The PPA’s “Be the Best” signs are all over Worlds in Dallas. For a pro chasing the top ranking, that’s the right goal. Almost everyone else plays as an amateur, and Coach Tony suggests a different version: be your best.
In this episode:
Why pickleball is a puzzle you have to solve physically, and why you need both understanding and execution
Study, then practice: if mechanics are the goal, practice more than you play (the pros drill more than they play)
Your best with opponents: when they come back from 9-2 down to win, don’t make it about you
Your best with your partner: eye rolls and shrugs, building awareness, and asking a friend what you might be doing
Your best with yourself: would you talk to your partner the way you talk to yourself after a miss?
The oxygen mask rule: take care of yourself first so you can be good for everyone else on the court
Part 1 of a two-part series recorded at the PPA Pickleball World Championships.
