It is interesting that today I received two articles about the mental side of pickleball. Both are somewhat related and might be of interest to those who count themselves more competitive than the casual “lets go out and get some exercise” players. Of course there is nothing wrong with just wanting to play to have fun and get exercise. That is one of the wonders of pickleball…it can be enjoyed on many levels!
Sarah Ansboury’s post, Being Present addresses a situation that I have been in at one time or another, but thankfully not that often. What I am talking about is letting something that happened on a previous point affect future play. It doesn’t make a difference if it is in the same game, the last game, the game last week or several months ago.
As Sarah points out, successful athletes have the ability to compartmentalize situations and focus on the here and now. Here is a quote from her article:
That point is over. Whatever happened, happened. That moment in time cannot affect the future unless we choose to let it. If a player focuses on a bad shot, the fact that their last serve did not go in, or what they consider a bad line call they cannot focus on the task at hand, i.e. the current point. To focus all your energy on the current point you must learn to turn off the thoughts that don’t contribute to the moment at hand.
I have played in games when after the game a player focuses on some of his or her mistakes disregarding the very good plays they made. I think that is part of the human condition. At the end of her article Sarah Ansboury says: “There is always something you did well. Focus on that, and forget the rest.” It may be hard to do at first, but its a skill that needs to be developed.
Read the entire article Being Present
On a related topic, In2Pickle.com talks about the Dreaded 9. If you have been playying pickleball for a significant amount of time, you may have been in this situation on one side or the other.
A team is winning by a fair amount, let’s say 9 to 5. Realizing that you only need two points to win, you begin to become more aggressive and end up losing. Tony, of In2Pickle.com, explains the strategy he would use to avoid losing in this situation. I have been on both sides of this scenario and I have noticed the momentum shift.
This too is part of the mental mindset behind winning pickleball. Read Tony’s article, The Dreaded 9!
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