Since turning pro in 2023, Chris Haworth has quickly emerged as one of the top competitors in men’s singles. Now ranked World No. 5, Haworth has built an impressive resume that includes 11 gold medals, six silvers, and five bronzes.

Most recently, he captured gold at the Carvana PPA Masters, defeating Jack Sock in straight games. Haworth’s rise has been marked by consistency and a growing reputation as a formidable force on the court.

When asked about the key to his recent success, Haworth pointed to an unexpected factor—the Life Time LT Pro 48 pickleball.

“The Life Time ball kind of changed how people are playing singles, and it happened to really favor how I played, so I think I came in at a good time with the ball changing and with more people staying back and hitting ground strokes,” he explained. “I continued to play how I’ve always played, but the ball and paddles really helped my game.”

The Life Time ball is still a relatively new addition to the game.

How does Haworth describe the way it plays?

“It’s faster and it bounces up a little big higher, so it’s a bit more similar to a tennis ball because of the higher bounces, so you’re able to take better ground strokes at the ball,” he said. “You’re also able to spin it pretty well with the more consistent bounces.”

The ball’s subtle differences ultimately worked to Haworth’s advantage, complementing his playing style.

“I'm a strong baseliner and a good ball striker,” he shared. “If people are willing to stay back with me, then I’m happy to stay at the baseline all day and then adjust from there to how other people are playing.”

These foundational elements of his game are rooted in his tennis background.

“I played junior tennis growing up super competitively,” said Haworth. “I played tennis in college at Oklahoma State, and then I played a year of low-level pro tennis and taught tennis for a long time.”

Thanks to his appreciation of tennis, Haworth found an immediate connection to pickleball when he picked up the sport in 2022.

“I loved pickleball the first time I played it,” he confirmed. “I was instantly hooked, and I played in a tournament a month later. I loved it from the start.”

Haworth noted that groundstrokes came naturally to him, while dinking, quicker reaction times in firefights, and volleys proved more challenging to master.

“I was pretty good when I first started playing just because I had that tennis background,” he mentioned. “For singles, I was probably a 5.0 right away, but definitely not for doubles.”

Based in Oklahoma, Haworth trains alongside other high-level players, including Isabella Dunlap and Chase Holderman. 

“I put about four to five hours a day into pickleball, whether it’s in the gym, training, or just practicing,” said Haworth. “Recently, we drill for maybe two hours in the morning and then try and get some games in the afternoon.”

There is, however, another element of Haworth’s game that can’t be overlooked.

Unlike many pros, he isn’t based in a pickleball hotspot like South Florida or Austin, TX where elite players regularly train together.

“There’s good and bad sides to training alongside other top players. Obviously, you’re getting high-level practice all the time, but you’re also exposing your weaknesses and your strengths to all of your opponents,” emphasized Haworth.

“I think the ideal situation is to maybe have two or three pros you’re practicing with full-time and you’re getting a full day’s work with them. Hopefully, you don’t have to play them that often. I think showing your game to the whole tour is not necessarily a great thing.”

Now that Haworth’s professional pickleball journey has become a success story, what advice does he have for players hoping to turn pro?

Start with the PPA Challenger Series.

“The more exposure you have, the better. The PPA Challenger Series is amazing for up-and-coming pros. I wish they had that when I was starting out because I was just thrown into the main tour events. That can be really tough when you’re only getting one or two matches because you’re running into really tough opponents,” he concluded. “In Challenger events, though, you can get 10 matches in one weekend. You get to meet more people, meet better partners, and get to know everyone.” 

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