Pickleball Therapy

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To sign up for our Virtual Clinic: BetterPickleball.com (click at the top header)
To join us for our System tour, send us an email to [email protected] and put in the Subject Line: "Tell Me More"
Hope to see you in class
Tony

In this episode we talk about three subjects; assigning fault, increasing our evolutionary empathy and staying focused.

I got to play in a mixed group recently where I was paired with Dakota, a younger player, both in terms of her time in pickleball and also just a younger person. It was a tight match and we ended up on the losing end of it.

I complimented her on a few of her shots and let her know that the game was on me. And what was interesting is Dakota response by saying, 'No, I didn't play well.' As an objective observer of the game, I can tell you that Dakota played very well and if there was a player on the team who did not play well, it was me.

As players it's common to think that it was 'us' that was the problem or did something that we shouldn't have done better in a rally or in a game. That's something we need to be careful about.
 
Now to the idea of of evolutionary empathy and how to apply it to pickleball- each of us is operating within their operating module and we're entitled to our opinions and our ability to navigate the world.

Evolution doesn't happen instantaneously, it's not like a light switch where all of a sudden everybody becomes something else.
 
Then the last area cover in this episode has to do with staying focused, staying in the moment or staying in bite-sized pieces. I'll share a story about a para-athlete, visually impaired athlete, who set the world record for the marathon and why we should not just look at the end or focus on just have a winning day. 

Focus on what you can actually do; your next rally, the next serve, next return to serve or one shot at a time.

Sign up to participate in our Pickleball Therapy live podcast: https://pbtherapists.obv.io/sign_up

Send us an email; [email protected]

Enroll for our September system class here: https://betterpickleball.com/system/

Level up your pickleball game with our online workshop: https://betterpickleball.com/fall-2024/

Have you've been dreading doing something or having a conversation for a long time? 

The pool is an interesting way of thinking about it where you're standing by the side of the pool trying to decide, do I get in the pool? Do I not get in the pool? One way to deal with it is to just dive into the pool. 

Take the plunge into the pool- quicker than 20 seconds, and everything else becomes easier and more natural. 

Same applies to pickleball, there a few different ways break out of stagnation and move forward. One is listening to this podcast and building habits to change your mental connections in a positive way. 

And do you feel as though pickleball is complex? You're not alone, in this episode I'll tell you a relatable view of John Isner, who comes from a high level of tennis.

Pickleball is a wonderful gift for all of us who play the sport and are interested in knowing more about the sport. It's inexhaustible as long as you remain curious and young in your mind, wanting to learn and know more or something different. 

All that can be a little bit overwhelming, so focus on one thing. 

 Sign up to participate in our Pickleball Therapy live podcast: https://pbtherapists.obv.io/sign_up

or send us an email: [email protected] 

'Winning is a Bowl of Ice Cream' episode: https://betterpickleball.com/winning-is-a-bowl-of-ice-cream/

See you inside the Pickleball System class: https://betterpickleball.com/system/

Check out our camps and trainings: https://betterpickleball.com/

In this special episode of Pickleball Therapy we talk with the incomparable Sara Weiss about her pickleball journey and the idea of being an animal on the court.

We also talk about how she balances between pickleball and life coaching and how that led Sarah to this amazing place where she's now playing pro-qualifiers.

It's interesting to learn about how she views the interaction of pickleball and the overall life experience of players because sometimes we get really caught up in our thoughts, which takes us out of being present, animalistic and instinctive.

The Pickleball System: https://betterpickleball.com/system/

The idea of strategic fluidity (wanting to be adapt to everything) and pickleball is a fine concept that sounds great in theory.

But how does that work in practice when it comes to pickleball rules and what rules to apply or not to apply?

Having an idea of the rules or guidelines can help you determine the best shot in any given situation, as opposed to a purely fluid approach that requires you to factor in all of the variables in a rally before you decide how to hit every single shot that you hit.

There are two ideas or suggestions I can recommend to give you a better understanding of the way a pickleball rally is constructed and how to deal with who takes what shot.

i) Look for sources who are serious about pickleball and are professionals. Check to see where a rule or suggestion comes from. Is it well thought out or from a source who is serious about pickleball?

ii) Be consistent with what you already know. There are times you're going to hear something that runs contrary to something else that you've heard and you have to figure out what to do.
 
Most advanced players have certain patterns and tendencies that they bring to the table.

And when you're playing, make sure that you're viewing all parts of the game or the big picture and not letting parts that you've already gotten better suffer because you're so hyper-focused on this one potentially smaller piece of the puzzle.

September Workshop- Discover the "Play Smarter, Not Harder" Strategies That Helped Over 2,000 Pickleball Players Elevate Their Games; https://betterpickleball.com/fall-2024/

Respect the X free guide: https://betterpickleball.com/respect-the-x/

Respect the X playlist: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ItFZ5JWm_hw&list=PLRe6hjjhF-o4tSBHKPscxPhJgBeQnc5oI

Forehand in the Middle. You’ve Heard it. But it is WRONG. Abandon this “rule” and play better; https://betterpickleball.com/forehand-in-the-middle-youve-heard-it-but-it-is-wrong-abandon-this-rule-and-play-better/

The Pickleball System class: http://thepickleballsystem.com/ 

There is another side to your game – and there’s plenty to be proud of

I want you to list all the things you do not do well as a pickleball player – or that you could do better. Things that frustrate you or that you “cannot just get.”

Actually, hold on for a moment before you start writing your list and hear me out.

The moment you read the above words “the things I do not do well” I imagine your brain flooded with things. We are always primed to respond to everything we do wrong. Let’s take that same framing and flip it around.

I want you to list all the things you do well as a pickleball player – or that another player you know does not do as well as you do. This last piece is not really about the other player. It is how we find out what could be worse. What parts of the game are you confident about or that you know more about today than you did in the past.

If you are up for it, actually spend a few minutes creating this list. Because I bet these things aren’t just flooding into your mind right now. It will take a moment (or 2) to bring this to the front of your mind.

It is important to aspire towards balance in our life – and that includes our pickleball.

It’s easy to have our scales tip too far towards the negative – towards what we do poorly or want to do better. Keep that side balanced with the “what we do pretty well” side and you’ll feel better and, I am going to guess, play better too.

 Send us an email; [email protected]

As we move forward, we will be in a different place every time.

Ask yourself,  am I the same player I was an year ago?

When you're working on a part of your game that you're trying to get better at, you're trying to get closer to the solution to the problem so you need to engage in iterations. 

It's processing it again and again and repeating it to help you improve faster and better.

In this episode we talk about iteration in two contexts;

1) Your improvement 
2) You as a player

Then I'm going to be talking to you about the concept of sonder, but specific to you again in terms of your improvement journey. 

Join us inside the Pickleball System class: https://betterpickleball.com/system/

The Better Pickleball Academy: https://betterpickleball.com/academy/

Why You’re Getting Slammed – Get the right answer: https://betterpickleball.com/why-youre-getting-slammed-get-the-right-answer/

Game plan is super valuable because it's human nature to make errors. 

The better that you get at the big picture view of pickleball and your relationship with sport, the better you understand the perspective and the less likely you are to tip over into a downward spiral.  

Mental work will help you play better and have more fun. For instance, try and listen to a podcast when you're on the way to the courts.

In this episode I share words from Lynne (thank you Lynne) about her training with us, and pickleball journey with us. It's meaningful to hear such feedback and to know the positive impact of our work, including this podcast. 

It makes it all worthwhile.

Send us an email: [email protected]

Find the answers to your pickleball questions: https://betterpickleball.com/academy/

Register for the pickleball system class: https://betterpickleball.com/system/

Pickleball is beautiful, amazing and with loads of benefits.

The biggest of them all being you'll be a happier human being, just from playing pickleball.   

But sometimes we get lost or lose perspective of the game.

The game that you choose to play helps you frame how you deal with adversity when you're playing.

Also how do you stop being a 12-year-old? I'm going to share with you a personal story that happened recently to me so you don't want to miss that in the RIFF. 

Find the answers to your pickleball questions at http://betterpickleball.com/academy/

Here is a link to the study press release through Saint Louis University that gives more information about the study and includes a link so you can participate in the study:

https://m.slu.edu/alumni/news/detail?feed=rss_newslink&id=f818d3a4-62d3-50b5-9ac6-77ab1241d446