Experimenting With Lead In The Grip, New Shoes, Entrepreneurial Encouragement

First off, welcome all the new subscribers. I’ve never spoken to the writer behind The Fit Pickler (https://thefitpicklernewsletter.com/) but they drove a significant amount of traffic my way, so thank you. If you’re new here: the YouTube channel is here, you can find the spreadsheet with discounts here, and you can reach me at [email protected] or DM me on Instagram @buildingpickleball.

Updates: latest video(s) released

• ‘Choking in sports’ added to the educational series: https://youtu.be/20tnKh7wNfs

• Beginner paddles under $100: https://youtu.be/fa4lGbU9gnw
  - tried something different here. When I see something done a particular way by many, I try a different direction. In this case, paddle reviews.

Experimenting with lead in the grip

• using Pickleball Effect’s tungsten tape on the grip. In the photo, I put it along the black side.

• I’m trying this because I felt that in addition to the weight I added to the Filth, it felt head heavy. I wanted something more balanced. Despite it not altering the swing or twist weight on paper (or so I’ve been told), the weight feels more evenly distributed. Along with that, it might help me keep the tip up, which is something I’m also exploring as far as paddle position.

Shoes

You might remember my first shoe review of the K-Swiss Hypercourt, which can be found here: https://youtu.be/IORyeg7tU_Q?si=i1yTbN9_RkBBIzMs

Well, after 5 or so months, the outsole finally wore down. It lasted a lot longer than my previous shoes (Barricades, KSwiss Court Express) and longer than I expected. I picked up the Adidas Courtflash Speed and these feel much more cushion-y than the K-Swiss but boy do my feet smell from these. I’m not sure what it is, could be the ventilation. I didn’t have this issue with the Hypercourts.

Has anyone tried Fitville shoes? I have the Amadeus V2 and V3 on the way. Surprised at how reasonably priced they are. I’ll provide an update/review once I’ve tried them out.

Entrepreneurial encouragement

When you first begin, you won’t have the biggest network, all the answers, or the best first attempt. Getting started just requires you to put something out there. To put aside all the worries and criticisms of the outcome.

To be frank, I’m a nobody. Even more-so when I started this. I didn’t have friends when I got into Pickleball, not particularly talented at the sport, no podcast or media experience, and no real entrepreneurial experience. While it may be helpful, you don’t need a head-start to get started.

But if your desire and belief in yourself and your conviction in your idea and the problem you’re solving is strong enough, you’ll make it work. You just have to refuse to be stopped by what people might think. Trust me, when I started, I thought “why would people listen to my podcast, I have 0 experience” “why would anyone take the educational content seriously, I’m a nobody, I’m not a coach or have coaching experience”. The key is to just get started. Once you get started, you have a foundation to build upon. That foundation will present expected and unexpected challenges that force you to develop the skills necessary to succeed.

These things take time to develop. You won’t get it right on the first try. Getting it “right” isn’t the point, the point is to try.

Nothing matters if you don’t take action. There are great ideas everywhere, many of them buried in the graves with the individuals who never acted on them.

brian