Tighten Up

For musicians, playing tight means not making mistakes or sounding loose and sloppy. For tennis players, playing loose and sloppy usually relates to having an unacceptable amount of unforced error. According to Webster, the definition of an unforced error is a missed shot or lost point (as in tennis) that is entirely a result of the player's own blunder and not because of the opponent's skill or effort. According to Google, the definition of an unforced error in tennis is a mistake that a player makes on an easy or routine ball - the error stems from the player's inability to execute what should be a simple stroke or return. As a coach and player, the biggest difference I see between recreational and professional level players is unforced errors, aka, not playing tight. Pro-level players rarely lose points as a result of their own blunders. The best way to lower your percentage of unforced errors is by improving your stroke technique. This requires reprogramming muscle memory, which requires a dedicated devotion of time to training and practice.

Great champions in all sports realize that no matter how good you are, there is always room for improvement, and they utilize the off-season to work on improving their skills. As season winds down here in Naples and there are fewer players on the pickleball courts, we are provided with an opportunity to work on improving our game. This will require a change to your regular playing routine. Here are a few suggestions on how to best utilize your off-season playing schedule.

Get together with someone who is also here year-round so you have someone to practice and drill with on a regular basis. Devote one hour to practice and drills and one hour to competitive rotational play. When you play, you want to apply what you are working on in your practices. Realize that attempting to implement new skills and strategies to actual competition will require a certain amount of failure; don’t focus so much on winning or losing the entire game but on the structure and quality of the points you have played.

If you can’t find a partner to practice with, work on your serve, I will do a follow-up column on challenging drills and games you can do on your own to help you become a better server.

Devote time to off-court conditioning. You don’t need to go as far as hiring a personal trainer or joining a gym. Utilizing free hand weights and basic calisthenics is a simple but effective way to build muscle strength and stamina.

Incorporate stretching or yoga into your daily routine - a limber body is less susceptible to injury.

As an instructor, I specialize in the fundamentals of stroke production and applying those skills to improve your capabilities of executing advanced strategies. I offer a lesson called Skills and Drills that is specifically designed to improve your stroke technique and successfully apply it to more advanced strategies.

Now is the time to tighten up your skills and conditioning so that when season kicks back in, your game has improved, and you are good to go.