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INSTRUCTION
by BRIAN“ MAC” MCMAHON
BEYOND YOUTUBE: Playing the Game That Fits
One of the most common things I hear from players is,“ I watched a video and it said I should always do this.” Most often, it’ s regarding when to drive versus when to drop. Or whether to speed up a ball. Or how to defend at the kitchen.
Instructional videos absolutely have value. Online content introduces great concepts and helps grow the game. But the biggest mistake players make is assuming there is a universal blueprint that applies to everyone equally.
Pickleball is not a one-size-fits-all sport. The players who improve the most are those who learn to adapt the game to their strengths rather than force themselves into someone else’ s version of how the game should be played.
Before becoming a pickleball pro, I spent more than 25 years coaching college soccer and had the privilege of winning a national championship, being inducted into the Hall of Fame, and teaching sport psychology at the university level.
One of the most fascinating aspects of soccer is how differently the game is played across cultures. Same rules. Same field. Same ball. Completely different styles. The game evolves through individuality shaped by background, experience and perspective.
Pickleball is no different. Players do not arrive at pickleball as blank slates. Some come from tennis with comfort in groundstrokes and pace. Others come from racquetball with quick hands and short backswings. Table tennis players often bring touch and angles. Athletes from other sports bring movement instincts or competitive awareness that influence how they approach the court.
Each pathway creates strengths. Yet frequently, players try to erase those strengths because a video told them the“ correct” way to play.
Instead of refining what they already do well, they chase a generic model. The result is frustration and stalled improvement. Take the classic debate of when to drive versus when to drop from the baseline. Many resources simplify it:“ If the ball is high, drive it.”
But what if the player doesn’ t have a dominant drive? What if the opponent thrives on blocking pace? What if extending the rally creates more advantage than trying to end it?
In that situation, a controlled drop, drip or hybrid“ drop drive” may be the smarter choice. Strategy must account for your physical strengths, your age, your mobility, your quickness and your opponent’ s capabilities.
Two players can face the same ball and the best decision for each may be completely different. Doubles adds another layer. You are not just accounting for yourself. You are accounting for your partner.
In a recent tournament, I played two different roles in the same weekend. In one division, I was primarily a right-side-focused player. My role was to keep balls alive, serve and return consistently, dink with discipline, and create opportunities for my partner to attack.
Later, in mixed doubles, I played mostly on the left and took on the more aggressive role. At 6 ' 4 ", I had the reach advantage. My partner, an exceptional 5 ' 2 " competitor, brought speed, touch and precision. Our strengths were different— so our roles were different. Great teams don’ t try to mirror each other. They complement one another.
As professionals, our role is not to make every player look the same, but to maximize who they already are.
Pickleball’ s growth is remarkable because it’ s accessible. And long-term success comes when players discover their own identity within the game. The goal is not to play the game the“ right” way. The goal is to play your way— intelligently and effectively. •
Brian“ Mac” McMahon, MSED, CCDCI, is a PPR national instructor and head advanced pickleball pro at Admirals Cove in Jupiter, Florida. A US Open Mixed Doubles gold medalist, he applies decades of coaching and sport psychology experience to player development.
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