In the newest episode of The James Ignatowich Show, James welcomes professional pickleballer and commentator Adam Stone back to the show.
The two recap the exciting events at the PPA Tournament of Champions that led to a Selkirk Sweep of gold medals, the importance of being a supportive partner, and James’ favorite nicknames.
Men’s singles at the 2023 PPA Tournament of Champions:
James plans to play singles in Cincinnati and has been studying recent matches to prepare. Adam and James discuss the ever-evolving level of play in men’s singles and what it takes to make a deep tournament run.
James and Anna get upset at TOC:
James and his mixed doubles partner Anna Bright lost in their first round of mixed doubles play in a match against Rachel Rohrabacher and Andrei Daescu. James breaks down what led to their defeat.
Playing the right side in men’s doubles:
James won gold in men’s doubles at the Tournament of Champions with his partner Tyson McGuffin. He played the right side of the court — and enjoyed it — and discusses whether his future in men’s doubles is as a right- or left-side specialist.
Has Tyson optimized playing off the kitchen line?:
Adam and James examine Tyson’s expert abilities as an initiator on the left side of the court. Adam breaks down one of Tyson’s best skill sets: his ability to reset the ball into the kitchen while in the transition zone, enabling him and his partner to turn defense into offense.
Importance of being a good doubles partner:
Adam questions the importance of being the type of player that builds their partner up to get the most out of them, particularly as the talent level continues to grow. James says that although there’s no ranking for how good of a partner a person is, it is one of the most important factors on the court. And, he says if there were a ranking for how good of a partner a person is, Tyson would be No. 1.
Mixed doubles at TOC:
Mixed doubles saw many upsets at the Tournament of Champions, and James and Adam highlight some exciting matches from the weekend, including Hurricane Tyra Black and Gabe Tardio vs. Pat Smith and Tina Pisnik.
Women’s doubles at TOC:
The women’s doubles final featured Team Selkirk athletes Catherine Parenteau and Parris Todd vs. Utah natives Allyce Jones and Callie Jo Smith. James waxes poetic about Catherine’s resets and her ability to get to the kitchen line, and Adam questions what James’ DUPR rating would be if it were solely based on a player’s ability to get to the kitchen.
The future of right-side players:
Adam ponders what the future right-side players will look like. In the past, he says the right-side player’s job was to be consistent and set up plays. Now, Adam says there are several players who are consistent but who also aren’t afraid to initiate attacks and he questions whether that trend will continue.
James’ favorite nicknames:
James is a man known by many different names — Jimmy, Iggy, and of course, Big Poppa Jimmy — and Adam asks the question on everyone’s mind: Which nickname does James prefer?
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