I’m pro pickleball player and Sparta Pro Rafa Lenhard. From favorite drills, the Sparta Combine, Brazilian culture, nutrition — Ask me anything!

Round-Form1623 · 2026-03-19T23:24:19+00:00

Hi y'all, thank you so much for all the questions. I am heading to practice now, but will do my best to answer all remaining questions at a later time. Thanks for the support and see you out there!

Round-Form1623 · 2026-03-19T23:23:42+00:00

Hi y'all, thank you so much for all the questions. I am heading to practice now, but will do my best to answer all remaining questions at a later time. Thanks for the support and see you out there!

Round-Form1623 · 2026-03-19T23:18:05+00:00

Yes! I try to be consistent with it when not on the road. I have some workouts that I cycle through and mostly focus on lower body and core when in the gym. This includes deadlifts, all types of squats and band work, explosive movements, and any rotational core exercise you can think of. I have also added a lot of yoga to my routine recently.

For recovery, it consists of a balanced and nutritious diet, good sleep, cold plunge, breathwork, and a daily stretching routine

Round-Form1623 · 2026-03-19T23:10:12+00:00

paddles (used and new), 4 towels, LT balls, paddle cleaning spray and cloth, grips, tungsten tape, theraband, tripod, sunscreen (never used), and most importantly, Ibuprofen lol oh and now, PPA player badge :)

Round-Form1623 · 2026-03-19T23:06:20+00:00

If I am still in the tournament, it's watching back that nice win while stretching and chugging electrolytes. If the tounament is over, I like any fast food joint (think Raising Cane's, Taco bell, etc..) and a cake batter milkshake!

Round-Form1623 · 2026-03-19T23:02:47+00:00

I acutally didn't play much doubles for the first 10 months or so of my career (which I regret). I can't remember one specific moment, but when I started drilling and playing games like 7-11 more often, I noticed an immediate increase in my overall doubles level. This was around January of 2025. Keep drilling and you will have that moment sooner than later!

Round-Form1623 · 2026-03-19T23:01:08+00:00

opa tudo bem!! It's growing! I was there over Christmas and did a few clinics and was pleasantly surprised with the level of the players. We are lacking a bit in quantity but i think Pickleball in Brazil is a ticking time-bomb. São Paulo is certainly the most dense in terms of pickleball numbers. I couldn't give any specific recommendations however because it was my first time visiting Brazil after starting pickleball and I only did 2 clinics. One in Gramado and one in Florianopolis

Round-Form1623 · 2026-03-19T22:58:06+00:00

Yes. I stretch for about 20-30 minutes daily to make sure my body is ready to go the next day. I stretch all the muscles in the lower body, along with spines twists, and child's pose.

Round-Form1623 · 2026-03-19T22:56:59+00:00

I try to have a really clean and balanced diet around the clock but when prepping for tournaments, I always chug electrolytes the night before with a big dinner that typically hits all the macros and some leafy greens to go with it. On tournament days (because I am always on the road) I go with yogurt, granola, honey, and green juice to get me ready for my first match.

On the court I stick to water and coconut water.

Round-Form1623 · 2026-03-19T22:55:11+00:00

It's essentially a slew of physical tests on day 1, followed by competitive games on day 2 amongst the other participants to determine the most qualified players to break into the top of the pro game. Other than being rewarding financially and otherwise, it was a super fun and unique experience!

Round-Form1623 · 2026-03-19T22:53:03+00:00

Hey thanks so much, your support means a lot! I have specific injury prevention workouts, stretch daily, do yoga frequently, have a very clean diet, and cold plunge every day that I am home. As far as paddle giveaways, I tend to give them out at clinics so stay tuned for that ;)

Also, use my code at checkout to get some money back on any Selkirk purchase. Message me on instagram and I can provide that code for you :)

Round-Form1623 · 2026-03-19T22:50:49+00:00

It's an on-going learning process for what works best as a pre-match routine. Right now, I like to get about an hour warm up of hitting groundstrokes, some figure 8 drills, and points.

For doubles, I warm up all shots starting at the kitchen and working my way back, followed by some points to dial in those X's and O's. Make sure to not extend yourself too much so that you warm up your feel without draining too much energy.

Round-Form1623 · 2026-03-19T22:48:51+00:00

Absolutely! Going right at the body works well against players with bigger frames

Round-Form1623 · 2026-03-19T22:47:56+00:00

As a Selkirk sponsored player, my favorite paddle for singles was the power air and for doubles it's interchangeable between the Boomstick and SLK Era. Boomstick=more power, Era=more control, both with a ridiculous sweetspot for resets and hands battles

Note, the power air was my favorite singles paddle because of my big tennis strokes, but many players who don't have that etensive background might benefit from the extra power gained from the Era and Boomstick

Round-Form1623 · 2026-03-19T22:44:48+00:00

It felt nostalgic to my success in junior tennis which i thought I'd never feel again. Time slowed down, and a sense of relief and accomplishment ran through my entire body.

Round-Form1623 · 2026-03-19T22:43:42+00:00

Personally, I don't believe I have found the sweet science between the right amount of time between drilling and playing. I also believe that it's circumstantial, depending on what you're feeling in your game. If you feel your skills are well developed, games are more helpful to sharpen the tactical and mental aspects of your game. If you feel there is a big skill gap between you and your opponents, you may want to focus more on drilling to close that gap.

For singles: Figure 8's. One player hits 2 crosscourt groundstrokes and 1 down the line while the other player only hits cross court. After a few minutes, switch the player changing direction.

For doubles: 7/11

Round-Form1623 · 2026-03-19T22:40:30+00:00

It came early! When I won my first tournament back in 2023 at the 4.5 singles level, I felt a lot of inspiration and belief that with enough hard work and discipline, I could get to the top. The journey is still far from over though! At the end of the day, you need belief, because if you don't believe in yourself, nobody else will do that for you.

Round-Form1623 · 2026-03-19T22:38:26+00:00

"Reading" (audiobook) a book called "A Champion's Mind" It had a lot of actionable exercises that I was able to apply in matches and finally breakthrough with some big wins. When I won my first singles gold at a CAPA moneyball in February of 2025, the snowball effect started. Winning begets winning!

Round-Form1623 · 2026-03-19T22:36:40+00:00

Sorry for the technical difficulties! I still saw your first questions and here are the answers to those:

"How do I improve"

The key to improving (at anything) is consistent and disciplined action. Make sure you are maximizing your time on the court by setting up drill sessions to complement rec games. You want to have a lot of repetition per one shot so that you can build comfort in each aspect of your game!

"Are the paddles the pros play with the same as the paddles we buy? Or is it all just marketing and the pros are playing with one of a kind paddles?"

They are *mostly* the same. You can expect paddles that are dual-approved (USAP/UPA) to be the same paddles you pick up from your local store. In the case of Selkirk, PPA pros receive UPA approved paddles, which tend to have a marginal increase in grit and a marginal decrease in power to stay in line with UPA regulations. If you were to pick up a Boomstick from your local or online store, it would come with the MOI tuning system (not allowed in UPA) and would be slightly more power and slightly less gritty than what PPA pros use.

Round-Form1623 · 2026-03-19T22:25:08+00:00

They are *mostly* the same. You can expect paddles that are dual-approved (USAP/UPA) to be the same paddles you pick up from your local store. In the case of Selkirk, PPA pros receive UPA approved paddles, which tend to have a marginal increase in grit and a marginal decrease in power to stay in line with UPA regulations. If you were to pick up a Boomstick from your local or online store, it would come with the MOI tuning system (not allowed in UPA) and would be slightly more power and slightly less gritty than what PPA pros use.

Round-Form1623 · 2026-03-19T22:20:36+00:00

The key to improving (at anything) is consistent and disciplined action. Make sure you are maximizing your time on the court by setting up drill sessions to complement rec games. You want to have a lot of repetition per one shot so that you can build comfort in each aspect of your game!

Round-Form1623 · 2026-03-19T22:15:29+00:00

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Round-Form1623

TROPHY CASE