Pickleball Therapy

Obstacles will naturally arise and are the reasons why you cannot reasonably say that you will not miss a single shot the next game you play. If obstacles are unavoidable and they generate the percentage, then that percentage is unavoidable by extension. This week we drive home the conversation we're having last week about 15% volley and setting reasonable expectations as we try to figure out the best way for us to approach the invariable situation where we miss a shot.  If you understand what goes into your shots like shot variability, and removing variables, you can work your percentage error rate down.You can improve your shots by;i) Working on themii) Drilling iii) Playing more But no matter what, you're gonna have a number that is higher than 0% as there's no 0% error rate. Not even the pros have a 0% error rate. So set the number you want then get it down from whatever your number but recognize that you're always gonna have a number at the end of the day, and how you decide to react to the missed volley relative to that number is going to be relevant to, how you feel and also just dealing in the real world.Better Pickleball Academy; https://betterpickleball.com/academy/Check out last week's episode here; https://betterpickleball.com/221-mistakes-arent-a-failure/

When we're playing a match and we miss a shot, particularly one that we consider 'easy', we can get down on ourselves. Missing shots is usually the most negative feeling that we have besides losing.How do we process when we miss a shot when we play? This week I'm gonna share with you a technique of dealing with misses because they are going to occur .And it is a normal part of overall execution and strategic decision making in pickleball for us to miss shots when we play, even the easy ones. We need to change our mindset from 'I should not have missed that volley' to 'Okay, I missed a volley. That's just simply part of the deal.' This approach will help you stay in the real world and not create some discord between the words you're trying to tell yourself and the reality you're dealing with. And it allows you to avoid needlessly beating yourself up. The key is to avoid the negativity of always classifying your shot or expecting that you should not have missed and accepting that the shot is within the parameters of your overall game, which includes, by definition, missing shots when you play pickleball.Check out Better Pickleball Aacademy's packages; https://betterpickleball.com/academy/ 

This week we dive deeper into a recent episode by Tony on a very powerful perspective that had me reflect on my journey about learning. What I discovered about the reality of the struggle during practice is that, first of all, it's unavoidable. The absolute only way to master a skill to proficiency is through repetition where you will inevitably face both success and failure, no shortcuts.Now practice is about finding joy in the process and being fully present in that moment. There is just something so satisfying about the rhythm of drilling, practicing and the repetition of hitting a pickleball. What helps me to stay grounded a majority of the time is a really simple tool that I use after every practice, or after playing a session, called 3, 2, 1;👉 Writing down three things that I did well that day that do not have to be result-based. 👉 Taking on an awareness about myself on the two things I learned about myself to bring back the things I can control. It can be as simple as noticing that I play better when I take a deep breath before serving. 👉 Then one is one thing that I'm going to do with that information in the next 24 hours. This exercise is a way to shift the focus back onto the process and away from the results, and ultimately, from where I feel the struggle and the frustration. Check out the Better Pickleball Academy; https://betterpickleball.com/academy/Pickleball Mastery. A click away; https://betterpickleball.com/217-pickleball-mastery-a-click-away/ 

A distraction pulls our attention away from the main thing that we're trying to focus on and it could either be physical or mental. For instance, if you're trying to paint something, and somebody keeps tapping your paint brush right on the end, it becomes hard to paint because you're distracted by it. Same thing happens when we play pickleball and we're trying to focus on the shot or we're trying to focus on ourselves and what we need to do better the next rally but we're distracted by a number of things.How should we approach and deal with distractions in a way that is more productive or constructive for us?Think about challenges and distractions in pickleball as puzzles. So when you're facing a challenging opponent, good dinker/shotter or challenging situations such as the wind or sun, look at those as pieces of the puzzle.And the more complex the puzzle is, the more challenging the game that you are playing is going to be for you. This will help you generate more challenge for yourself and create more reward because you get to work through the challenges as you play.At the end of the day, is that not why we play pickleball? Do we not play pickleball because of the challenge that it presents to us? If it was easy, then you'd probably grow bored with it.

Experience a thrilling narrative from the USA Pickleball Nationals! Discover how a comeback victory in a mixed doubles match reveals two secrets to success on the court: maintaining a comfortable tempo for better play and the surprising power of a smile to boost calmness and performance. These tips emphasize the importance of enjoying the game while honing your skills.

Explore the journey of knowledge acquisition and the moments when things just click. Discover how past successes can boost your confidence as you learn new skills. Embrace the endless challenges of mastering pickleball while staying curious and open to growth. Celebrate the joy and gratitude found on the courts, connecting with friends and the community. Each interaction and learning moment is a step towards mastery!

On a pickleball court, there are four factors that affect the outcome of the game; us, our partner, and our two opponents. We'll use an analogy where factor A is going to be us, factor B is going to be our partner then factor C and D are our opponents-the two players across the net. The input in a pickleball game is going to be the game, the rules, the ball, the wind conditions, the court size which is standard and all the things that are happening to play a pickleball game or affecting the court conditions. Those are inputs while the output here is win the game or lose the game. Of the four factors, the only thing you can control is you and your play; how you did relative to you or what you're able to do, relative to your baseline, and relative to what you can bring that day to the court, nothing else.This means I can't look at the results of the game to determine how I played so play pickleball as a contest of you against you. To test yourself against yourself. The best way to think about competition in this game is to view it in terms of our journey as pickleball players. Look at your play and determine whether your play is improving or not improving during a session and also over time. Join our email list; https://betterpickleball.com/The Pickleball System Class; https://betterpickleball.com/system/

 Pickleball, in its essence, is a zero-sum activity because it's built around the concept that there's going to be one winner and one loser. In a zero-sum world, our opponent's victory is our loss. Their positive is our negative. But it doesn't have to be that way. Think about your losses as simply learning opportunities so now you have a positive and a positive. Let's go into an analogy metaphor where you, or a loved one or a partner of yours, drops a dish that means something to you and it breaks or cracks. That's the reality. That is the thing that happened. How we react to that reality is 100% entirely within our ability;i) We can just get upset about it and despair over itii) We can acknowledge that these things happen and it's human nature to make such sorts of mistakes and drop thingsiii) When an opponents overpower us or plays a really good rally, we can celebrate their rally rather than getting bogged down.iv) Embrace the beauty of the cracks and understand losses are just a natural outcome. We have a certain amount of control over the way we react to and handle adverse events when we play pickleball at the different levels of events; from the end of the game to the rally, all the way down to being inside of a rally.Turn potentially negative loss into a positive, which is a celebration of your opponent's win. Pickleball System; https://betterpickleball.com/system/

In this episode we're going to re-up one of our most popular and best episode. How do we customize the journey best for ourselves?Think of your journey as a customer experience and treat it that way to feel the best about yourself as a player and as your experience.We also talk about the concept of agency in outballs that applies to everything you're doing. What shot did you just hit? Where are you standing on the court? Did you play with a player who was not pleasant to you? Take some ownership over the decision to hit the ball that puts your opponent in an uncomfortable position.Now the idea of doing a second accountability concept or being a therapist is a commitment to yourself that you commit to listening to a certain number of the podcasts and doing other things which include starting some mental training with a book. The Pickleball System: https://betterpickleball.com/system/Pickleball Rules-The Definitive Guide to CALLING OUT BALLS || Avoid Mistakes and Controversy; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SvO9jR6N9JI&t=51sBecome a Pickleball therapist by writing to us; therapy@betterpickleball.com 

Explore the fascinating world of pickleball, where success can stem from both soft and hard game strategies. Discover how mixing these styles can elevate your play. The analogy to mixed martial arts highlights the importance of customizing your approach to match your unique personality. Plus, learn about the health benefits of walking and how it can enhance both physical and mental wellness, encouraging players to incorporate movement into their routines.