Interview with Scott Golden "THE GOLDEN BOY"

Scott Golden and Dave Weinbacher at the PPA Showcase tournament June 2020 in California,

Scott Golden, a USAPA 5.0 rated pickleball player, received his nickname "GOLDEN BOY" by a friend one day, and it just kind of stuck with him. When Scott isn't on the courts playing pickleball, you will see him behind the scenes commentating at Professional Pickleball tournaments for PPA on ESPN3. In 2018 Scott signed a major contract with Monarch/Dicks Sporting Goods. His paddle is named "The Golden Axe."

PTPC: Have you ever been to Port Townsend, Washington?

SCOTT: Not yet, but it is on my Pickleball bucket list to make it up that way.
Perhaps I can set up a future Golden Boy Pickleball Clinic in the future.

PTPC: What is your diet and workout regimen like to keep you strong for
pickleball and during tournaments?

SCOTT: Admittedly my regular diet is not the cleanest or healthiest it can be :) I like fast food and I have a crazy sweet tooth that I can’t seem to get a grip on. Lol. For tournaments I like to start drinking water with Jigsaw health electrolyte packets a few days before the tournament. On tournament day I try to eat a solid breakfast with some protein in it. Between matches I like to eat my 1044Pro protein bars. After the tournament is over, I like to go out to eat and have a cold beer and relax
a little.

PTPC: When playing mixed doubles, what strategies would you recommend?
The Woman seems to take a lot of the heat from the opponents.

SCOTT: Mixed doubles is a totally different mindset than singles or regular doubles. As a strategy, I like to let my female partner take the 3rd shots and look for windows to poach or attack off her drop or drive shot. Once at the Non Volley Zone, I would recommend keeping the paddle up and be ready to pounce on any ball that pops up a little high. You and your partner have to trust one another. Stay patient and construct the point, until you get a shot that you can put away.

PTPC: How did you get into commentary?

SCOTT: I have been live-streaming and commentating since day one. When I first started on my tournament journey, I used to play and live stream all my matches. Then if I didn’t make it to the medal rounds, I would bust out my tripod and my cell phone, and I would stream and commentate the bronze and gold medal matches. I did this consistently for basically 3 years straight. As my brand grew and my reputation for being a good commentator grew, I finally got a big break when Jan David hired me to commentate 40+ hours of pro pickleball matches at the 2018 Pickleball Global Challenge Cup! After that more and more opportunities began to present themselves. This past January in 2019 I was fortunate enough to sign a major contract with the Professional Pickleball Association and get to commentate on a large stage thru the ESPN3 platform. It’s been a very fun journey that I feel is just beginning.

PTPC: Out of all the pro pickleball players, who inspires you the most and
why?

SCOTT: Megan Hall for sure. She is new to the Pro Pickleball scene, and not a ton of people know her name yet, but she is putting the work in every week to become a top tier female player in the sport. She comes from a college tennis background, but has always earned her way through life with hard work and dedication to becoming the best version of herself. She juggles work as a professional tennis coach in Florida, being a single Mom to a 3-year-old daughter named Frankie-Grace Hall, and she puts up with me on a regular basis, LOL. Just since January 2020, she has given some big names in the sport a run for their money in singles, and has had some pretty good wins over pro players, both women’s and mixed doubles. Keep an eye out for her name in 2021.

PTPC: Share something that no one else would know about you.

SCOTT: When I was in the 4th grade, I won this massive Easter egg hunt in the city where we lived at the time. I remember I won this HUGE purple Easter bunny, and the local news came and took a picture and interviewed me. Only my immediate family knows this story. Ha. I’m sure my Mom could dig up the article with the picture.

PTPC: Favorite quote?

“Freed from the thoughts of winning, I instantly play better. I stop
thinking, start feeling. My shots become a half-second quicker, my
decisions become the product of instinct rather than logic.”
— Andre Agassi

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Golden Boy Scott Golden with Pro Pickleball Player Kyle Yates @ the Bardmoor Pickleball Tournament in Tampa, Florida. Kyle and Scott  wore these as a way to promote the tournament and draw attention. All photos sent in by the Golden Boy himself.

When I contacted Scott to see if he would be interested in interviewing for our newsletter, he was energetic and receptive to the idea. I found him to be kind, well-mannered, and very likable. The nickname "Golden Boy" fits him well. Thank you, Scott, from all of us here in Port Townsend for taking the time out for us to get to know you better!  Stay Golden!

You can follow Scott on Facebook or Youtube