Who’s more qualified to teach pickleball strategy than a successful pickleball player and coach? Joe Baker is both of those things, but that’s not all – he’s also an incredible teacher! Joe has gained popularity on YouTube and Amazon for creating pickleball content that’s unique, informative, and engaging. If you’re looking to improve your pickleball strategy and haven’t heard of Joe Baker, it’s time you’ve discovered this pickleball guru.
Who is Joe Baker?
Joe Baker is a pickleball player and instructor that teaches one of the most effective doubles pickleball strategies seen on the court. Baker is currently retired but continues to spend time educating others on the sport of pickleball.
Before retiring and settling in Richmond, Virginia, Baker spent 35 years working for Dupont Corporation. With a successful pickleball book and hundreds of thousands of YouTube views, it’s safe to say Joe Baker is a successful name in the world of pickleball.
Joe Baker Pickleball Strategy
The doubles pickleball strategy taught by Baker sounds simple at first, but putting the strategy to use comes with a learning curve. His doubles pickleball strategy is all about teaching people to play smart pickleball that sets you up for a win.
The basis of the strategy is easy: get close to the net and keep your opponents away from the net.
In practice, that’s easier said than done! Joe Baker stresses that the team that controls the net is the team that controls the game. When you’re away from the net, you’re playing a defensive game that’s likely to end in a loss. Being close to the net sets you up for an offensive strategy that’s proven to be more successful on the court.
Teaching Methods
Joe Baker is a popular choice for people looking to learn more about the doubles pickleball strategy because his content is thorough and concise. Baker uses a lot of diagrams and clips of real tournament play to demonstrate what he’s saying while it’s being said.
Diagrams clearly label the court positioning for each player. Joe then discusses your shot selection choices in a given court positioning and explains which shot you should choose to play smart pickleball.
Joe Baker also talks about why the other shot selection options aren’t smart. From poor backhand capability to your position in relation to the net, there’s a logical explanation for every good and bad move.
He works to teach you not only how to have a good doubles pickleball strategy, but also how to identify weak spots in your strategy that may make it worse. Follow his teaching methods and your game will be golden in no time!
Joe Baker Pickleball Videos
One of the ways a lot of people have been introduced to Joe Baker is through the world of online videos. Joe has a YouTube channel that currently boasts more than 27,000 subscribers! His YouTube videos have been viewed more than 300,000 times in total.
His channel includes videos on the basics of doubles pickleball strategy like “Pickleball 101” and more advanced videos detailing harder maneuvers. Each video is incredibly detailed with a lot of thought put into the video content.
Each doubles pickleball strategy that’s discussed is explained with real-life example clips and diagrams. The pickleball videos posted by Baker are a great resource for people who learn best through watching videos while hearing instructions!
Books
Joe takes his instruction a step further by offering in-depth books that cover his winning doubles pickleball strategy. His books have the same focus as his videos; teach people how to play smart pickleball. Baker currently has two books for sale on Amazon.
At the Line
Joe Baker kicked off his career as an author in 2017 with the publication of At the Line. At the Line is a book that aims to remind players that a good pickleball strategy isn’t as simple as it looks. In this book, Joe covers common mistakes made by players as a result of aggression and overconfidence.
At the Line can be found on KindleUnlimited and in a paperback version for a reasonable price.
How to Play Pickleball
In 2018, Baker continued his journey as an author when he worked with Coach Mo to cowrite an A to Z Guide called How to Play Pickleball.
The book combines the experience of Coach Mo with the winning strategies of Joe Baker for a guide that benefits every pickleball player. From newbies to seasoned vets, there’s something for everyone to learn in this book!
How to Play Pickleball is currently available on KindleUnlimited.
Stay Up-to-Date with Joe Baker
Joe Baker shows no sign of slowing down anytime soon and wants to continue to spread his doubles pickleball strategy around the world. Stay up to date with Baker to keep yourself at the top of your game every day of the year.
Follow his Amazon author page to get the latest updates about new books for sale.
Visit his Pickleball Blog to discuss the game and skills for the best strategy possible.
Where can I buy the black suction cup pointer the Mr. Baker uses in some of his videos!?
Hi Byron,
That’s a great question because it seems like a really neat tool for pickleball instruction. Unfortunately, we have no idea where he got it from. I did do some deep dives trying to find a source to purchase it from, but I came up empty-handed. Maybe try posting this question under one of his videos on YouTube and see if he responds.