As someone who loves to compete, Ben Johns grew up playing intense games of pingpong and tennis. But neither sport would make him a champion. Rather, it was the one that met the other two in the middle, pickleball.
America has gone pickleball crazy, turning the game into a phenomenon. Cities and private gyms are scrambling to construct or convert courts. With its rise has come a professional organization, leagues, endorsement deals and a craving for a new set of celebrity players.
Johns is just such a star, bursting on the scene at just the right time. He never set out to be one.
"I had no idea it was going to be such a happening, growing sport," Johns said. Rather, all he did was "figure out (it was) a new sport that I was good at."
The Professional Pickleball Association doesn't mince words when it comes to extolling Johns. The organization already proclaims that he is "considered by many to be the greatest pickleball player of all time," having earned more than 65 titles.
He's only 23.
Head To Where The Ball Is Going
"Johns was the first real breakout star, taking a pastime and moving it into the world of competitive pro sports and into cultural consciousness," said Isabel Burton, editor-in-chief of InPickleball magazine, in an interview. "As that trailblazer, he keeps driving the growth of pickleball because, frankly, he makes it exciting."
What's pickleball?
For the uninitiated, pickleball is closely akin to tennis only it is played on a much smaller court. Like pingpong, it uses a hard paddle that makes a distinct thunk when it smashes into the ball.
USA Pickleball says the game was invented by three enterprising dads on Bainbridge Island, Wash., in 1965. They felt compelled to invent a new game to occupy their bored kids.
The organization is trying to shake the image of pickleball as a mainstay in retirement villages, a sport that players seek out when weak knees make it hard to run after tennis balls.
Instead, it's now viewed as a sport for all ages.
The Sports & Fitness industry Association pegged pickleball's growth in popularity at 39.3% over the past two years, which indeed made it the country's biggest new athletic passion. New courts can't go in fast enough in many cities.
As recently as 2003, there were only a few dozen places to play in 10 states. Then came the explosion of interest, drawing in younger players who view it as action-packed and a great workout.
"The average age has been steadily coming down. It's now 34," Johns said. Pickleball is changing. "It's not a sport for older people. It's a sport for everyone," he said.
Johns: A Star Emerges
Johns, now a resident of Austin, Texas, came early to pickleball, just as it was gaining steam in the U.S. He was 17 and attending high school in Estero, Fla. Unlike youths who are pushed into drama or sports by their parents, Johns said his move into pickleball came naturally.
"I thought it was fun. I just gave it a try," he said. He figured out fast he had an aptitude for it. After all, he had played tennis competitively since age 8.
By coming on the scene early, Johns has been able to establish himself without having as much competition as he might find in a more established sport. It's sort of a sports early-mover advantage.
He was in the right place when he became serious about the sport in 2017. Plus it fit his schedule. Having been home-schooled, he was between high school-level classes and college. That gave him time to hit the court.
Be Disciplined
Johns never kidded himself. Learning to be the best at pickleball is like becoming any other kind of champion. It's intense and uncompromising. Johns said he spends two to four hours a day, six days a week, going through sometimes monotonous drills and practice sessions.
Then there's the constant life on the road which he estimates at about 35 weeks a year.
"Traveling is the most exhausting part," Johns said. He deals with it by trying to maintain a sleep schedule and staying in shape by avoiding sugar or fried foods.
Enter The 'Flow State'
Interestingly, Johns says he isn't at his best when the game is simply going his way. Rather, he said his best play emerges when he is able to totally concentrate. He enters a zen-like zone which allows pretty much everything to go right. It's then that his game feels fully in sync.
All that practice and experience comes to a head. When it happens, Johns finds himself at the top of his game, able to totally focus. It doesn't happen a lot, but when it does, it's magic.
Happiness is "not just winning, but what I call a 'flow state.' It's what keeps you going," he said. "It's the pursuit."
In the flow state, Johns shuts the world out and just naturally connects with the ball. Those who have seen him in action have noticed when he's in the groove.
"It's as though he's clairvoyant on the court, able to understand his opponents and anticipate the whole series of next shots," Burton said. "Johns has a sixth sense and he knows how to listen to it, abide by it. His instincts are a force he doesn't mess with."
Focus To Succeed
Focus and concentration have been among Johns' strongest traits. "You kind of force yourself to work hard," he said.
On the court, his style of play certainly isn't that of an extrovert. Johns doesn't quibble with descriptions of him being "serene" or "unemotional" or "wooden." In fact, "That's what I prefer." With an apology to the titans of tennis, he said, "I'm not a John McEnroe. I'm more like a Bjorn Borg."
Yet he has a few moves that leave adversaries gasping. His signature is the "backhand roll," in which he intercepts the ball before it bounces and dispatches it back across the net with a smooth upward swing.
His work ethic allowed him not only to excel at pickleball, but earn a material sciences and engineering degree from the University of Maryland even as he continued to compete.
Stay Humble
For all he's accomplished at such a young age, Johns says he strives to stay humble. It's something he says his parents ingrained in him.
But it's not easy.
He says he's being recognized in public more. When he started playing professionally, it was fairly easy to stay anonymous. Now, as the sport has become more popular, he is recognized outside of the usual pickleball circles.
That's to be expected for a sport that's "on the brink" of mainstream popularity, he said.
Part of his newfound fame is coming from more exposure. CBS Sports broadcast a Pro Pickleball Association Tour event in August, featuring Johns as a headliner in the publicity surrounding the tour.
And he has the pleasure of playing with brother Collin, six years his senior, when it comes to pairs.
Professional pickleball is not yet a big money sport. Still, it's certainly a decent living: Johns estimates his total winnings are now in excess of $200,000.
Capitalize On Success
While the money is satisfactory, Johns is also able to take advantage of the commercial advantages of fame. He has a list of sponsorships, including for pickleball paddles (a right-hander, he plays with the Signature Joola Hyperion CFS 16mm), nutritional supplements and a universal pickleball rating system that helps players find others at about the same skill level, according to the association.
He is co-founder of Pickleball Getaways, a vacation travel firm that arranges pickleball vacations to Mexico, Portugal, Croatia and other sunny locales for a few days to play their game, often with a pro pickleball player in attendance.
Johns acknowledges it's easier to become a champion by coming to a sport in its infancy, before it has attracted widespread attention.
"I definitely think there's something to be said for getting in on the ground floor," Johns said.
He notes that as the sport grows, more players will mean tougher competition for him. Feeling the heat? Nah, he says. Rather, he describes the growing rivalries as "a natural progression."
Through it all, Johns hasn't lost himself in his drive to be a champion, endearing himself to pickleballers both on and off the court.
He "exemplifies what the community values so highly — kindness, fun, a down-to-earth quality that resonates," Burton said. "The drive to play well and win, and a warm spirit, are not mutually exclusive, and Ben Johns proves that."
Ben Johns' Keys:
- Winner of more than 65 pickleball titles, making him one of the fast-growing sport's best players.
- Overcame: Lack of broad interest in the sport of pickleball until recently.
- Lesson: Success is "not just winning, but what I call a 'flow state.' It's what keeps you going. It's the pursuit."
