How to Improve Your Game

Drilling in Your Head: The Practice You're Probably Skipping

Did you make the resolution to improve your game this year? Here's a real question: when you're sitting on the sideline while games are going on, are you just chatting — or are you studying, being a student of the game?

During my 11 weeks sidelined for knee replacement rehab, I had nothing but time to watch the games on the neighborhood courts. I watched who was covering the basics and who wasn't. I studied who covered the line and who didn't. I noticed whose backhand was solid and whose needed work.

And I did something else — I visualized myself in the play. I mentally put myself in that exact spot on the court and "virtually" played out the point, the shot, the whole sequence.

Here's something worth knowing: the brain doesn't fully distinguish between reality and imagination. Why else would we daydream or fantasize? Seriously — if you visualize yourself doing something over and over, it's almost as good as physically doing it. The research backs this up.

When you visualize with real intensity, you activate your sympathetic nervous system — the same system that fires up when you're actually playing. Your body responds as if it's really happening.

Mental imagery has been used in athletics for decades. Look into the research yourself, but here's the gist: if you mentally rehearse the perfect drop shot — let's say 30 times a day (more is better, but 30 is a solid starting point) — it's nearly as effective as drilling it on the court.

Here's how to do it. Sit somewhere quiet. Picture the setting — the feel, the smell, the environment you're playing in. Now see the ball coming toward you in flight, and feel your body moving into position to hit it. Strike the perfect shot. Feel the contact. Feel your body and your positioning. See the ball leave your paddle. Feel the follow-through, and hold that image in slow motion. See the ball rise, float over the net, and drop exactly where you wanted it to land. Perfection.

Now do it again. And again. Every night, until you've mastered it — then keep going. Do this with every shot in your game.

If you can't get to the court to drill, drill in your head. Otherwise, you'll end up drilling your head into the wall wondering why your game isn't improving. The answer is simple: you're not putting in the reps — real or mental — and both are necessary if you want to see real progress.

Happy drilling!

Guided Meditation ​Into Pickleball

  Practicing Pickleball on Your Own

For those days when you don't have a partner or don't have access to competitive play, I know it can be tough figuring out how to keep improving your game. The good news? There are more ways to practice and grow than you might think — even without an opponent across the net.

One of the most valuable things you can do is study the game itself. Watching video of players you admire is one of the easiest ways to start. Too often, we watch a match and only pay attention to the outcome — the score, the winner, the highlight — without really studying how they got there.

Take the time to actually watch the strokes, the placement, the footwork. Break each shot down into its components and replay what you see. Analyze the setup, the motion, and the delivery — the full sequence that leads to the outcome. Do this for every skill you want to improve.

If you have video of your own play, I'd encourage you to do the same analysis on yourself. And if you'd like help, I offer stroke, play, and skill analysis from video — take an honest look at both the good and the bad. Learn from your mistakes and use them to level up. If you don't know what you're doing wrong, you can't fix it.

Still, nothing replaces practice. So how do you practice without a partner or without access to the court? Solo practice has been around for centuries — hitting a ball against a wall is as old as bouncing balls themselves. My book, Pickleball CPR Drills, is full of drills built exactly for this. Running these drills over and over, with or without a partner, sharpens your eye-hand coordination and keeps your muscle memory sharp.

One of my favorite drills to recommend is visualization — running through the motion without a ball at all. The brain doesn't fully distinguish between imagination and reality, and studies show that visualization can sharpen skills almost as effectively as physical repetition. Find a quiet moment, relax, and get your mind into the right space. "Feel" the movement. See yourself in slow motion taking the backswing, and feel the action carry all the way through the stroke. Feel the contact with the ball, and picture the outcome you want.

There are countless ways to practice and improve on your own. Get creative, and lean into the methods that work best for you. You might find yourself feeling like a kid again, experimenting with new ways to train solo or with a practice partner.

Stay proactive — not just in your game, but in your growth as a player and as a person.