Balanced Footwork Makes the Difference December 2nd 2024

Good footwork is essential in pickleball, but sometimes less is more. Excessive pedaling, dancing, turning, or shuffling with your feet can throw off your balance and accuracy. While moving to the ball is crucial, staying grounded and balanced once you’ve reached your position is just as important.

Take the return of serve, for example. The goal is to hit a solid return and move toward the kitchen. It’s easy to let your feet keep moving as you hit, but a brief pause or split step before the shot can significantly improve your balance and control. This small adjustment boosts your consistency, letting you focus on the shot with less going on. 

The same principle applies in a hands battle at the kitchen line. Excessive foot movement—whether stepping back, turning, or "dancing"—increases the likelihood of errors, popped-up balls, or losing the exchange. Staying grounded and balanced gives you the edge to win those fast-paced rallies.

While we use our legs to generate power, it’s important to avoid "chattering" feet that compromise stability.

Drill to Practice Balanced Footwork
Here’s a simple drill to improve:

1. Have a partner feed balls to various areas of the court.

2. Start with slow, lofty feeds so you can focus on:

   • Moving to the ball.

   • Executing a controlled split step.

   • Hitting your shot while balanced.

   • Returning to a split step to prepare for the next feed.

3. Gradually increase the difficulty of the feeds to challenge your movement and balance under pressure.

This focused practice will train you to move efficiently, stay balanced, and prepare for every shot with precision. 

How to Break Through a Pickleball Plateau November 7th 2024

1. Reflect on Your Game
   Take a step back and analyze your strengths and weaknesses. Acknowledge what you’re good at, and set intentional goals to improve areas that need work. Recording your matches or drill sessions can be humbling, but it’s a powerful tool for growth once you push past any initial discomfort.

2. Seek Expert Coaching
   A good coach brings a fresh perspective, offering targeted feedback and helping you refine your technique. Camps or lessons can significantly elevate your game, providing new tips, drills, and encouragement from someone dedicated to your progress.

3. Find a Committed Drill Partner
   A like-minded partner can make a big difference. Set goals together, choose one or two areas to focus on each session, and keep drills engaging by adding mini-challenges. Play to 11 with something on the line—like a beer or a few bucks—to sharpen your focus and add some fun competition.

4. Take a Break When Needed
   If you’re feeling stuck or burnt out, time off might be exactly what you need. Taking a break can rekindle your passion, allowing you to come back refreshed and ready to play your best. Remember, burnout is real, even in a sport as enjoyable as pickleball.

5. Mix Up Your Playing Partners
   Playing with different partners, especially those at higher skill levels or with unique styles, can broaden your game. Embrace the challenge and learn from the variety it brings.

6. Stay Positive and Enjoy the Journey
   Always remember to have fun and stay positive. Improvement is a journey—enjoy each step and celebrate your progress along the way!

Grip Changes Oct. 21st 2024

There are many ways to hold a pickleball paddle, and each grip offers unique benefits. I encourage players of all skill levels to experiment with small changes in grip and grip pressure to find what works best for them. Personally, I’ve recently switched to a more Eastern grip, which has helped me generate more topspin on my serves and more dip on my drives. For dinking and punch volleys, however, I still prefer the Continental grip. When executing roll volleys, I’ll often switch back to Eastern. I encourage players to try grip changes during drill sessions. You might find that you don't need to change your grip at all but it is always worth exploring. :) 

If you're unfamiliar with different grips or want a deeper understanding, I highly recommend checking out John Cincola's breakdown. He explains the details brilliantly.

Be a Lifelong Student of the Game Sept. 16th 2024

If you're aiming to improve, the key is to never stop learning. In pickleball, even though I coach, I’m always seeking ways to enhance my knowledge and skills. Do I already know a lot? Absolutely. But do I want to learn more? Without a doubt. The pursuit of mastery is a journey, not a destination.

This mindset applies to players and coaches at every level. Being a student of the game means continually educating yourself—take classes, study videos, observe different levels of play, and ask those you admire about their techniques and routines. When I see someone whose game is stronger than mine, I don’t feel jealousy, I feel curiosity. I want to understand what they’ve done to perfect specific shots, what drills or play routines they follow, and even their off-court training habits. I've heard that even Denzel Washington, one of the most accomplished actors of our time, continues to take acting classes.

Another crucial aspect of being a student of the game is self-analysis. Ask yourself: What can I improve? What are my strengths? Is there something I can build upon? These questions are great starting points for continuous growth.

The deeper you dive into learning, the more opportunities you create for improvement. Keep learning, and you’ll see your game soar to new heights.

Tournament Prep June 14th 2024

As the summer tournament season heats up, I wanted to share my updated tournament preparation guide with you all. Best of luck out there, and don't forget to share your experiences and successes with me!

 Two weeks before: Drilling as much as possible. Work on parts of your game that are your strongest and also shots that may be exposed by your opponents.

One week before: High level match play with partner. Talk strategies and what works well for you as a team. Play against teams with different styles. See if you can find your opponents patterns, weaknesses and strengths early in practice matches. 

Visualize your success and different scenarios during the tournament.

Night before: Do something that takes your mind off the tournament, go to a movie, hang with friends, etc.

Keep your margaritas to a minimum :) 

 Pre match nutrition:

1-2 hours before a match or a long day on the court

1/2 cup oatmeal, scoop of protein powder, 1-2 tbs of peanut butter, banana, two shakes of cinnamon. Lots of water.

Supplements: Vitamin D, Vitamin C, multi vitamin, B-12, fish oil, turmeric.

30 mins before playing two electrolyte pills. I use Hi-Lyte mainly and Liquid IV from time to time. Half a banana.

During play I take an electrolyte pill about every hour (I sweat a lot).

Banana half way through my session.

Warm up:

I like to use the lacrosse ball to loosen up the hips, some dynamic stretching or light yoga 30-45 mins before play.

At the courts I try to warm up the body with a simple full body routine.

Jump rope, high knees, Frankenstein walk, glute kickbacks, hip circles, arm circles and window wipers, light jogging and stretching.

 On court warm up:

Focus on straight-ahead dinking, transitioning to more aggressive shots as you and your partner find your rhythm. Apply the same approach to cross-court dinking and drop shots, both straight ahead and cross-court. Practice hand speed with volleys from the kitchen. Incorporate a few skinny singles points, starting with serves, to round out your practice.

 TIP: I focus on warming up the shots I use most frequently, as well as the shots I anticipate my opponents might target. For example, if I know or suspect that my opponents prefer aggressive play, I dedicate extra time to practicing counters and resets.

 Light stretching once you are done for the day on the courts.

 The day is done:

Quality meal with lean protein, veggies and carbs.

Water, electrolytes and multi vitamin.

 Recovery time: Stretching, foam rolling, ice bath, lacrosse ball on the hips and feet.

The Power of Visualization June 5th 2024

Visualization works wonders. It deepens our focus and manifests precise shots and execution.

Key Visualization Techniques:

1. Enlarge the Target:

   • Imagine the ball as large as a water balloon. This helps you concentrate on hitting it accurately.

2. Play out Patterns 

   • Visualize different shot patterns that work. Imagine the flight path of each shot.

3. Direct Your Serve:

   • Tell yourself exactly where your serve is going. See it landing precisely in that spot.

4. Anticipate Shots:

   • Visualize a few shots ahead with each point, especially during drills. This prepares you for various outcomes.

Mental Preparation for Tournaments:

1. Scenario Simulation:

   • Run through different scenarios in your head before tournaments. Imagine:
     

     • Both excellent and poor shots, and your reactions to them.

     • Close matches.

     • Being ahead and not letting up. 

1. Playing in a loud environment.

• Balls from other courts interfering.

• Someone making a bad line call. 

By doing this, you’ll be more mentally prepared for any situation that arises.

Visualize Your Success:

Imagine yourself succeeding. Picture each step, from your first serve to your final winning point. This mental practice will enhance your confidence and performance.

Shake It Off, Move On, Focus Up May 9th 2024

It's natural to find ourselves mired in past missteps or losses during matches, but mastering the art of learning from our errors without allowing them to hinder our current performance is pivotal. I've witnessed teams falter due to dwelling on a few bad points, missed game points and even a bad line call in early in a match. I have also seen teams bounce back from early defeats to secure medals by embracing a mental shift and forgetting about the past. 

Reflecting on a recent tournament experience, I found myself struggling to maintain focus during the round-robin phase, performing at a B or C level. However, prior to the playoff rounds, I made a conscious decision to focus my mind and forget about the past. I even shared this determination with my partner before our first playoff match, by simply stating "I'm focused now". By letting go of past shortcomings and directing my attention to the present, I elevated my game. The result? We clinched the finals in some very close games. Had I remained fixated on past setbacks, I doubt we would have achieved the same outcome.

It's Time To Serve It Up April 19th 2024

Ah, the serve... the decision to play it safe or go for broke. My philosophy? Transform your serve into a formidable weapon. If you've already mastered consistency, it's time to inject some depth and power. 

Once you've honed your accuracy, focus on adding depth. Pushing your opponents beyond the baseline from the get-go sets you up for stronger third shots which leads to tougher 4 shots for them. Depth, coupled with power, is a strong combination that can tilt the odds in your favor.

View your serve as the gateway to offense. The pressure you apply with that initial shot sets the tone for the entire rally, often dictating who takes control.

Need more power? Try the "take a step back to take a step in" approach. Stepping off the baseline before stepping into your serve adds extra energy and momentum, boosting your power and depth.

As for practice, your serve can be your most reliable training partner. With just a court and some balls, you can drill until you achieve your desired precision. Start by targeting the back 20% of the court for consistency, then challenge yourself by aiming for specific spots.

Mastering your serve can lead to quick points and forced errors. Transform your serve into a weapon, and watch as it becomes your greatest asset.

All Around The Court (drill) April 8th 2024

In this drill, Player A begins at the baseline while Player B positions themselves at the kitchen line. Player B initiates the point by feeding the ball in, giving Player A the option to execute either a drop shot or a drive, depending on the focus of practice. Once the point concludes, the sequence repeats, but now Player A starts from mid-court. Following this point, Player A advances to the kitchen for a dink off. The series cycles back to the baseline to restart the drill. When practicing with two players, the court is divided in half, allowing shots to be directed either straight ahead or cross-court.

To add a competitive element, utilize rally scoring with the goal of reaching 11 points before swapping roles. Additionally, players can earn a bonus point if they successfully transition from the baseline or mid-court to the kitchen. 

This drill effectively replicates various court areas and shot types encountered in pickleball matches. Its structured progression ensures players do not become fixated on a single court section, aiding in developing a versatile skill set applicable to different match scenarios.

How to Choose the Right Partner April 3rd 2024

 Please note this is for tournament and league players...

1. Complementary Styles: One of the critical elements in forming a successful team is the ability to complement each other's playing styles. For instance, while I excel at setting up my partners, I may not be as proficient at poaching. In such cases, I prefer to let my partners handle poaching while I focus on executing third shots. This allows my partner to disconnect early and get involved with poaching. 

2. Objective Evaluation: This might rub some people the wrong way but liking someone does not always mean you will play well with them. While personal affinity is important, it shouldn't be the sole basis for choosing a partner. Encouraging positivity and fostering friendship with your partner is beneficial, but it's crucial to assess on-court compatibility.  As a coach, I've witnessed instances where partnerships continued solely due to personal relationships, despite being detrimental to on-court performance.

3. Understanding Your Playing Identity: Recognizing your strengths and weaknesses as a player is essential. If you excel in consistency and setting up opportunities but lack power, you might seek a partner with strong offensive capabilities. Similarly, if you prefer dominating the left side of the court, you'd benefit from teaming up with a right-side specialist. 

4. Embrace the Process: Give Your Partnership Time to Flourish

   Patience is key in cultivating successful partnerships. I've witnessed remarkable teams evolve simply because they allowed ample time to understand each other's playing styles. In the face of a single setback, players often rush to abandon their partners. While there may be occasions where this is warranted, there's immense potential in allowing a partnership to develop over time.

   By investing time into your partnership, you unlock opportunities to discern the dynamics that define your team. Through trial and error, you discover what synergizes effectively and what doesn't. It's no coincidence that many professional teams commit to extended periods of playing together, whether it's a full season or half a year, especially when forming new partnerships. This time allows for crucial adjustments and the exploration of winning combinations. In essence, by affording your partnership the gift of time, you lay the groundwork for sustained success and the realization of your shared goals on the court.

   5. Just pay Ben Johns an absurd amount of money to be your partner. :) 

    

   Three Tips To Become A Better Player March 20th 2024

1. Embrace Self-Awareness: Recognizing your strengths and weaknesses is pivotal for growth. Understanding what you excel at allows you to craft your strategies around those strengths, while acknowledging your weaknesses provides clear targets for improvement. 

2. Dedicated Practice: Consistent, purposeful practice is key, ideally structured in drill formats. Partner drills offer versatility, allowing you to address various aspects of your game. Focus on specific areas of improvement during each session, limiting your attention to one or two items. For instance, concentrate solely on ways to advance to the kitchen, utilizing drills such as drop shots, drive-and-drop combinations, or transition zone games. If a drilling partner isn't available, set targeted objectives during recreational play. For example, prioritize drop shots to get up to the kitchen, even if it results in a few missed attempts.

3. Find Joy in the Journey: Guard against burnout by savoring the process of improvement. Over committing to any endeavor can lead to diminishing enjoyment. If pickleball begins to feel burdensome, grant yourself permission to take breaks. Stepping away for a few days from play or practice can reignite your passion upon your return. Even pickleball addicts like myself occasionally experience burnout, but each break has brought my spark to improve back.

Put Your Pride Aside March 13th 2024

Avoid falling into the trap of playing into your opponents' strengths. It's a common pitfall to attempt to outmatch adversaries in their own game, but the key lies in capitalizing on your strengths while exposing their weaknesses. Sometimes we need to admit to ourselves that a player is better at something than we are. 

Recently, I encountered a formidable team boasting significant firepower. Initially, we inadvertently played right into their preferred style, engaging in a fast-paced, slap fest. Unfortunately, this approach led to a swift defeat. I love to play fast but realized this team was better at that style. After a quick huddle and strategic rethink, we adopted a simple mindset: extend the rallies. Our objective shifted towards executing drop shots and dinks, gradually wearing down our opponents.

By forcing them into a softer, more defensive game, we effectively turned the tables. Our opponents, accustomed to dominating with their power play, found themselves out of their comfort zone and struggling to keep up with our finesse. It was a lesson in strategic adaptability, highlighting the importance of recognizing when to set aside pride and play to our own strengths rather than trying to outdo our opponents at their game.

Warm Up And Recovery Feb 22nd 2024

Warm Up:

• Arrive 10-15 minutes early to do a dynamic warm-up, incorporating light activities like jogging, stationary biking, or jump roping.

• Focus on dynamic stretches targeting hips, glutes, and shoulders to prepare muscles and get a sweat going before hitting the court.

• Prioritize warming up all shots, especially those I'll use frequently. An extended warm up helps shake off nerves and that "cold first game". 

Recovery:

• Light stretching post-match, even just 2-3 minutes, can make a noticeable difference.

• Ice baths or cold plunges for 3-5 minutes significantly aid recovery, reducing soreness by 50-60% and improving sleep. This is my favorite recovery tool! 

• Use a lacrosse ball for targeted hip and foot massage.

• Stretch before bedtime for better sleep quality.

"Show Up, Warm Up, Play Hard, Recover Harder"

Mastering the Overhead Feb. 17th 2024

Ah, it's our moment to shine! Whether it's our earned opportunity or a poorly executed lob from our opponent, this is our chance to dazzle the crowd with a powerful overhead smash. Here are some key pointers to ensure we hit it with authority: A simple phrase I use for a reminder is "turn the hips, snap the wrist" but lets go a little further into detail. 

1. Positioning: If the ball sails over our head and we're right-handed, we pivot our hips so that our left hip faces the kitchen while the right hip points towards the baseline. This not only aids in generating power but also ensures safety in case we need to let the ball bounce.

2. Preparation & Form: "Rightys" Raise the left hand as a guide while keeping the right arm's elbow bent. Strive to make contact with the ball in front of the body whenever feasible. Connect with the ball at a high position while still allowing your arm to be slightly bent. When executing the follow-through, employ the "hand in the cookie jar" technique, emphasizing a wrist snap to drive the ball downward effectively.

3. Targeting: Opt for open spaces whenever possible, as they offer the greatest advantage. Utilize angles if the situation permits, and aiming for the middle of the court is often a reliable strategy.

4. Progression: Prioritize control over power initially. As proficiency grows, gradually integrate more power into the shot while maintaining accuracy and technique.

By adhering to these principles, we can consistently deliver a solid overhead that demands respect. 

Enhance Your On-court Experience February 1st 2024

1. Incorporate Deep, Intentional Breaths: Engage in deliberate and deep breathing to center yourself during play. Try to exhale on shots. This is an old tennis trick that is taught from a young age. 

2. Take Your Time Between Points: Resist the urge to rush to the serving line. Take a moment to gather your focus before approaching the next point.

3. Learn from Mistakes and Move On: Embrace mistakes as learning opportunities and swiftly shift your attention to the upcoming point. Dwelling on errors can distract from your overall performance.

4. Sport a Smile: Cultivate positivity by wearing a smile, even during challenging moments. A positive demeanor can significantly impact your mindset and your team's performance. 

5. Inject Humor with Your Partner: I have had students tell me they lighten the atmosphere by joking with their partners. Many players find that injecting humor into matches contributes to a more enjoyable experience.

6. Gratitude Perspective: Remind yourself that, ultimately, you are fortunate to be playing pickleball. Maintain a sense of gratitude for the opportunity to engage in this amazing sport.

By incorporating these practices, you can enhance your focus, maintain a positive mindset, and elevate your overall enjoyment of the game.

Or just sport a bad attitude and blame your partner at all costs. Just kidding! :)

Stay positive and have fun out there! 

Make Your Opponent Hit From Awkward Positions January 22nd 2024

The classic "placement over power" still holds true, even in today's fast-paced game. Amid the quickened pace, the significance of strategic placement remains undeniable. When instructing the drive, I prioritize a 60% paced shot that forces the opponent into an awkward, low volley position. This is often more effective than sheer power.

In the realm of dinking, the emphasis shifts to targeting spots that set opponents in motion, making them "dance" on the court. Increased movement heightens the likelihood of errors or pop-ups. With kitchen speed ups or attacks think about real estate, "location, location, location". Optimal areas for kitchen attacks or speed-ups are the opponent's dominant shoulder, inducing the dreaded "chicken wing," or the dominant hip as an alternative.

While power undeniably has its impact, it's essential to remind players that controlled and targeted shots statistically yield higher success rates.

Key takeaways include:

• Forcing opponents to hit below the net is strategically advantageous, regardless of shot speed.

• Location, location, location

• Get our opponents "dancing"

• Look to be calculated and controlled when attacking 

Efficient Shot Making Starts With Efficient Footwork January 17th 2024

In pickleball a lot of our success depends on proper footwork. If you remind yourself to always return to a solid athletic stance you will be more likely to succeed: knees bent, paddle in a ready position, feet shoulder width apart or a bit wider. Once you have created this foundation as muscle memory, then you can focus on proper footwork. This means being proactive and moving to the ball and getting our weight going forward during shots. Being able to move efficiently is key to setting up the shots you want. A lot of missed shots are due to being out of position which can lead to reaching or hitting bail out shots. Want to improve your footwork? Try agility ladder drills, cone drills, and moving on the pickleball court without hitting balls. 

Break The Cycle January 12th 2024

Often, during a match, our team finds itself caught by the opposing side, trapped in a losing cycle. This predicament often stems from players exhibiting stubbornness, a challenge I've encountered all too frequently. A simple example involves speeding up at a player, only to be met with a counter that results in a point for the opponent. Initially, it might be dismissed as luck, but the real issue arises when we persist with the same approach, yielding the same outcome. In such moments, it's imperative to resist the temptation to prove superiority through repetition. Acknowledging the need for adaptability becomes crucial. Rather than stubbornly sticking to a failing strategy, it's wise to break the cycle by shifting focus. Instead of engaging the same approach repeatedly, diversify your shot selection.

Simplify Your Stroke Production January 12th 2024

Reflect on instances where you faced an opponent who aggressively dominated the court, exerting pressure through forceful drives and attacks. In such situations, the instinctive response is often to counteract with a similarly offensive approach. For instance, when confronted with pace and spin towards us, the tendency is to intensify our swing in an attempt to swiftly conclude the point. However, this heightened pace often compromises control, resulting in suboptimal shot execution. A more strategic response would be to shorten our stroke production. By simplifying our "counter" shot, we can effectively redirect the opponent's pace and regain control of the game. Embracing simplicity in shot selection during moments of heightened pressure proves to be a winning strategy.

Put Something On The Line December 12th 2023

If you find it challenging to maintain focus during recreational play, drills, or training sessions, consider this effective technique. When you sense your attention waning, the game losing its intensity, or you believe the overall level could be elevated, introduce a friendly wager aka putting something on the line. I recall a session where, after about two hours, the energy seemed to dip. In that moment, I proposed a $20 bet for the next 2/3 match. Instantly, the intensity surged! Everyone became fully engaged, playing as if it were a tournament, and the overall experience was markedly enhanced. I routinely apply this strategy during drills by incorporating scoring in dink rallies, drop shot games, and various exercises. The stakes could be as simple as the loser buying lunch or a round of drinks. Having something on the line adds a layer of focus, transforming a potential lull into a determined and enjoyable session. Give it a try next time you sense a plateau in your games or drills!