A day in the life of a pro: Allyce Jones
Affectionately known as "Mighty Mouse" by her fellow players, Allyce Jones is one of the most energetic and beloved pros on the PPA Tour.
During the Round of 32 at the CIBC Atlanta Slam on Wednesday, she allowed me to shadow her to get a glimpse into her tournament experience.
“I actually don’t set an alarm when I’m at tournaments,” said Jones. “When I’m at home, I have to get my kids off to school and things are so busy that I get less sleep, so at tournaments I get extra sleep so my reaction time is better and I feel more alert.”
After downing a banana for breakfast, she headed to Life Time Peachtree Corners to start her pre-match workout.
First up, a solo drill session using a ball machine.
“I’m a big believer in the ball machine. I use the Erne ball machine, and I like it because you get to practice the same shot over and over again and get good reps in,” explained Jones. “Sometimes when you drill with someone, they want to work on different things than you do, but when you have the ball machine, it’s your time to work on what you want to.”
Jones put 75 balls into the machine and drilled forehand drops. She keeps track of how many balls are in. Once all 75 are hit, she repeats the exercise until she achieves a 100% success rate.
“I keep drilling until I never get it wrong,” said Jones.
And because she had a mixed doubles match on tap, she drilled rushing up to the net, split stepping, and driving the ball. Her drills were catered to her events.
About midway through her warmup, Jones switched paddles and used another CRBN-3X.
“I always bring two paddles with me for every tournament. Then the morning of, I get a feel for both and pick the one that feels better that day,” she shared. “Sometimes I need to get a feel for the grit and sometimes the power changes, so I pick whatever feels more comfortable that day.”
After the drilling session, Jones hit the gym.
“Because of the progressive draw, I have more time in the mornings to do my normal routine that I would do when I’m home. I try to keep everything the same on game day that I do at home,” said Jones.
Then, she popped her headphones in and started a dynamic warm up routine and did her weightlifting routine.
When progression draws started in January, Jones noticed that she was losing some of her strength.
Her trainer said that she can still do her usual workout and lift weights even on tournament days.
“I lift weights and do agility work to keep me light and quick on the court. I’ve been weightlifting pretty much my whole life, and I’ve always enjoyed it. It makes me happy, and if you feel good, you look good and play good,” explained Jones.
She came to this tournament solo because her kids are busy with school and activities.
But, her youngsters love playing pickleball and drilling with her after class.
“It’s actually their favorite thing to do after school. They come home and they always ask if we can go play pickleball, which I love, so we always go play at local courts,” she revealed.
Then, she drilled with Callie Jo Smith, her frequent partner back home in Utah.
“We start with a lot of cross-court dinking and then we play out the point. I’ll throw in lobs and I’ll work my way in from the baseline. Then, we’ll do kitchen drills, and then work on someone speeding it up,” explained Jones.
After that, it was time for lunch: an almond butter and blueberry jam sandwich on gluten-free bread with Yogis for a snack.
Cue Jones’ first match of the day, mixed doubles with Riley Newman.
“Allyce is always looking out for me like an older sister, and she gives all her energy and effort on every single point. She plays every point like it’s her last,” said Newman.
Right before the match, Jones pops in her headphones again and listens to worship album, Stand in Your Light, which gets her energized and optimistic no matter the final outcome.
The match didn't go the way they were hoping, unfortunately, but there was no time to waste with a battle alongside Hurricane Tyra Black up next.
“I love playing with Tyra because we have so much fun together on the court. We’re always making jokes and giving each other feedback on game plans. We both listen to each other and she has such good energy. I feel like we play well together and get a lot of balls back,” said Jones.
Black and Jones defeated Marcela Hones and Michelle Esquivel 11-8, 11-3.
With the hard work done for the day, Jones returned to the hotel to study film and develop a strategy going into the Round of 16 where they will face Jorja Johnson and Vivian Glozman.
“I’ll FaceTime with my husband and kids. It’s my favorite part of the day,” said Jones, who’s definitely missing her family.
But, it’s always so sweet to come home to loved ones after a road trip.
To follow Jones’ progress, watch PickleballTV and read pickleball.com’s live blog.