Spotlight: Matt Winebright

Matt’s stats: height: 6’0” | plays: right-handed | resides: Austin, TX

Matt loves pickleball and people! He’s got high energy and great enthusiasm all around! His tournament wardrobe is always a must-see, and we love that we get to learn more about him with you! Read on to see what we mean!

How long have you been playing pickleball?

Early 2020

How many times per week do you play pickleball (on average)?

5-6 days if the weather cooperates

Pickleball Medals/awards/accomplishments (whatever this means to you!)

I've been lucky enough to medal at different levels of singles, doubles, and mixed doubles and when that happens I try to move up a level. Although I feel like what I value most is when I've improved to a point where I can hold my own against (and partnered with) people that I've always considered to be better than I am. That's when I know I've improved. And admittedly, I'm a DUPRholic.

What do you love about pickleball / Why do you play?

I think it's a mix of social camaraderie, fun, good health habits and being able to satisfy my desire to compete. Until pickleball I'm not sure I had ever found something that checked all of those boxes.

What is your favorite pickleball shot and why?

Erne!! A good ATP is pretty awesome but for some reason the Erne is a harder shot for me to execute so I'm hunting that one constantly. Plus if it's a buddy on the other side of the net from me it's nice to follow it up with a sly grin.

What is your biggest strength on the court and why?

I've decided that for tournaments the more outrageous my attire is the better. Pickleball doesn't need to be a stuffy sport and I'm definitely embracing that. I suppose it's a form of Pickle Cosplay meets shock value meets hype machine. So my biggest strength is definitely my ability to convince my poor partners to play along and match my ridiculous themes. So far the leopard attire has been the fan favorite. But I have a surprise for my new partner coming up in a tournament in Orlando. Stay tuned!

What part of your game are you currently working on?

Someone please rescue me and teach me how to hit both forehand and backhand rollers. I played college baseball and that inside-out swing is great for misdirection shots but terrible for the form needed to hit roll volleys. It's a work in progress. Well...more work than progress.

What courts do you like to play at most?

I was actually just counting this the other day and I think I've played on about 25 different courts/locations just this year. And every one of them has their own nuances or type of people that play there that make it unique and fun. I have a buddy who has a court at his house that is my new fave. But it's pretty tough to replace SARC (South Austin Rec Center) at the top of the list. A lot of pros and O.G.s have been through those courts and it's where I got started.

Any great pickleball experience/story that you'd like to share?

I can think of a 100 stories where I've laughed so hard my sides hurt but those stories just don't translate to text. I think probably my biggest takeaway from picking up pickleball 2 1/2 years ago is that it's amazing how many people I've met while playing that I now consider friends. And not just in Austin...all over the country. I've also been really impressed with how down-to-earth the pros are. The approachability of the pros is incredible. I hope they stay that way forever. It's so great for the sport.

What do you like to do when you are not on the court playing pickleball?

I do not understand the question. haha Anything involving my two kiddos. But after that it's definitely travel, particularly internationally, that my girlfriend Maggie and I like to do most.