What makes someone try pickleball after a year of persuasion – and then become instantly obsessed with the sport? We talked to Kristian Evans from Oskarshamn about pickleball, the community around the sport, training, competition, and his best tips for other players.
The interview was originally conducted in November 2024 and provides a personal insight into what it's like to discover pickleball and quickly get hooked on the sport.
How did you start playing pickleball?
Hi Kristian! How did you get into pickleball, and how long had you been playing when the interview was conducted?
It was actually a bit random, as a friend had been nagging me for over a year to come and try it. I knew nothing about the sport but finally gave in and played through Korpen in Hultsfred and immediately became obsessed with playing. This was about a year and a half ago.
Are you curious about the sport yourself? Feel free to start with our guide What is pickleball?.
How much pickleball do you play?
How many hours of pickleball do you play per week?
This varies wildly, but as a rule, I play four hours. The reason it's not at least double that is that there aren't that many people playing where I live, yet...
What makes pickleball so fun?
What do you think makes pickleball so fun?
What I find so much fun is that there's a lot of placement and strategy behind the game, and that you always (unless you're one of those who like singles) play with someone, which means you need to think extra about where your teammate is and what they are doing during the match.
It's also very social, and we who play have a very good camaraderie both on and off the court.
Strategy is a big part of the sport, especially in doubles. If you want to develop that part of your game, you can read more in our guide on pickleball tactics.
What do you do when you're not playing pickleball?
What do you do when you're not playing pickleball?
Think about the next time I'm going to play pickleball.
Rating and competition
What is your pickleball rating, and would you say your rating reflects reality?
I don't have a pickleball rating as I've only recently started to take an interest in competing. This means it certainly doesn't reflect reality, as I'm easily at least a mediocre player.
The answer above refers to the situation when the interview was conducted in 2024.
For those of you wondering about skill levels, we have a guide on pickleball ratings.
Biggest achievement in pickleball
What is your biggest achievement in pickleball?
Kalmarspelen 2024.
If you're eager to start competing yourself, you can find more information on our page about pickleball tournaments.
Where do you play pickleball?
Which hall do you usually play at, and do you have a favorite hall?
I mostly play at the Tennis Hall in Oskarshamn, which is superb, but I prefer, for example, Eventcentra in Nyköping, which has courts made exclusively for pickleball. There are so many lines crisscrossing when you play on badminton or tennis courts.
If you want to find more places to play, you can find our comprehensive overview of pickleball clubs and courts in Sweden.
Favorite shot on the pickleball court
What is your favorite shot or trick on the pickleball court?
I'm incredibly good at completely misjudging a smash and hitting the net instead. My favorite shot, however, is a perfect drop, even though I usually try to hit relatively hard and placed.
If you want to develop your shots, you can read our guide on pickleball techniques.
Which pickleball paddle do you play with?
What pickleball paddle do you play with?
I currently play with a Selkirk, but I also like Smashify.
The paddle choice above refers to the time of the interview.
For those considering which paddle suits them, we have our guide to pickleball paddles.
Is there any pickleball player you look up to?
Is there any pickleball player you look up to?
There are several I follow online and watch, but no one I directly look up to. If I were to praise someone, it would be Tomas Carlsson, who won the Swedish Championship in pickleball when he played for Vetlanda, but who now has the incredibly difficult job of trying to coach us in Oskarshamn when we mistreat the pickleball courts.
I have no idea why he hasn't just broken down yet over us making the same mistakes over and over again despite his many attempts to point out how we should play.
What are your ambitions with pickleball?
What are your ambitions with your pickleball playing?
Just to have fun and keep playing. The plan is to compete more in the future, but we'll see how it goes.
Kristian's best tips for getting better at pickleball
What are your tips for others to become better pickleball players?
Play a lot and practice different shots with your partner. You can practice a shot by yourself, but if you want to become a good team, you need to know how the other person thinks and plays.
Watch others play and read about different tips and the like.
This advice is particularly well-suited for doubles play, where positioning, communication, and understanding your partner's movements are crucial parts of the game.
Do you want to start playing pickleball yourself?
Kristian's story is a great example of how quickly you can get hooked on pickleball. You don't need to know the sport before your first session – the most important thing is to get out on the court and try it.
Start with our guide to pickleball for beginners, learn the pickleball rules, and then find a pickleball club or court near you.
A big thank you to Kristian Evans for the chat and all the tips!
The interview was originally published on November 14, 2024. Information regarding playing time, rating, competitive achievements, and equipment refers to the time of the interview.
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