I have a very important question for you. Especially if you enjoy playing in pickleball tournaments. Are you playing to win?
Pickleball Tournament Mastery
I just completed my fourth ebook in the mastery series. It is called Pickleball Tournament Mastery: Preparing Your Mind and Body to Succeed.
Having played in tennis and pickleball tournaments for 30 years, I have a lot of experience to draw on. So after providing a pickleball tournament primer for new players, I delve into:
- What I do during the weeks leading up to the event — Fitness, nutrition, physical and mental skills training are all important.
- What I do the day and night before a tournament to prepare, both physically and mentally.
- My focus on tournament day and my keys to success; and
- How I go about evaluating my play when the tournament is over so that I can learn from each experience and adjust my training moving forward.
Competitive mind
Have you ever walked off a court shaking your head and saying, “How did we just lose a match to that team? We always beat them in rec play!” If so, it is possible that you are having an off day, or they played “out of their heads”….or it could be your competitive mind.
I’ve learned so much of competitive pickleball is mental. It is your ability to focus on what you can control, to remain present, to be supportive of yourself and your partner. As the skill level of the players increases the mental side of the game becomes even more important.
pickleball goals
One of my keys to my mental toughness is to establish goals for every match and tournament. But I’ve learned they need to be the right goals. The key for me is to set goals that are 100% in my control. I can’t control the temperature…but I can control how I prepare myself to play in it. I can’t control the wind…but I can control how I react to it. I can’t control how hard my opponent plays…but I can ensure that I play to win.
Too often I see players become tentative when they are in a pickleball tournament setting. They seem afraid to make a mistake. Instead of playing to win…they appear to be playing not to lose. As a result, they become tight. They may continue to dink when their opponent offers them a ball they could put away.
So next time you are playing in a pickleball tournament ask yourself, “Are you playing to win?” And I would encourage you to make it one of your pickleball goals for your next tournament.
