I Can't Get Better!

There was a post recently where someone was complaining that it didn't seem to matter how much she tried, she just wasn't getting any better. She wasn't trying to win tournaments or anything, she just wanted to at least keep up with her friends.

It was really interesting that numerous people chimed in and agreed - they just wanted to see some progress.

Truth be known, pretty much EVERY player's Holy Grail is to get better.

Pickleball is way TOO EASY to play. Pick up a paddle and whack away. We develop bad habits (without even knowing what they are) and we can't get better. Most players (including coaches and pro's) have incredibly inconsistent stroke mechanics. So how can you expect to make progress if you have 15 different forehand strokes? You simply CAN'T.

We all need to focus more on the mechanics from the very beginning, and then practice them. I take every one of my students through learning the basic mechanics before I can work with them. Then we see incredible progress every time.

Find a coach who can teach you the correct basic stroke mechanics. If the answer sounds like "whatever works" or "there is no one way" then move on until you find a coach who truly understands the game (not some ex-tennis player who has been playing pickleball for 2 weeks).

Getting better is something that every one of us can do. There are no "athlete" genes that you are missing.

Let's get better!

Michael Gauthier