadge8874]

That was awesome!

[@thatpickleballguy]

Glad you liked it!

[@semperfitdeliis]

He was probably talking about a gearbox 😀. 11:08

IMO - The answer to every question (as in poker) is "it depends". We, as students of the game, need to know: 1. What factors need to be considered, and 2. How should each factor figure into (or affect) our decision.

[@marvindennis3664]

Dayne, does your intensity get in the way of being more patient?

[@kento1957]

Black and white guidelines are valuable starting out. As they get better, the nuances can be communicated.

[@DanKaschel]

While that's true, I think it's important to introduce the "why" with each "what". "You drop on the third shot to give your team an opportunity to advance to the kitchen." That way, adding tactical nuance will still be in support of the same objective.

[@leestonum5319]

This video makes me want to get coaching from Dayne so bad.

[@kayakair1]

"I was rambling and forgot what I was going to say!" That could sum up this whole interview... too many things you both wanted to say that a solid point wasn't really made. Dayne classic LIHOM!!

[@thatpickleballguy]

We did our best. Will improve when we do it again :)

[@DanKaschel]

There were many solid points made. Idk what you're talking about.

[@MT-bz4gz]

Can you ask Dayne to consider releasing an audible version of the book so we can listen while driving. 😊

[@leestonum5319]

I’ll volunteer as the reader in exchange for a few coaching sessions!!!

[@thatpickleballguy]

Ill ask:)

[@BrownKoat4ever]

All these choices are like playing the Lottery and finding the right combination of numbers to hit the right shot

[@nn-NeuralNetwork]

This guy is the truth

[@antant4287]

Man, I gotta move to a warmer climate where people actually have time and inclination to keep getting better.

Kyle, where do I get that hoodie T?

[@HarveyJackson1967]

"Actually just a regular hoodie I put a logo on!" - He replied in another comment

[@phyllisrosen7637]

Kyle left it at my house!! lol!

Time to start selling some swag!

[@blackbeardgoatjr2434]

Volume is a bit low

[@redb5640]

Dayne, it's OK to laugh and cut up, then play as hard as you can. That way when you beat them, it looks like you were barely trying.

[@WilliamBrownGuitar]

You can be a great player and still be a nice guy and a gentleman as can clearly be seen amongst many of the top players. A rather strange false dichotomy is presented here (at around 32:00 minutes).

[@sticharo]

I think this was a great discussion.......but I couldn't hear it.

[@thatpickleballguy]

Sorry you had trouble hearing it! If you watched on your phone try watching on a computer and maybe that will help the sound quality be louder and better!

[@simonlee8219]

Plenty of great insights from Dayne, but he sounds manic in this video

[@kevintolo5169]

Isn’t it possible to be competitive without being a jerk?

[@thatpickleballguy]

Yep

[@dianallamas7135]

I like this guy. Better than you Kyle 🤪🤪🤪 Just kidding. But this is a great insight to a coach's point of view and how not all coaches are created equal. I want to get better but yup, a mom, work family, life. I get out as much as I can and I try to soak in and apply what I've seen. I think I'm getting better but would love to have input from someone like these guys....would be fantastic. But for now, I just play to get better. Cheers.

[@thatpickleballguy]

Hah!! Daynes great, and totally get it. Keep playing when you can :)

[@ROBERTSOMA-pb3sp]

Best coach is Jimmy Miller

[@RalphL12332]

Why technique/mechanics 2nd??? If the player has good technique, even if he makes the wrong shot selection atleast he makes it. Technique first then shot selection, not the other way around like this guy says. I’m 6.25 and not at sr pro level, at the real pro level. So sorry this guys got good advice at times but that parts just straight wrong

[@RalphL12332]

Not to mention it takes years to get all the shots mechanics down.. shot selection is like a basic that just naturally comes with time

[@leestonum5319]

At the end of the day if you’re correctly executing bad ideas your game isn’t going to improve. You have to know what first then figure out how.

[@claycc79]

I learn more from a Ben Johns 1 min short video than this.............

[@robertorales5098]

I guess your brain struggles to digest information over a minute long.. go back to school iPad kid

[@thatpickleballguy]

Yeah Ben is fantastic!

[@redb5640]

@@thatpickleballguy Way to go Kyle, take the high road,

[@garymccombs4867]

Can't never could! You dont have to be an asshole to play great. That is a negative mindset that you should work on.