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This piece of advice changed my pickleball game forever.

“Each point holds the same weight in the match.”

What does that mean? It doesn’t matter if you win a 40-shot dink rally or if your opponent misses your serve. Understanding this is important because it will stop your opponents from gaining momentum.

Oftentimes, a big point from the opposition will lead to a snowball of errors from you. Understanding this allows you to mentally reset after each point is over and regain control.

Now, let’s get to this week's video:

The Different Types of Grips in Pickleball

When I first started pickleball, I had no idea what different grips were or how they were used. It was just confusing to me. Now, I get it. And I’m going to teach you the different grips and what they’re used for. . . in Under 60 Seconds.

How did I go from never coming close to winning a pro tournament to winning two in a row?

What changed?

I’m going to tell you.

I feel that right now I’m playing the best pickleball of my life.

I’m actually playing/training a bit less than I normally do, but I’m performing better than ever.

How can this be?

I completely simplified my game.

My game style right now is taking the highest percentage shots as many times as I can throughout a rally and throughout a match. The only real change I made was my mindset shift. Each time I’m in a rally, I take calculated risks. I don’t speed up balls unless I see a blaring opportunity. If there is a 50/50 opportunity to speedup, my brain tells me no. My brain used to tell me “NOW!” on balls that I was at a 40/60 disadvantage.

I’m now comfortable and look forward to long grindy points. I used to want the points to end quickly because I was nervous I’d miss a dink. My recipe for success is playing with an extremely consistent mindset and only taking risks when they’re heavily in my favor.

No fancy shots, and a calm mind will do wonders for your game.

-Tanner