Collin Johns Talks the Vulcan Ball, Growing Up With His Brother and More on the PicklePod

Formally, Collin Johns is a former tennis pro turned pickleball professional who made his debut in 2018.

He is currently ranked No. 2 in Men’s Doubles, No. 26 in Mixed Doubles on the PPA Tour, and formerly ranked in the top 10 in Men’s Singles. He is also the brother of Ben Johns and together, they’ve won over 25 Men’s Doubles titles.

Informally, he may have the most notorious “lower extremities” shot ever recorded during a pickleball tournament.

Here are some of the highlights from his visit with Zane Navratil and Thomas Shields on the latest PicklePod. Click here to watch the entire episode and subscribe to our YouTube channel!

Breaking News

Collin wasn’t planning on playing the next PPA Tour event in Minnesota, but after receiving a call from Matt Wright and Anna Bright, he’s decided to play.

Also, the guys spoke on new merger details between the PPA Tour and MLP. While you may have already heard this news, Zane, Thomas, and Collin offer some unique insights you probably can’t get anywhere else.

What it Was Like Growing Up in the Johns House

CJ is one of seven Johns kids, six of whom are two years apart. The seventh Johns came after Collin had already moved out.

With Ben being Collin’s only brother, they competed together in everything. Hear about what it was like to grow up with Ben as his brother and a house full of sisters.

Did a Poorly Placed Ping Pong Table Make Ben the GOAT?

Every big brother can relate to Collin’s story of making Ben take “the bad side” of the ping pong table when they were kids. Of course, they had no idea at the time of its impact on him as a professional pickleball player. Collin also discusses how ping pong and tennis impacted his and Ben’s pickleball skills.

How Collin Feels About the Vulcan Ball

Collin has one real issue with the Vulcan ball and hopes it can be improved as time passes. He even thinks the new ball could be a big factor in some of the upsets the PPA Tour has seen this year.

What it Takes to Beat the Johns Brothers

After listing off the handful of teams that have beaten them since 2021, Zane asks, “What does it take to beat the Johns brothers?” Collin gives his answer – and the pickleball world takes notes.