Mason Durbin

Mason Durbin

Mason is a former collegiate tennis player from Louisville, Kentucky and currently serves as a well respected tennis instructor at Pinecrest School in South Florida (Go Panthers!). As a child, Mason went to private school and grew up playing basketball; however, in his junior year of high school, he made the decision to switch his focus to tennis. While comfortable in a team setting from playing basketball, Mason appreciated the lessons that can only be learned in individual sports. Those lessons included the ability to self-coach, self-motivate, and to be resilient.

After several years of competitive tennis, and like many other people, the pandemic (COVID-19) hit which would open Mason’s eyes to pickleball. Playing day in and day out, he took a summer job as the lead pickleball instructor at a well-known facility in 2020. Mason says “Pickleball is the only sport that can keep children on the courts in South Florida despite 100-degree temperatures”. His admiration of the game coupled with how it impacts people and communities has kept him going strong for the past 2 years and he expects this to be a sport he will enjoy playing for the next 50 years or more.

Mason says, “I love the connection between you and your partner, and even between you and your opponent. It’s also great practice for handling the ups and downs of real life, without the real consequences”, which is also what he teaches his students. All-time great coach John Wooden has been attributed with saying, “Sports don’t build character. They reveal it”. Mason sees every match he plays as a chance to display the kind of person he wants to be whether he is winning or losing!

Mason met other members of Team Phantom by chance on the Central Park pickleball courts in Plantation, Florida. While an incredible athlete and extremely talented pickleball player, the Team was intrigued by his character and how he carried himself while playing the game at a high level. That is the main reason Mason was invited to a private hitting session to test our paddles. He immediately noticed the superior quality of the carbon fiber surface and the power in the core. Mason also loved the gritty look of the graphics. After testing all our paddles, Mason settled on the 16mm Goliath because of the longer 5.5” handle and soft touch. He claims,” for the first time I was able to get the same feel I have on the tennis court without sacrificing power or spin. Now I not only enjoy playing with their paddles, but I feel more part of this Team than any other previous sponsor I’ve had which includes the big brand names.”