As popular as pickleball has become, the world’s fastest-growing sport might be bigger if more professional players had a personality like that of one Tyson McGuffin.
There is a general feeling among those who follow pro pickleball closely that the sport needs more big personalities and fewer bland ones. They say that will help the sport get on TV more often and get good ratings. If more players had McGuffin’s charisma, the thought goes, pickleball would be more in demand by television network executives.
McGuffin is widely considered one of pickleball’s most electrifying personalities, earning the self-appointed nickname, "The Most Electrifying Man in Sports."
That might be a stretch, but there’s no doubt that the 36-year-old whirling dervish of a player and person stands out on the court. McGuffin interacts with fans during matches, is famous for his high energy game, frequent fist bumps, vocal intensity and flashy attire, featuring tank tops and headbands on his signature mullet.
Despite all the flash, McGuffin tells me during a phone interview from his home in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, “I like to let my paddle do the talking.”
Then there are his tattoos, approximately 30 of them. Both arms are fully sleeved and his chest and back are fully covered. McGuffin says he plans to have his legs fully covered eventually. He says that his family and Jesus are his inspirations. One tattoo is a family portrait of his wife, Meg, and their four children, and on his back there’s a depiction of Christ’s crucifixion. McGuffin is deeply religious.
He is also known for his athleticism, quickness and defensive returns of tough shots.
At his relatively old age, McGuffin is still among the best players in the world. A former number 1 player in men’s singles and men’s doubles, he’s ranked 11th in men’s doubles, 16th in mixed doubles and 47th in singles (mostly due to his focus on doubles play). His doubles DUPR (Dynamic Universal Pickleball Rating) is 6.48. He will play in Major League Pickleball for the Palm Beach Royals starting in May.
McGuffin grew up on an apple orchard in the remote Washington State town of Lake Chelan, tucked into the Cascade Mountains, the youngest of seven children. Wrestling was his first love. “I started wrestling when I was still in diapers,” he says.
He won state wrestling titles as a junior and senior at Chelan High School, where his father was the wrestling coach. He also played tennis in high school and for two years at Scottsdale Community College. He turned pro and reached the top 1500 on the ATP men’s tour. McGuffin became the Head Tennis Pro at the Yakima Tennis Club in Washington State. He coached for six years discovering pickleball. Six months later, he turned pro.
Meanwhile, McGuffin has carved out a comfortable living through numerous sponsorships and his popular, “Tyson McGuffin Signature Pickleball Camps.” He’s big on social media. His Instagram account has 114,000 followers. His podcast, “The Tyson McGuffin Show,” is consistently ranked among the top in the pickleball category, and his YouTube channel, “Tyson McGuffin Pickleball” has 36,000 subscribers and is growing daily. His behind-the-scenes family life is featured on another YouTube channel called “Making McGuffins.”
“I was one of the first content creators in pickleball,” McGuffin tells me. “We talk about the three pillars in my life: The athlete, the coach and the father. I think some people can relate to one or more of them.”
McGuffin says what he loves about pickleball is, “Community, competition and how it supports my family.”
Indeed, he’s a walking billboard from head to toe on the court, with sponsorships including a landmark deal with JOOLA (after leaving longtime partner Selkirk), Skechers and many other companies.
I asked McGuffin to play word association about a few of his opponents:
Ben Johns: “Mastermind.”
Anna Leigh Waters: “Icon.”
Gabe Tardio: “Complete goofball but very talented.”
Julian Arnold: “Loud but good.”
Christian Alston: “So talented and one of the nice guys.”
McGuffin and his family travel to some of his tournaments in an Airstream RV. When not playing he spends most of his off-court time with Meg and their kids on his five-acre lot in Coeur d’Alene. He’s building two pickleball courts on the property that he says will be done in June. He is into hot yoga and plays golf when he can. The family enjoys hiking and attending music festivals. His favorite music is house, rap, Christian and dubstep. His playlist includes songs from 21 Savage, Pretty Lights, Wiz Khalifa and even Abba, specifically “Dancing Queen.”
His favorite movies are Troy, Step Brothers, Any Given Sunday and Blow. Favorite actors are Jamie Foxx, Will Ferrell and Vince Vaughn. His favorite TV shows are Yellowstone and The Chosen.
McGuffin says for the typical 3.5 recreational pickleball player to improve significantly, “You have to love it. Trust the process over the results. Be more self-aware.” He says a good portion of the players who attend his camps are between the 3.5 and 4.0 level and, “are over-using their wrist, as opposed to pushing from their shoulder” when striking the ball. He says many rec players have poor footwork and are not set when hitting the ball.
Regarding pickleball’s trend towards more banging and less dinking, McGuffin says, “The trend in pickleball with players being more aggressive simply has to do with tennis players coming in the sport and paddle technology. The new Lifetime ball plays faster and allows for more aggressive play. Personally, I think it’s great for the game. Even as an OG of the sport who used to play on gym floors and only dink, I think it brings in more players and allows pickleball on TV to be consumed easier. Camera angles in pickleball doesn’t do the soft aspects justice and for the non-pickleball eye, aggression and chaos are more interesting.”
McGuffin says his goal now on the court is to “continue to make deep runs” in tournaments. Off the court, he wants to be “consistent with content.” He has produced 600 videos for his YouTube channel. In his message at the top of the channel page, McGuffin writes, “Pickleball has transformed my life. This silly plastic ball, paddle and court is for anyone and everyone. Pickleball is addictive and be prepared to be sucked right in.”
All of us who are addicted to the sport can relate to that.
Thoughts of the week, not all pickleball
· I wrote a piece for the March/April issue of Pickleball Magazine about homeowners who have a pickleball court inside their home. If I win the lottery the first thing I would put in my new oceanfront or lake house would be a pickleball court.
· Savannah Guthrie was a reporter and anchor at KVOA-TV in Tucson years before I started working there as an investigative reporter. My photographer worked with Savannah and said she was a wonderful colleague. I cannot imagine the nightmare she’s endured concerning her mother.
· Speaking of the Guthrie case, those Facebook trolls who post made-up headlines about who did it should be ashamed of themselves. I say to them pretend it was your mother, maybe you wouldn’t be so cruel. And some of the social media Nancy Drews and Dick Tracys post some of the dumbest theories based on zero evidence.
· The guys hosting the “Pickleball Pursuit” podcast are consistently entertaining and informative. I giggle every time Louis starts the pod with, “What’s up nerds?” Probably because I’m one of the nerds.
· After being out a month due to foot surgery, I’ve come to the sad realization that at 72 my days of playing six days a week are over. I’m down to four or five days and never three days in a row. On the bright side, I do notice that after a day off I play better. I also notice that on my days off, I’m cranky.
· My crankiness won’t be as bad soon. When I will be taking off from pickleball there will be March Madness and Major League Baseball games to watch.
If you buy a new Hudef paddle, use my discount code, MS, to get $10 off the Viva Pro Gen 2 or 3 or the Mage Pro Gen 2 for only $99.99.
