This is the fourth edition of the Pro Series and you may notice that, so far, I have started each article by sharing some of my own experiences and/or perceptions of each player.
Although I met Lee in 2019, chances are it would never land with her because it was so brief but also, I knew that I wanted to open this interview by touching on my own experience just watching Lee during the inaugural season of Major League Pickleball (MLP).
As I’ve mentioned in some of my previous articles, one of the best aspects of the MLP event was that microphones were hooked up to each pro and we could hear their commentary all weekend.
It made for really entertaining pickleball but possibly even more entertaining than that was the singles tie-breaker of Team Chimeras vs Team Clean. Watching Lee (Team Chimeras) stun the crowd, the commentator Morgan Evans and not to mention her opponents was all pretty awesome.
Lee went toe-to-toe with Dekel Bar twice and in round two she took all four possible points from him. Her team, the Chimeras would go on to beat Team Clean and eventually land themselves in the MLP Finals; Lee earned the Most Valuable Player award that year and would go on to win a second MVP title in Major League Pickleball.
Lee has a big personality which you can see on the court and we hope that you also get a sense of her cheekiness throughout this article. Enjoy!
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Photo credit: Steve Taylor
Name: Lee Whitwell
Sponsored by: ProXR Pickleball
Paddle: ProXR Advantage Series 16
Achievement(s): Major League Pickleball Austin MVP 2022 & MLP MVP 2022, Gold APP St Louis Mixed Pro
Q. How long have you been playing pickleball?
I have been playing for approximately 5 years
Q. How did you enter the world of pickleball?
My good friend Lisa Palcic bribed me with a case of beer
Q. What was your first pro event/tournament and when?
My first pro event was US Open in 2018 I believe – it did not go well
Q. Can you share a stand-out moment for you during that pro tournament?
Realizing I could not just play tennis on a smaller court and that I had a lot of work to do
Q. How often do you practice/drill vs how often you play per week?
I practice drills probably 80% and play 20%
Q. Will you share your favourite drill with us?
My favorite drill is baseline to kitchen in which I am at the baseline and my drill partner is at the kitchen line. They feed the ball and the point is live immediately - the goal is to work my way up to the kitchen line and neutralize the point and then try to gain control of the point. This is done both down the line and cross court.
Q. Who is your pickleball hero and why?
My pickleball hero is really everyone out there who is using pickleball as a positive outlet for whatever they are going through in life. We meet so many people with incredible and humbling stories who are out on the court playing, competing and having fun – they are all my heroes.
Q. Name your top 3 favourite shots?
A) reset B) erne C) ATP
Q. Do you identify more as a left-side player or right-side player?
I'm more of a right-sided player – bc I am left-handed, me being on the right puts both our forehands in the middle which is pretty powerful.
Q. What is your favourite pickleball moment to-date?
Becoming the season 1 MLP MVP
Q. What is your favourite tournament format to play in and why?
Favorite format – MLP team event followed by double elim with potential to play for gold
Q. What does the sport of pickleball need the most in order for it to get to the “next level”?
Pickleball needs to gain traction internationally and catch up to the popularity it has here in the United States. Nationally we need to have a complete pathway defined. For the first time in a long time, we are dealing with a sport that essentially started in death, and we are trying to lower the age. Once pickleball is a collegiate scholarship sport then high school and middle school programs make sense because [the] pathway is complete.
Q. I don’t necessarily have one, but I think 99% of the world does.. What’s your favourite ice cream flavour?
Coin toss between salted caramel and dulce de leche (yes, I have a sweet tooth – this body was not built on kale and quinoa) LOL.
Q. How do you recover from a day of tournament play in order to get ready for competition the next day?
Stretching, yoga flow and keeping muscles limber.
Q. Do you have a favourite/go-to tournament that you attend?
Any MLP event.
Q. How do you prepare yourself mentally for competition?
I prepare mentally by doing all my on-court drilling and off courts works outs. Knowing I have put in the work allows me to mentally be strong and confident on the court.
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Photo credit: Steve Taylor
Q. In how many years do you think pickleball will be an Olympic sport?
Fingers crossed within the next 12 years we will see pickleball as an Olympic sport.
Q. What’s your favourite piece of advice to give to a beginner?
Breathe and get out of their own head.
Q. Should it be coined a term - share with us your true thoughts on the “Whitwell Pathway"?
Absolutely it should be coined. I mean I have used it enough (unknowingly I may add) for it to become a thing so my vote is yes.
Q. Can you share with the readers something unique about yourself?
I am only allowed to share 10% of what is in my brain[!] Most people don’t know I have my master’s in Industrial/Organizational psychology.
This article was taken from our 'Control the Kitchen' Newsletter, if you're interested in receiving more content like this, please feel free to sign up using the subscribe section located at the bottom left of this page (or underneath the article if you're on mobile), thanks!
