Show Notes
- In this episode, Lynn interviews Alex Spancake, a data analyst and pickleball enthusiast who has created a platform called pklmart that uses data analysis to provide unique insights into the game of pickleball.
- Introduction – Alex talks about his background in data analytics, his introduction to pickleball, and the creation of pklmart.
- Importance of Data in Pickleball – Alex discusses how data analysis can enhance the game, from understanding your own performance to studying professional players.
- Strategy & Positioning – Alex shares findings from his analysis on return positioning, emphasizing the importance of a consistent return and the benefits of limiting the opponent’s angle.
- Skill Level Considerations – Lynn and Alex discuss the varying strategies for different skill levels, and the need for more data from 3.0 to 4.0 level players.
- Professional vs Recreational Play – Alex comments on the stark difference between professional and recreational play in terms of ball placement and consistency, which becomes evident through video analysis.
- Player & Team Analysis – Alex shares his in-depth analysis on professional player, Anna Leigh Waters, and her performance with different partners, emphasizing how the choice of partner can affect play style.
- Future of pklmart – Alex shares his vision for pklmart, including creating player profiles, team profiles, and using computer vision software to make data entry easier for users.
- Misconceptions & Insights – Alex talks about common misconceptions in pickleball and the valuable insights that can be gleaned from data, such as the optimal location for a third shot drop.
Show Transcript Excerpt
Lynn: And I was going to ask you about the article that you wrote on The Anna Leigh Waters Decision. Most people who listen to the Pickleball Fire Podcast probably know who Anna Leigh Waters is. But with a little bit more background, normally her regular partner is her mom, Leigh Waters. But Leigh tore her ACL a while back, so she’s been playing with two other high-level players in the meantime, Anna Bright and then Catherine Parenteau. So what was the bottom line of your analysis? Because you did a really nice, in-depth, very detailed analysis, but what was the take-home points from that? Assuming that Anna Leigh Waters can’t play with her mom, who should she be playing with?
Alex: Thanks. Yeah, at a glance, that analysis basically said Anna Leigh is going to be fine either way, but the partner she chooses will dictate the kind of play style that she deploys. So when Anna Leigh played with Catherine, I think they played a little more of a traditional one-two setup where Catherine was setting Anna Leigh up, right? I think Catherine’s drop and drive, both playing with Anna Leigh and playing with other partners is extremely effective. And when you allow Anna Leigh to roam on the court, good things generally happen.
On the other hand, when Anna Leigh played with Anna Bright, they did a good job of setting each other up. It was one of those cases where either of them could really go in and dominate a firefight. But again, either decision, even if she plays with both of them, she plays with one or the other, I think Anna Leigh is going to be fine.
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