Pickleball Therapy

Ep. 301 - Play Copernican Pickleball

This week, Tony reads from Pickleball Therapy: The Book — specifically the opening of Part Four, "Our Place with Pickleball." The framing comes from Copernicus. For a long time, humans believed the Earth sat at the center of the universe. It made sense at the time. Then Copernicus came along and changed the picture. We do the same thing on the pickleball court. We put ourselves at the center of everything that happens out there. The miss? Must be my fault. The lost rally? I should have done something differently. Tony walks through a scenario most players will recognize: a short return of serve, an opponent who moves in and drives hard, a ball that ends up in the net. The instinct is to blame ourselves. But if you rewind the rally, the cause is usually somewhere else.

Ep. 300 - Is Your Mosquito Derailing You?

Episode 300. Hard to believe.  What are the mosquitoes in your pickleball? Your opponent's shot that trickles over the net. The unlucky bounce. The gust of wind. The wrong call. The lead you watched slip away. Each one is just part of the game, and each one can derail you if you let it. If you can identify your mosquitoes before they show up, you'll be ready when they do. And the better you get at it on the pickleball court, the better you get at it in life. Show Notes: https://betterpickleball.com/300-is-your-mosquito-derailing-you

Ep. 299 - It's YOUR Journey PLUS Avoid Distraction

In this episode, I explore two important ideas that can help you build a healthier and more productive relationship with pickleball. The first is why your pickleball journey belongs to you and how recognizing your own agency can help you navigate challenges, setbacks, and social dynamics on the court. Then we examine why so many players get distracted by so-called "magic bullets" and why lasting improvement comes from focusing on fundamentals rather than shortcuts.  Show Notes:  https://betterpickleball.com/299-its-your-journey-plus-avoid-distraction

Ep. 298 - Focus Your "I Care" Beam

Let's explore this mental performance concept I call the “I Care Beam”—the idea that the significance we assign to pickleball experiences is entirely within our control. By consciously focusing our attention on the aspects of the game that bring us joy, growth, friendship, and health, we can reduce the emotional weight of mistakes and losses. Listen to the full episode for a fresh way to engage with pickleball and protect your enjoyment of the sport.  Show Notes: https://betterpickleball.com/298-focus-your-i-care-beam

Special Episode - Pickleball Growth with The Real Housewives of Pickleball

In this special episode, Tony sits down with Neely Sullivan and Natasha Linton, the co-hosts of the Real Housewives of Pickleball podcast, for a conversation on how they each came to pickleball, what Neely and Natasha took away from their recent interview with Anna Bright (especially her use of the word "conscious"), and why focusing on one or two things per rec session is more useful than trying to fix everything at once. Listen in for these and more on peaks and valleys, and Tony's reframe of what a "valley" really is. Show Notes: https://betterpickleball.com/1540-special-episode-pickleball-growth-with-the-real-housewives-of-pickleball