Pickleball Therapy Ep. 256 - Do your Best to Play your Best
Aug 8, 2025
Discover the transformative idea of "doing your best to play your best" and how it reshapes your approach to not only pickleball but personal growth. Learn the importance of self-talk after tough games, embracing setbacks as learning opportunities. Explore the power of empathy and self-framing to foster a more compassionate mindset. Hear inspiring listener success stories that illustrate how mental focus and breath work can elevate your performance on the court.
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Garden Project Taught Learning Patience
- Tony describes building a new garden bed and having to take it apart to learn a better method for future builds.
- He uses this experience to explain why stepping back during learning is normal and productive.
Retain Foundational Skills
- Keep foundational shots from lower skill levels even as you advance; they remain essential to higher-level play.
- Check your fundamentals and fill gaps that could stall future progress.
Two-Part Performance Framework
- "Do your best" acknowledges human fallibility and accepts normal ebbs and flows of performance.
- "Play your best" asks you to perform as well as realistically justified by your practice and preparation.