Open play can be interesting with players of varying skill levels playing and enjoying the game together. But that's not always the case when dynamics of it set in and players advance in skill; exclusivity sneaks in and can lead to less inclusive play. 

In this episode we discuss the state of play in terms of how players at different levels interact with each other. This arose from our state of play event that we had a couple of weeks back.  

Here's the thing, we have more control over things than we may think and we do a couple of things when it comes to social play to help that such as; 

1. Trying to keep an open eye for dedicated players in lower-level courts and inviting them to join your group. Nurture a supportive community while working on specific aspects of your game. 
2. Step into the shoes of those playing at different levels by playing with them – it’s a great way to foster inclusivity. 
3. Become an organizer to mix different levels of players. Online tools and resources can simplify the process of organizing inclusive events and ensure everyone feels welcome and valued.

And then I'm going to share with you a personal story about progress and taking a step back in terms of your journey as a pickleball player.  

Join our email list to get notified about the March open play event; https://betterpickleball.com/ or check out the event here; https://betterpickleball.com/spring-bootcamp/

Find online tools and resources on Pickleheads; https://www.pickleheads.com/

Bookmark episode; Mental Warmup: Prepare to Play Your Best; https://betterpickleball.com/1525-mental-warmup-prepare-to-play-your-best-bookmark-episode/

'The good thing about pressure is that it lets you know that you care.' Billy Jean King. The difficulty comes in when you let the pressure build up too much that it spills over into our hobbies and sports, including pickleball.

It's perfectly normal for players to start feeling pressure in terms of their performance but not to the point where you're not having fun or can't function anymore.

Here are three ways to release pressure and help you stay focused and relaxed on the court;

1. Between-Rally Pauses; A simple yet effective way to reset between rallies using brief pauses to take a mental step back. This allows your brain to slow down and it could be in form of paddle tap or removing the paddle from your hand to reduce tension and allow your body and mind to relax.

2. Breathing Techniques; Focusing on your breath can help shift attention away from stressful thoughts and bring a sense of calm. In this episode I explain to you two techniques you can try to that bring focus and calmness.

3. Change Your Approach Strategically; If a particular strategy or shot isn’t working, it might be time for a tactical change. For instance, if you’re struggling with your third shot drops, try driving the ball instead. This switch not only relieves pressure but can also improve your rhythm.

In the RIFF I share with you why sticking to a successful formula during competitive play maximizes your chance of success, using an example of a PPA match that happened during the Mesa Cup.

Anna Bright's great framing after the game; https://betterpickleball.com/232-anna-brights-positive-perspective-win-or-lose/

Upcoming boot camp in March; https://betterpickleball.com/march-bootcamp/

Get on our email list; https://betterpickleball.com/

Check out Pickleheads website; https://www.pickleheads.com/

Have a feedback? We'd love to hear from you; [email protected]

See you in the next episode!

In this special episode of Pickleball Therapy we sit down for an insightful and fun conversation with Shelley and Sher, the duo behind Life Lessons from Pickleball.

We discuss the genesis of their podcast, their relationship with pickleball,  eye-opening moments from their mental side of playing pickleball and much more!

Listen to the full episode as the duo shares with us how they deal with competitive partners, the pressure of improvement and more importantly, enjoying the journey and focusing on personal growth rather than just results.

Check out and support Shelley and Sher at https://www.lifelessonsfrompickleballpodcast.com/ or you can find them on any podcast platform.

If you want to listen to the mentioned podcast episode featuring Tony as the guest, go to https://www.lifelessonsfrompickleballpodcast.com/2311660/episodes/16612545-e43-tony-roig-winning-strategies-for-pickleball-and-beyond

In doing some video review for a project I was working on, I came across some really good interview answer by Anna Bright, a top pickleball player in the world right now.

When asked about what happened and despite losing the gold medals match, Anna expressed some thoughts that just reminded me of how we can have a better, a more constructive interaction with the sport that we play.

She focused on the bigger picture of enjoying the sport and recognizing the value of competition while maintaining a positive outlook because there's other pieces to the puzzle that are more than just us on the court, more than just ourselves as individuals.

That's a classical example of reframing. Instead of worrying so much about the volume of shots you missed, you pivot away from it to the bigger story and bigger picture of the situation.

The next time you step onto the court, reframe the challenges, celebrate the competition, and most importantly, enjoy the game. Whether you win or lose, you're always gaining something valuable.

Coach Pete's book on mental training; https://betterpickleball.com/resources/
Coach Pete's Playbook. Visit: coacheschoice.com and use Code CLH50 at checkout.
Note that the Book and Playbook are two separate resources. To get the most out of the experience, recommend ordering the Book from the link in Resources and the Playbook as described here. Please leave Amazon reviews for each of them as it helps Coach Pete reach more players with his powerful message.

Bowl of ice cream concept; https://betterpickleball.com/winning-is-a-bowl-of-ice-cream/

The Pickleball System class Spring opening; https://betterpickleball.com/system/

At first glance, pickleball might seem simple—just a paddle, a plastic ball, and a court. But as you play more, you'll realize the sport's complexity. It's a puzzle that challenges you, both as a player and as a person, and that's what keeps us coming back. 

Think of pickleball as an onion, used for many purposes, it's delicious, complex, deep, but can also lead to crying. The onion layers represent various aspects of the sport and personal growth, and each layer you peel back reveals another, deeper layer.

Let's explore how this analogy can help you engage with the game more effectively and avoid frustration;

i) In Play: Concentrate on specific skills and mastering the current layer of your game during play. This helps you avoid being overwhelmed by every aspect of the game at once.

ii) In Improvement: Understand that you can't skip layers, master the basics before moving to more complex strategies. All that requires patience. Work on your current skills and trust that you'll get to those layers in time.

iii) In Personal Development and Objective Progress: Recognize that there are layers you can't see yet. This awareness helps you stay positive and motivated, knowing that with time and effort, you'll uncover new aspects of the game. Continually peel back layers of understanding about yourself, your mindset, and how you interact for personal growth.

Be part of our email list; https://betterpickleball.com/

See you on the next episode!

Whenever you're getting ready to play, you want a little bit more focus, framing for yourself and perspective. This special bookmark style episode of the podcast is designed to help you before you go out for recreational or social pickleball play.

Here are four different areas to ensure you get the most out of your play on the courts;

i) Perspective Part One: Understand Your Relationship with Pickleball

How would you describe your relationship with pickleball? What keeps you coming back for more pickleball? Reflect on why you play pickleball. Is it for exercise, socializing, or the love of the game? Winning should not be the primary reason why you come out to play; focus on enjoyment and personal growth. 

ii) Play Principles: Embrace Mistakes

It's normal to want to play well but we are 100 % certain that we are going miss shots. Accept that making mistakes is part of the game. Even professional players miss shots and make poor decisions. Prepare mentally by creating two categories for your shots: "Yay" for positive outcomes and "Oops" for errors. 

iii) Perspective Part Two: Practice Gratitude

Ask yourself, are you playing pickleball? After your first game, pause to appreciate the opportunity to play pickleball. Recognize the privilege of participating in the sport, embrace the camaraderie and environment,  and the joy it brings, regardless of the outcome.

iv) Progress for your improvement: Focus on One  Thing

There's only so much that we can do while we're heading to a play session. Concentrate on improving one specific area of your game during each session to avoid feeling overwhelmed. Drill down into a particular shot or technique, such as your punch volley.

Remember to bookmark this episode and listen to it whenever you need a little pick me up before you go out to play your next session of pickleball. 

Be well.

 In this weeks podcast we talk about different strokes for different folks. 

We got a couple of reviews I'm going to read to you here because I thought it was interesting. I'll start with a shout out that's a five-star game-changing review which says 'the podcast really helped me,' and explains why. The second review is one-star, and it's entitled 'Hot Air Nonsense.' 

Both people listened to the same podcast, yet their takeaways couldn’t have been more different. And that’s perfectly fine. Not every approach resonates with every person. I give them credit for listening to several of the podcasts episodes.

That got me thinking about the idea worth reminding ourselves from time to time, that we're not all identical. 

How we interact with the sport of pickleball will be different depending on who we are. Some of us will interact with it more competitively, some for exercise and others will interact with it more socially. 

Some are in a place where the understanding of the game is at a level Eight out of 10, others are at a level 5 out of 10 and that's okay in terms of just understanding the game. Additionally, there's different ways of approaching how you want to address pickleball, meaning are you going to play the game? 

Be mindful of you and what you allow into your ecosystem, and ask questions, challenge it, and make sure that it's something that is going to be additive or positive for you in your journey.

Sign up for our email list to get notified of upcoming events and trainings; https://betterpickleball.com/

Strength training and proper exercise are essential for improving pickleball performance and should be a regular part of training, it's part of the athletic pillar that we talk about at Better Pickleball. 

In this special episode we feature Ty Woody, a sports performance coach. Ty specializes in preparing pickleball players, both pros and amateurs, for optimal performance and injury prevention. 

He shares with us why we should take care of our bodies because, at the end of the day, we want to play the sport that we enjoy.

Listen the full episode to learn more as Ty takes us through;

- A walk through on his experience with pickleball players and what he has seen in terms of suffering injuries and more
- As to whether warming up can improve performance, make you play better, and help reduce injuries 
- What is it that a pro player thinks about or does in terms of recovering and dealing with the stress of playing pickleball the way they play
- How he would talk to an amateur player who plays five days a week, six days a week, in terms of figuring out how to do this weight training and practices. 

Find Ty Woody on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pickleballsportsperformance/

How can we gatekeep information and use that to best enjoy our pickleball journey? 

A lot of times when we're exposed to information in an area we're not sure what the right answer is, like pickleball, we're likely to err on the side of letting the information in. 

This happens because we're just curious or we heard something and we're not sure how to discern that it's not correct for us.

The algorithm dictates for you information (as it knows you better than you know yourself) and even well-meaning advice from friends at the courts may not best suit our specific needs. 

All that information about pickleball can be overwhelming to sift through.

Ask yourself, given the framework of the game and the objectives I'm trying to accomplish, what's going to help me the most play the sport of pickleball? The answer to this question will help you set clear goals for your practice.

Gatekeeping your journey is as important as gatekeeping your information, perhaps even more important and will have an impact on your improvement journey on the court.

What Does it Mean to Perform?

How many games do you expect to win the next time you play pickleball? All of them? Most of them? Half?

Extend that out: what win percentage would you be satisfied with over your pickleball playing career? Would you be happy with winning about 50% of the time?

It is common to react with a “No” here. After all, why should 50% be an acceptable result.

But reflect on that for a moment. If your win rate is more than 50%, what happens to the win rates of your fellow players (most of whom are your friends)? If your win rate for all time is 80%, that does not leave a lot of winning for anyone else.

Seems odd, doesn’t it?

Having a better perspective on what it means to perform – in terms of our results – can help us avoid needless pitfalls in how we feel about ourselves and our pickleball experience.

We explore this in more depth during this week’s episode of the Pickleball Therapy podcast. Find it on Apple, Spotify, or at BetterPickleball.com under “Free Insights.”

See you there.

Check out our offerings and get on our email list; https://betterpickleball.com/

Coach Pete's book; https://betterpickleball.com/resources/