Pickleball Magazine 3-4 Courtesy of Pickleball Guru | Page 35

your partner, “Pat, we have to hit two to A then
one to B. That was working so well!” Back to play.
Another two points go by. The strategy that had
been working isn’t working anymore!
So how do we deal with these issues? Let’s look at
some possible solutions to each of the scenarios.
1. If you find yourself or your partner suffering
from Premature Celebration Syndrome (PCS), re-
mind yourself where you are right now. Ask your
partner what the score is before you serve, call
the score, and then forget the score! In tourna-
ment play, you want to win as quickly as possible
because you only have a finite amount of strength
and your shoes only have a finite amount of rubber
tread! For the sake of your body and equipment,
don’t dillydally. Play each point like it’s the first
and last.
2. It’s a sad thing to see, but Partner Blame Folly
(PBF) is not uncommon. Someone makes a mis-
take or two and his/her partner loses faith. Things
typically go downhill from there. Luckily, the
answer is simple—play each point like it’s the first
and last. Forget the last point; forget the last 10
points. If you’re confident enough to play with your
partner from the get-go, why not give him or her
that confidence at the beginning of each point. It’s
easy to say, “Let me get that one next time.” But
it may be more beneficial to say, “You’ll get it next
time, and I’ll move forward to look for the poach.”
3. I’ve seen many players perform very well—
at the top of their game—and then suddenly,
without any specific reason, their shots become
shaky and they fall into Complete Collapse of
Confidence (CCC). If this happens to you or your
partner, it’s time to try something radical. If you
missed your last three third shot drop attempts,
maybe it’s time to try a drive. Or even more radi-
cal, how about a deep lob? Find yourself afraid to
hit to one or the other opponent? Overcome that
apprehension by always hitting your first ball to
them; you direct the play, you’re not the passive
player!
4. Sometimes you have a great strategy and it’s
working well; you’ve scored six unanswered
points! But suddenly it stops working, and you
don’t know why, so you keep trying for force it.
If the strategy that was working doesn’t work
anymore, you may have to make an adjustment.
Remember, no matter how good a shot or strategy
you have, if your opponents know what’s coming,
you’ll be at a disadvantage.
In general, here are some good tips to avoid falling
into a “finishing” problem:
1. Use time outs! When your opponents just
scored three or more points in a row, it’s safe to
say they’re getting hot. Let’s ice them! Just like
in football, when coaches call time outs to ice the
kicker, calling a time out can knock your oppo-
nents’ rhythm off and stop their momentum. It also
gives you some time to strategize, but it’s only 60
seconds so don’t waste time trying to think about
what you’ve done wrong. Instead, think about what
you’ll do on the next point to win.
2. Have a notecard for reference. Not everyone
has a coach available, so you may have to be your
own coach. Before the tournament, jot down a few
questions to ask yourself: Am I getting all the way
to the kitchen line off my return of serve? Are my
serves and returns deep? Am I keeping my eye on
the ball when I hit? Am I drinking enough water?
Simple questions to keep you on track may go a
long way.
3. Change it up. Try stacking one time. Try vary-
ing your serve or return. If you’ve been playing
consistent soft balls, try a hard one. Changing
something, even if only for one point, forces your
opponents to adjust.
4. Don’t get down on yourself or your partner—
this will only make things worse! Play each point
like it’s the first and the last. And have fun!
Now go out and close those games!
*Special thanks to Diane Baumgartner for helping
with this article. •
Rob Davidson is a 2017 USAPA National Championships
Singles Gold Medalist, 2018 US Open Doubles Gold Medalist,
IPTPA Certified Instructor, Feature Instructor for Pickleball
Magazine, and Head Instructor for Level-Up Pickleball.
JULY/AUGUST 2018 |
MAGAZINE
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