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INSTRUCTION by ALICE TYM
Streaking
No, not that kind. We are examining how to maintain a winning streak on your side and how to stop one on the opponents’ side.
Why are there streaks in pickleball? Quantitative studies indicate they do not exist. The concept of psychological momentum is more a matter of random chance according to Wikipedia. It comes down to the qualitative aspects. Team planning and good coaching matters. You need to know your strengths and those of your partner so you can maximize your abilities. Winning a point gives your team a psychological boost. You need to share it to pump up your partner.
A good example of sharing and feeding off your partner’ s success was the March Madness final where Walter Clayton, Jr. energized the Florida Gators, who pulled ahead at the end of the game. In pickleball, players clunk paddles to pass on the good vibes. Keep the energy level high to score a second point. Be a cheerleader. Think about how you won the first point, who is the weaker player on the other team, are you targeting the weakness of the other team, and, most important, is it working?
But, what about the team facing a losing streak? The obvious answer is to call a timeout to break up the other team’ s momentum. In football, the defense often calls a time-out to“ freeze the kicker” before a field goal attempt. It is a pressure play, and the thought is that the extra time will put additional pressure on the kicker. In pickleball, just calling a timeout is not enough. You must be able to make a quick analysis and devise a strategy to stop the bleeding. Injecting confidence into your partner is imperative.“ We can do this” is an important message.
I asked Brad Bradshaw, who won gold in singles and doubles at the Florida Senior Games in 2024, why he thinks pickleball is a game of streaks, and he explained that“ as one side is gaining confidence,
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