Mental Game On

My rating: 4.5 out of 5

Above: Elizabeth Callahan, sport shooter, wears some sort of cool gadget on her face.

As the fog lifted this morning, a realization: My mental game was off. Here’s how I knew:

1. I had a 5 point lead within the first 10 minutes of my first game. By the end of the game, I still had the same score. Lost 7-10-12. That usually means I’ve seized up once I’m within sight of the opportunity to shut down the game.
2. I volleyed back three serve returns in a row. That’s illegal. Meaning, I serve, the other side returns it, and I volley it back (hit it in mid-air rather than letting it bounce). That was a sign that I was too anxious to get at the ball rather than relaxing and thinking.
3. Jim noticed that I served several times like “scoreWHACK” as in “‘7-2-3-2’WHACK” rather than pausing after calling the score. That’s a big hint that anxiety has come into play.

I was fortunate to be playing with two veterans, and we talked about it. Jim suggested deep breaths before, during, and after a set.

My final game score was 9-10-12 so I felt that the forced relaxation was definitely an improvement. I still have a lot to learn. Bill says he tries to avoid playing me up at the net, because I’m good there. He lobbed a lot today. Jim says he tries to hit at my backhand, because it’s still weak. True enough.

I’m going to read up a bit on visualization. Bill mentioned it. Worth a try, probably.

Mood upon arrival:

Mood upon return:

By Marc Carson, Saturday September 1, 2012.
Filed under: Pickleball