PICKLEBALL—A Sport
for Creative Athletes!
SickTrx is a group of top pro players and ambassadors who have displayed
the art of trick shots on the largest competitive stages around the world.
Here, Brian Ashworth, Joey Farias, Ben Johns, Vicki Love, Irina Tereschenko
and Kyle Yates share and reflect on some of their favorite SickTrx.
What is SickTrx, one might ask. SickTrx
is a “pickleball philosophy”—a way of
life, if you will—that puts imagination,
creativity, fun and mentoring as core
values for growing your game and the sport. Becoming
a better pickleball player at any level is not just about
drilling, discipline, 10,000 hours of deliberate practice,
and trying to win at all costs. Pickleball is a unique game
that unites and celebrates players of all individual styles,
technical and physical skills. We commend all the players
who are not afraid to bring some flare to their game and
develop additional offensive options through the use of
trick shots (or, as we fondly call them, SickTrx).
SickTrx is also a group of friends—top pro players
and sport ambassadors—who have gotten pretty good
at executing a large number of trick shots on the
biggest competitive stages around the world and have
a lot of fun sharing their skills with others during rec
games, exhibitions, junior parties, and clinics. This
article is an exploration and reflection on some of
our favorite SickTrx. We hope it brings you joy and
inspiration. Namaste.
Irina Tereschenko
Top-Ranked Pro and 4-Time Pro
Major Champion
Team: Paddletek and
Jigsaw Health
Follow: sicktrx_irina (IG) and Irina
Tereschenko (FB)
I am a big fan of the
misdirection shots. This
category really allows for
individual playing styles
and player personalities
to shine as the options are
almost endless: head fake,
shoulder fake, inside out
slice redirect, no-look flick, drop shot fake, lefty switch—
you name it.
Every member of the SickTrx crew adds a different flair
to the misdirection shots, and if you watch some of our
matches more closely, you can definitely pinpoint the
personal favorites! These shots are generally executed
from the kitchen area (groundstroke or volley) and are
designed to surprise your opponent, push them off
balance, and set up the winner with the next shot.
I often disguise a drop shot from the kitchen as a
powerful drive—especially when both or one of the
opponents are back on the baseline—by taking a huge
swing on a high ball but then letting the ball drop and
gently placing it into the kitchen with tons of underspin.
This is a very effective tactic at all levels if your opponent
is not very quick and/or when you are trying to wear
them down. Even if the opponent gets to the drop
shot, they are very likely to pop the ball up and you are
perfectly set up for a slam dunk as they fight to regain
balance and re-establish themselves at the kitchen line.
Mesa 2020 PPA. Photo by Belinda
Elaine Photography.
Ben Johns
10-Time Pro Major Champion
Team: Franklin Pickleball, Jigsaw
Health, Fila Shoes
Follow: benjohns_pb (IG) and Ben
Johns: Pickleball (FB)
The “Jumping Erne” is
my favorite trick shot.
It distinguishes itself
from a normal Erne shot
(walking around the
kitchen to stand right up
close to the net) in that
you can position yourself
after your opponent
makes contact with the
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