Brad Penny’s Pickleball Transformation: Former Major League Baseball pitcher Brad Penny is now focused on becoming a top pickleball player. The 46-year-old, who retired from baseball in March 2016, has been training seriously after losing a match in Overland Park, Kansas—an experience that sparked his interest in the fast-growing sport.
A Competitive Spirit Rekindled
Brad Penny said his interest in pickleball began when he lost a match at Blue Valley Recreation in Overland Park. That loss motivated him to improve his game.
“I went to Blue Valley Rec and I got beat by someone who should not beat me at anything, and that was it for me. I was like, ‘This will never happen again,’ so I started practicing,” said Brad Penny on the ‘JustPaddles’ YouTube channel.
Anything I get into, I kind of dive in head first and give everything I’ve got to get better at it, and pickleball was no different. It’s addicting, it’s fun, it’s competitive, it’s a way to keep your heart rate going, and it’s a way to stay in shape. Without pickleball, I may be 320 pounds sitting here right now.” – (penny)
Working with a Pickleball Professional
Brad Penny has been training with JOOLA professional Eric White to improve quickly. Their first practice lasted over six hours and included many different drills.
“We did dinking cross-court, we did dinking head on, we did speed-ups head on, we did mid-court, we did point play where we worked our way in, we did third shots, so it was a full play session.” – (Eric White)
“There was a lot of video analysis, too, kind of checking things out, seeing where wrists are, seeing if the paddle head’s dropping before the speed-ups, before the flicks, seeing where our hands are, resetting, so just a lot of detailed stuff.” – (Eric White)
Focused on Drills Over Matches
Brad Penny prefers drilling over playing matches so he can develop faster.
“I like to drill more than I play right now just because I’m trying to get to a better level. A lot of the times, if you’re one of the better players on the court, you may hit 30 shots. If I go with Eric, we’re going to hit a couple thousand balls.” – (penny)
He has also played in high-level games with players like Jack Sock, which has helped speed up his progress.
“There are some shots that are overwhelming at times, but once you see them and once you get used to them, there’s nothing about the game that’s too fast. A baseball’s going a lot harder and looks a lot smaller. When someone’s throwing 95 plus, the ball looks really small. In pickleball, I don’t see those speeds, so nothing’s overwhelming. That’s what makes it a lot of fun. Should I ever be able to get on a court and beat a tennis player? No, but in pickleball I can.” – (penny)
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Baseball Skills Help in Pickleball
Although Brad Penny has never played paddle sports before, he finds baseball has helped him understand pickleball better.
“I have zero paddle experience other than pickleball, not even ping pong, but it’s a lot like hitting. If I’m sitting soft, fast is always going to beat me, but if I’m sitting fastball, soft I can always react to, for the most part. I don’t know how professionals play, but I would imagine they’re looking hard and reacting soft, so it’s very similar to hitting.” – (penny)
“And then the strategy part. If me and Eric play, I feel like we kind of have the same thoughts on how we should play, and once you start implementing a game plan, it becomes a lot more fun.” – (penny)
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Thinking About Tournaments
Brad Penny may play in tournaments soon, but only when he feels ready.
“If I ever want to play high-level tournaments, I need to know that I’m prepared. I don’t know if it’s a superstition, but I would say I’m more routine-oriented being that I’m a starting pitcher every fifth day. I need to have a routine, I need to be prepared, and I need to stick to that routine – and that’s tough in pickleball.” – (penny)
“I don’t know how those pros do those three events. You don’t know when you’re going to play, you get a text message and you’ve got to run to this court. It’s hectic. It’s crazy. I respect that they’re able to go and perform at the highest level for however many days, four days, five days, and just keep playing, playing and playing. It’s impressive.” – (penny)
Hoping to Face Other Former Pros
Brad Penny is also interested in seeing how other former baseball players would do in pickleball.
“I would love to see some of the hitters with the quick hands. I just feel like if a young Barry Bonds was to play pickleball, it would be impressive. I’ve tried to get Gary Sheffield. I see him at golf tournaments all the time. I would love to see how good I could be at 20 years old.” – (penny)
The Road Ahead
Brad Penny is serious about getting better at pickleball. With help from coaches like Eric White and matches against top players like Jack Sock, he’s on a path to compete at a higher level. His passion and routine-focused approach may lead him into tournament play soon.
News in Brief: Brad Penny’s Pickleball Transformation
Former MLB pitcher Brad Penny is training hard to improve at pickleball. Motivated by a loss in Kansas, he now drills daily with JOOLA pro Eric White. Penny compares the sport to baseball and plans to enter tournaments once fully prepared. He also hopes to see other former pros join the game.