Are You Ready?

I've dealt with this previously, but it is one of those things that needs constant attention.

Being "ready" means much more than just holding your paddle up. You need to plant your feet a bit wider than your shoulders. Then bend your knees and drop your butt (don't bend forward very much). And then get your paddle up around your chest at an angle that you are comfortable with (realizing that you will need to quickly move to your forehand or your backhand).

So now your entire body is "ready", and can move (or stay) so you can hit the ball.

And then, most importantly - you need to make sure that your stroke follow-through takes you back to ready again. This is crucial.
Being ready ALL OF THE TIME will allow you to react quickly and efficiently. While overall, pickleball is a fairly slow sport, things tend to happen very QUICKLY. And if you are not ready, then you simply don't have enough time to get ready, move, and hit the ball.
Ever notice how most hand battles only last three shots each before one of you is so badly out of position that the rally is lost? Then watch most of the pro's - hand battles are a master class in shot efficiency. Typically nothing but the the arm from the shoulder down is moving. And they can battle for what looks like forever. Because their bodies are always ready.

But wait there's more - a bonus tip - if you can consciously get properly poised and ready, then you will find it MUCH easier to focus on whatever is necessary at the moment. Focus is one of those rare things that you can't buy at Costco, so we have no idea how or where to get it. But by getting physically ready, what you've really done is focused your body. And in doing so, you've made it much easier to focus your mind on the situation you are in and to figure out what you should be doing. Quite amazing actually, and it really works.

See you on the courts.

​Michael Gauthier