{"id":14361,"date":"2025-06-03T02:16:04","date_gmt":"2025-06-02T19:16:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/?p=14361"},"modified":"2025-06-03T02:16:04","modified_gmt":"2025-06-02T19:16:04","slug":"lauren-mays-top-tips-for-establishing-pickleball-prowess","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/?p=14361","title":{"rendered":"Lauren May&#8217;s Top tips for Establishing Pickleball Prowess"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<p>Lauren May, or \u201clofromTikTok\u201d as she is affectionately known by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/@lofromtiktok\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">her growing social media fanbase<\/a>, is bringing both grit and glamour to the sport of pickleball with her mix of paddle mastery and effortless beauty. A former Division I tennis player, May is building both her body and her brand to meet the demands of a rapidly growing game. Fortunately, she has some top tips for you too.<\/p>\n<p>As a junior, Lauren May was a national tennis competitor facing top-ranked opponents in the USTA National Opens, Super Nationals, and ITF events. She trained at the IMG Academy before moving on to Division I tennis at the University of Southern Mississippi, where the elite athlete played in both doubles and singles action. Sadly, however, May was forced to step away from the competitive court after a serious wrist injury spelled the end of her tennis dream.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-caption \">\n<div style=\"padding-bottom:55.36519386835%;\" class=\"ratio-based-placeholder\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.muscleandfitness.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Lauren-May-pickleball-player-on-the-pickleball-court.jpg?quality=86&amp;strip=all\" srcset=\"\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" alt=\"Lauren May pickleball player on the pickleball court\" width=\"1109\" height=\"614\" data-fallback-img=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.muscleandfitness.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Lauren-May-pickleball-player-on-the-pickleball-court.jpg?quality=86&amp;strip=all\"\/><\/div><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span class=\"credit\">@lofromtiktok\/Instagram<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>\u201cTennis shaped the way I show up in the world,\u201d she reflects in a conversation with M&amp;F. \u201cCompetitive, strategic, and unafraid of a comeback!\u201d Little did May realize that pickleball would present that comeback opportunity.<\/p>\n<p>Born in Fort Myers, FL but traveling extensively as a tennis player, May settled in Austin, TX, after graduating at the University of Alabama. Now far removed from the comradery of sports, she craved a connection.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAfter a lifetime of training and competing in tennis\u2014moving from city to city, academy to academy\u2014I finally wanted to plant roots and build something lasting,\u201d she explains. \u201cI was throwing myself at every opportunity that came my way, looking for ways to feel grounded again. That\u2019s when I found myself at the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.newkscc.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">John Newcombe Country Club<\/a>, where I started teaching tennis part-time while managing a full-time job and building brand and social content on the side. One day, I got invited to a local pickleball open play and met the most incredible group of people who welcomed me with open arms, including Dr Chip who would become a mentor.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><em><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.muscleandfitness.com\/athletes-celebrities\/pro-tips\/everything-you-need-to-know-about-pickleball-page-sep-sitename\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Click here for everything you need to know about pickleball:\u00a0<\/a><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<p>It was her instant enthusiasm for pickleball that got May\u2019s competitive juices flowing once again. \u201cMaybe 15 minutes into that first day, I realized I wasn\u2019t built to play casually,\u201d reflects the athlete. \u201cI needed to enter tournaments, like yesterday! Since then, we\u2019ve won multiple gold medals and competed at the National Championship.\u201d It was also at the aforementioned National Championship where May was voted as fan favorite. \u201cPickleball gave me a competitive outlet I didn\u2019t know I was missing\u2014and more importantly, it gave me a community. In under a year, it\u2019s changed my life,\u201d she explains.<\/p>\n<p>Of course, Lauren May is not the only one to fall in love with pickleball in recent times. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pickleheads.com\/blog\/pickleball-statistics\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The sport has seen a 311% growth since Covid<\/a> boosted outdoor exercise participation, and there\u2019s now around 50 million players in the United States alone. \u201cIt\u2019s wildly addicting,\u201d says May. \u201cPickleball is accessible enough for beginners to jump in, but technical enough to keep even the most<\/p>\n<p>competitive athletes hooked. The real secret though? The energy of the pickleball community is electric! Whether you\u2019re walking into a casual open play or battling it out in the finals of a tournament, the atmosphere is charged. You feel seen, supported, and challenged\u2014and that kind of energy is contagious.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>What issues do tennis players face when transitioning to pickleball?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe biggest advantage is definitely in the footwork, court awareness, and being comfortable under pressure,\u201d says May. \u201cI grew up competing at a high level in tennis, so I came into pickleball with a deep understanding of movement and how to mentally navigate a match.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Still, there are always adjustments to be made between sports. \u201cI\u2019m still learning how to reprogram my habits,\u201d shares the athlete. \u201cI move and strike like a tennis player because that\u2019s who I am at my core, and I always will be. No shame in that. But pickleball forces you to slow down, reset, and think a little differently, especially at the kitchen line. I\u2019m still adjusting, and I think I always will be. But I\u2019ve found that embracing both sides of my game has actually become a strength.\u201d<\/p>\n<h3>Lauren May\u2019s Top Tip For Pickleball Newbies<\/h3>\n<p>\u201cPower is great, but control and consistency win points,\u201d explains May, who invests time in the gym to build both muscle and mobility. \u201cGet to the kitchen line early. That\u2019s where the game is won.\u201d<\/p>\n<h3>Lauren May\u2019s Top Tip For Pickleball Pros<\/h3>\n<p>\u201cStart drilling with purpose,\u201d advises May. \u201cYou can only get so far by just playing matches. Focused reps build consistency, and reviewing footage of your games helps you spot patterns and fix habits you didn\u2019t even know you had.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Drills like practicing your dinks (soft, controlled shots) will help you force errors in gameplay by keeping the ball low and unattackable, allowing you to set up shots further into the rally. \u201cAlso, mix up your opponents and partners. This keeps you sharp, adaptable, and uncomfortable in the best way!\u201d<\/p>\n<p>May loves nothing better than getting her own reps in. \u201cI play 4-5 times per week, and most sessions last 3 to 4 hours,\u201d she explains. \u201cI\u2019m kind of an addict. But I\u2019ll also mix in shorter sessions when I just want to unwind, work on fundamentals, or catch up with friends while competing.\u201d Sharing her love of all things pickleball is a mission that May has really got behind with the growth of her own profile in the game. \u201cI\u2019ve built @lofromtiktok around sports, storytelling, and showing what\u2019s possible when we lean into our ambition and authenticity,\u201d the player concludes, proudly.<\/p>\n<p>To follow Lauren \u201cLo\u201d May on TikTok <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/lofromtiktok\/\">click here.<\/a><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><script async src=\"\/\/www.instagram.com\/embed.js\"><\/script><script async src=\"\/\/www.tiktok.com\/embed.js\"><\/script><br \/>\n<br \/><script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.muscleandfitness.com\/athletes-celebrities\/pro-tips\/lauren-mays-top-tips-for-establishing-pickleball-prowess\/\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Lauren May, or \u201clofromTikTok\u201d as she is affectionately known by her growing social media fanbase, is bringing both grit and glamour to the sport of pickleball with her mix of paddle mastery and effortless beauty. A former Division I tennis player, May is building both her body and her brand to meet the demands of &hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-14361","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-fitness"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14361","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=14361"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14361\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=14361"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=14361"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=14361"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}