Hey!

Before we keep going, welcome back to another edition of the blog. If you’re new to the blog and want to go back and check out past editions, go here!

Today’s edition has three parts: 

1. A Helpful Tip (Video) – Master the Traffic Light System. The what? Yeah, I'll explain.

2. For the Pickleball Nerds – The Psychology Behind "Making One More Ball!"

3. My Journey Playing Pro – Another Weekend of Learnings at PPA San Clemente.

A Helpful Tip (Video): 

Imagine this:

Your opponents are at the kitchen, while you and your partner are back at the baseline, fending off one attack after another.

You lob it, they smash it. You track it down. And they crush another one. But once again, you get it back. 

The longer this goes, the more pressure your opponent feels to end the point. And often, they lose focus on one of their over-heads, hitting the ball out or into the net. 

OR maybe…

…you get an "opportunity ball" (a ball you feel you can handle well amidst the chaos) and hit a drop shot which gets you back up to the kitchen. And then, you win the point there!

This is one of the most satisfying moments in pickleball — when you were “supposed” to lose the point, but didn't.

All because you did one thing:  MADE ONE. MORE. BALL. 

The psychology behind "making one more ball" is a real phenomenon that becomes apparent as you watch and play more. This skill is one of the primary distinctions between pro’s and 5.0-level players. 5.0’s often manage to return 1 or 2 balls before the opposing team smashes a winner, but pros consistently get balls back.

On the flip side, it’s also one of the most frustrating aspects of pickleball to hit smash after smash, and then have it returned, time after time — feeling like the point should have been over five shots ago. Then suddenly, your opponents turn defense into offense or neutralize the point, and you find yourself back at the net, engaged in a dink battle. It's like, "Come onnnnn!"

Now, here’s what you need to know: This mindset isn't exclusive to pros. You can adopt it and start doing it well.

Just remember this: 

When you find yourself in a defensive position, don't aim for perfection.

Instead, focus on surviving one more ball. If you attempt to be perfect, you'll likely miss the ball into the net and the point will be over. Alternatively, you might try to forcefully hit a ball that you shouldn't, and once again, the point will end quickly.

Instead, aim to get it over the net any way you can. Maybe it’s a lob, or maybe it's some weird looking slap shot. Just get that thing over. Create some chaos. Then wait for the right moment, when you have a ball you feel more comfortable handling, to hit a drop shot or drive and regain control of the point.

Repeat this process enough times, and you'll really start to piss off your opponents. You’ll become an annoyance because of how hard it is to finish points against you. 

Stay tuned for a more in depth video on this topic coming soon!

Last weekend, I played Pro Men's doubles at the PPA San Clemente. Caden Nemoff and I went 1-2. I was pleased with our play. Even though we’ve known each other for awhile, we’d never played a tournament together, and it felt like we gelled well. He’s an easy guy to play with. 

Supportive. A fun personality and he makes a lot of balls.

We played Pat Smith and Wyatt Stone in the first round and Lost 11-9 , 11-6. It was another one of those where we had leads and couldn't close.

In reflection, I’m realizing when I have leads, I tend to get a bit lackadaisical in my play. It’s like I get excited when I'm winning and decide to hit shots that wouldn’t fit within the body of work of what got us to that point in the first place.

That’s something I’m keeping top of mind to work on more intentionally moving forward.

On another note. Here's the truth:

Winning at the pro level is hard work. You have to go out there and earn every win. 

So although my record this past weekend was just okay, I walked away, yet again, feel encouraged to keep improving each time I go play. Part of why the game is so amazing is you can have breakthroughs week after week, and that in itself is encouraging!

My next tournament is in Denver next month and I’m looking forward to a month of getting to add to my game and improve. 

Talk next week, 

Kyle

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