Two Things to Improve Your Game
No matter what level you play at
In today’s Bite Size Pickleball newsletter:
Two Things to Help You Improve Your Game
BBC Multi-Platinum Award Winning Journalist Chaz Jones
TWO THINGS TO HELP YOU IMPROVE YOUR GAME
No matter what level pickleball players I watch, these two things always play a large part. My take is if you improve upon these two things, your game has a better chance at accelerating at a faster pace.
THE BREATH
I see a majority of pickleball players holding their breaths, to some extent, while they play. There is a very obvious reason why this might not serve you too well. And that’s because, holding our breaths, to any extent, causes us to be physically tight, and that causes us to limit our field of “play,” because our bodies, right down to the way we are clutching our paddle, close down, rather than “open up.” Easy distinction, right?
The idea is to be able to “play,” and by play, I mean, staying loose and free and ready to fly around the court, engaging in the moment, rather than confining ourselves by virtue of our body language. I just don’t think you can reach maximum flight if you’re holding the breath. Tension never helps anyone “play.”
The simple fix is to just recognize when you’re holding your breath, and BREATHE. I typically remind myself to do that between every point, and especially before the serves.
Stop rushing your serves, right into the net. Breathe. And if you’re not serving, use the time to also breathe.
I take a nice, calming breath in through my nose, hold it for a brief couple of moments, then release it softly through my nose. It helps reset my mind and ground me while I get ready for the next point. Needless to say, pickleball moves pretty rapidly and if you’re holding on to any kind of negative charge, this won’t serve you too well for that next point.
Often, I will also attach an affirmation to my breath, or a thought. One of my favorite affirmations is “stay loose, and be aggressive.” Another is “embrace the challenge.” That one really serves me well during the hairy game points. My other recent mantra has been “joy.” I just think of it, and I smile, feeling grateful to have found this sport and so many wonderful people to enjoy it with. JOY is a powerful drug if you can learn how to cultivate more of it into your game, heck, into your life. (FYI: Lots more on joy in my latest book. See below.)
But often, what you’re doing, is shutting down your joy with negative…
SELF-TALK
This goes hand-in-hand with the breath because when we’re too busy harshing on ourselves, for something we just did, or being pissed off at our partner, or our opponent, or how the game is going, it will cause us to hold the breath, to some extent. Again, the trick is to catch yourself when you’re crawling up your own a**, or when you’re not happy on the court. RECOGNIZE it, and replace it with the aforementioned affirmation combined with a couple of calming breaths. You might even physically shake your arms out. In any case, keep recognizing the negative reactions you display.
It’s really that simple of a fix. RECOGNITION. Eventually, with enough repetition, you’ll begin to rewire your neurons and form a more positive relationship to yourself, and your game. It’s all about creating positive muscle memory. Remembering to breathe, and learning to be kinder to yourself in your process will go a long way toward your future success. I promise you that.
MULTI-PLATINUM AWARD-WINNING BBC JOURNALIST CHAZ JONES
How can you tell whip-smart Chaz Jones is an award winning journalist? Just note the medals in the second part of this video. In the video, Chaz is warming up for his award-winning interview with none other than Mr. Danger Zone himself Kenny Loggins. If you like Chaz, stick around for the podcast below, because Chaz interviews Rick Cipes (me!) on his new book 11 Ways of the Athletic Warrior: A Guide to Peak Performance, on sale now at Amazon.
CHAZ JONES INTERVIEW WITH AUTHOR OF 11 WAYS OF THE ATHLETIC WARRIOR: A GUIDE TO PEAK PERFORMANCE
To buy or preview the book, find it here.
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