John Lucian Goins Pickleball Strategy: Seventeen-year-old John Lucian Goins has quickly made a name for himself in singles pickleball, and part of his edge comes from an unexpected source—chess. His sharp anticipation and strategy, sharpened by the game of chess, helped him capture his first PPA title at the Veolia Bristol Open in Tennessee.
Rising Star at the Veolia Bristol Open
At the event, John Lucian Goins defeated Wyatt Stone, Yuta Funemizu, Connor Garnett, Adam Harvey, Christian Alshon, and finally Gabe Joseph to secure the championship. His impressive run caught the eye of veteran player Zane Navratil, who invited him onto The PicklePod Podcast.
During their discussion, Zane Navratil asked, “I’ve got an open-ended question. What makes you so good at 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,” explained John Lucian Goins. “The strategy is very important, too. I feel like I can be pretty good strategically.”
The Chess Connection
Goins credited much of his strategic edge to chess.
“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.
He explained how chess skills carry over to the court.
“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.”
Chess Ratings and Strategy
When asked about his chess rating, John Lucian Goins shared, “Over-the-board right now, I’m like 1,800, and online I’m somewhere around 2,400 in rapid.”
He also compared chess openings to pickleball tactics.
“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,” said Goins. “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.”
View this post on Instagram
Lessons Learned from Chess
For John Lucian Goins, chess is more than strategy—it also builds resilience.
“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,” he said.
View this post on Instagram
Like Zane Navratil, Goins follows top chess streamers such as Levy Rozman (@GothamChess), Hikaru Nakamura (@GMHikaru), and Eric Rosen (@eric-rosen). He credits a past comeback win in chess with teaching him persistence that he now applies to pickleball.
Why It Matters
By combining pickleball and chess, John Lucian Goins has developed a unique approach that strengthens his mental game and tactical awareness. His success at such a young age suggests a bright future in singles pickleball—and could even inspire young players to pick up chess as part of their training.
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, crediting chess for his strategic edge. With ratings of 1,800 over-the-board and 2,400 online, Goins says chess helps him anticipate opponents’ moves and stay resilient, lessons that translate directly to success on the pickleball court.