one day and said , gently but firmly , “ Peter , you ’ re just not good enough to be that upset !” He ’ s still a family friend , thank goodness !
I eventually became a certified tennis teaching pro and high school tennis coach , and Martha ’ s now a pickleball teaching pro and player . We still play together , winning a silver in pickleball at last year ’ s St . Louis Senior Olympics . I came up with the Compete-Learn-Honor ( CLH ) approach to the mental game to help my high school tennis teams , but it had been forming for years — to help me !
Now it ’ s helping thousands of tennis and pickleball players , including us , redefine success to be improving as a player and a person , with the result that you play better ball with less focus on the outcome . No guarantee , ever , but doing CLH can ramp up the odds of your getting the outcome you want — victory — by focusing on things you can control , not on what you can ’ t , which is the outcome of a W or L .
So how does CLH help in pickleball , whether in dubs or singles ? Here ’ s how I ( Martha ) use CLH with my students , opponents and dubs partners in competition and my pickleball friends in recreational play . I keep returning to these ideas to anchor me .
COMPETE :
Solve the puzzle . The match is a series of puzzles . Solve them alone or with my partner , if willing . Sometimes my partner is part of the puzzle to solve !
Have a game plan . If my partner won ’ t talk strategy or tactics , I focus on what I ’ m trying to improve that day and do not get distracted from that plan , even if partner communication isn ’ t going great .
What matters is right now , this shot , this point . Breathe , look up , feel your paddle face — that keeps you in the present .
Be humble , smile , and drink water to de-stress . Everything that is happening , whether going well or not , is part of my pickleball journey to remember and learn from .
LEARN :
Lose my “ self .” Remember how lucky I am to be standing here and now , playing a game I love !
Adjust – adapt – survive . Be willing to learn something from everyone , even if it ’ s that I need to work on my game and my attitude .
Take notes and then study the notes . I have notes on yellow pads written in large handwriting to be able to see without reading glasses .
Improving is a better goal than winning . Say it . Just say it .
Mistakes are necessary to improve . Be willing to make mistakes while figuring out my partners and my opponents and my game that day .
HONOR :
Respect all . Regardless of the level they play , be willing to talk with and play with any pickleballer before or after I give a lesson or do my own rec play at my real level . I learn something every time and it grows the game .
Do not strive for victory — strive for gracefulness , balance , patience , and clarity . Those components are what effective shots are composed of time and time again .
Make no excuses . This is hard but it ’ s effective . I ’ m a winner when I take responsibility .
Give my all to the moment I ’ m in . Breathe and look around and up at the sky or ceiling . Say “ It ’ s OK .” Smile . Feel the gratitude . Get ready for the next shot .
Do all this and your dubs partners will more often want to talk strategy and tactics because you ’ re focused on love of the game and improving yourself and not on criticizing them — they ’ ll feel more accepted and less defensive . It will be more fun !
Mental skills like these often get left to chance , or maybe your pro will give you a few ideas here and there . But sport science tells us that this approach isn ’ t enough to develop true habits that can be counted on under match pressure . For players AND pros , you ’ ve got to be systematic and consistent about teaching and learning these mental and emotional skills . Otherwise , they won ’ t stick . Commit to CLH and you ’ ll be happy with the results , on and off the pickleball court !
All this helps you focus on the “ why ” you play , the purpose , so that you love the game — the competing , the learning , and the honoring — more than you love the wins or fear the losses . Focus on CLH over a serious amount of time ( not one game or one tournament !) and you will play better , which will maybe get you more wins . Even more , doing Compete-Learn-Honor will get you and your dubs partners — and your life ones if they ’ re your dubs ones — more joy in playing the game you love . Isn ’ t that why you play ?! •
Martha Roper is a nationally known high school teacher and author , and just four years after taking up pickleball became certified as an IPTPA II instructor and PPR pro . She competes regularly and teaches beginning and intermediate pickleball at several local community centers . Coach Pete is an internationally known developmental psychologist , USPTA teaching pro , high school boys and girls tennis coach , and mental game columnist for Racquet Sports Industry magazine . His new book from Coaches Choice , “ The Compete-Learn-Honor Playbook : Simple Steps to Take Your Mental & Emotional Skills in Tennis & Pickleball to a New Level ,” has been called a “ masterclass ” in the mental game , and is available on Amazon .
SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2022 | MAGAZINE 93