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Game falling apart? Focus on one thing

12/9/2018

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Recently, I've had trouble sleeping. That happens when I have too many things on my mind. But I've learned a method that helps me get past all the stuff in my brain: I concentrate on my breathing and count while I inhale and exhale.*

I only have to do this about ten times. By then I'm asleep, or I’ve allowed my mind to wander into dreams. This method works because I stop thinking about trying to sleep and focus my attention on just one thing.

Why am I telling you about sleeping in a pickleball blog?

​
I approached a coach one day when it seemed like I could do nothing right on the court. I kept missing my targets. My shots went into the net or too long. The more I tried to fix my game, the worse it got.

He said, "Pick something to concentrate on. Watch the ball and see your paddle hit it. The rest of your game will fall into place."

In our efforts to make the best shots, or to break bad habits, or to try new techniques, our minds become overfull with information that is often at odds. How can you relax and still be ready to spring into action on the balls of your feet? How can you shadow your partner and watch the ball and your opponent at the same time?  How can you anticipate your opponent's next shot and think ahead to your best reply?

At times like that, focus on just one thing. Watch the ball, or concentrate only on shot placement. Concentrate on your footwork. Watch your opponent to anticipate her shot. Let the rest go, and, surprisingly, you should find that your body "knows" how to play pickleball when you get your thinking out of the way. 

*Take a long, slow breath in through your nose and count (roughly by seconds) to five—or whatever fills your lungs. Hold that breath calmly while you count to seven. Then let it out slowly through pursed lips for a count of six. Vary the numbers for what works for you, but it's best if they're all different.

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Amateurs lose points. Professionals win points.

5/27/2018

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Picture
It's funny how things come together sometimes to bring home a lesson. Recently, my "coincidence karma" has functioned well, and information I needed has come via unusual sources.

I subscribe to a blog by a man who espouses mindfulness, among other things. His most recent post described information he'd gleaned from a book about tennis written in the 1970s. The blogger wasn't interested in tennis, but he was fascinated by Dr. Simon Ramo's premise that most of us play the "loser's game," where a win is the result of the loser's actions rather than any talented play by the winners. 

Contrast that with the "winner's game" played by professionals. Their game features excellent serves, intense focus and preparation for each shot, long, spectacular rallies, and brilliant recoveries. In time, someone takes a risk and attempts a put-away shot or precisely targets a shot that's unrecoverable. At this level, winning points—rather than making mistakes—determines the outcome of the game.

Amateurs lose points. Professionals win points. ​
For the bulk of us who are not (yet) pros, Ramo insists that the key to winning is allowing our opponents to defeat themselves by making mistakes. He compiled an extensive database of points scored in actual tournaments by both professional and amateur players. Ramo found a consistent pattern: in the winner's game of professional tennis, superb offensive execution accounts for approximately 80% of the points won. Conversely, about 80% of the points in amateur loser's games are lost due to unforced errors.
​

Bringing this wisdom to the game of pickleball is a short hop. All of us have watched games between our amateur peers and wondered at their unnecessary mistakes. (Of course, it's always easy to be a great player while on the sideline.) Pros don't make those mistakes anymore. They've perfected their play and progressed to the point where each player is only slightly more skillful than another. 

I'm assuming you're an amateur pickleball player, if you've read this far. What advice can you take away from Dr. Ramo's words?

​Whether you want to win more amateur games or become a pro, your strategy should be to recognize and then eliminate the costly errors that defeat you. In the long run, doing this will benefit you far more than learning how to make that super shot down the sideline.

​To learn more, pick up a copy of Dr. Simon Ramo's book, Extraordinary Tennis for the Ordinary Player. (Many libraries shelve it.) His  wisdom can benefit nearly any endeavor, not just pickleball. For a shorter read, check out an article from the New York Times that gives some insight into Ramo, the man, and excerpts some the concepts from his book.
​
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    Gale Leach lives in Arizona with her husband, two dogs, and a cat. When she's not writing pickleball tips, she's working on the second in a new series of novels for young adults and updating The Art of Pickleball.

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