John Lucian Goins Pickleball Strategy: At just 17 years old, John Lucian Goins claimed his first Professional Pickleball Association (PPA) singles title at the Veolia Bristol Open in Tennessee. Goins defeated top players Wyatt Stone, Yuta Funemizu, Connor Garnett, Adam Harvey, Christian Alshon, and Gabe Joseph to secure the championship.
A Young Champion’s Strategy
Goins recently appeared on The PicklePod Podcast with Zane Navratil, who asked about his strengths in singles.
“I think the best part of my game is probably my anticipation. When I’m at the net and my opponent’s trying to pass, I feel like I can sort of anticipate where they’re going based on their body language or what they’ve been doing pretty well. I try to block off their angles,” said John Lucian Goins. “The strategy is very important, too. I feel like I can be pretty good strategically.”
Chess as a Training Tool
Goins explained that chess plays a major role in his mental approach to pickleball.
“I’m a big chess lover. I love playing chess in my free time. I feel like any strategy I employ in pickleball probably has its roots somewhere in either tennis or chess. I feel like it can transfer over pretty well,” he said.
“Seeing moves in advance and my anticipation, I feel like that comes a lot from chess because in chess, whenever you play a move, you want to know what your opponent’s going to do and then you can look at what their threats are. I feel like in pickleball, especially when you’re returning, you’re like, ‘Well, if I’m going to return to his backhand, I need to watch out for his cross-angle,’ so I need to position myself a little farther over. I feel like you get a sharper mind for seeing those tendencies.”
Goins also revealed his chess ratings: “Over-the-board right now, I’m like 1,800, and online I’m somewhere around 2,400 in rapid.”
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Lessons From the Board to the Court
Goins compared chess openings to pickleball setups.
“There’s a bunch of different opening setups [in chess] that each lead to different types of positions, so I feel like knowing what opening they play can help you kind of gauge their preferred setups and positions they like, because each position, there’s going to be a certain piece that’s stronger than all the rest,” he explained.
“You can kind of transfer that over to pickleball based on like, if they like running around, then you know they’re not going to like it if you return to their forehand, for example, or if you get it to their backhand, too, especially if you’re able to get it all the way over there.”
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Never Giving Up
Goins emphasized that chess has also shaped his mindset.
“It’s just like never giving up, even when you’re down a lot. You can always claw your way back, no matter what the score is. I learned that from a chess game I played a while ago,” said Goins.
He also mentioned enjoying chess content from popular players Levy Rozman (@GothamChess), Hikaru Nakamura (@GMHikaru), and Eric Rosen (@eric-rosen).
A Champion in the Making
Goins’ unique blend of physical skill and mental discipline sets him apart. His success shows how strategy, anticipation, and determination—sharpened by chess—can help him dominate in pickleball.
News in Brief: John Lucian Goins Pickleball Strategy
Seventeen-year-old John Lucian Goins won his first PPA singles title at the Veolia Bristol Open in Tennessee. He credits his success to chess, which he says sharpens his anticipation and strategy. Goins shared insights on The PicklePod Podcast with Zane Navratil, highlighting lessons from chess that fuel his pickleball mindset.
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