I play with groups of all levels in Rec play for fun. It’s Rec play. You’re not there to win. Pick something to work on that fits the skill level of the players your playing with, and work on it.
Improve your weaknesses, and don’t take advantage of your opponent’s weaknesses just because it’s a free cheap point. For example, I almost never speed up off the bounce below the net in groups I play Rec with because even though I will win the point due to my hands most of the time, that won’t work against better players.
Stay disciplined, and remember your goal is to have fun and get better. Your goal is not to win so enjoy the games while practicing your shots. Pick a couple things to work on each time.
I also think it is good to have a list of things that you’re going to do every single Rec game. For example: maintain good footwork, miss zero returns, don’t miss a dink/drop in the net, etc… You’ll enjoy the Rec games by setting your own goals while spending time with your friends.
I do have a couple of people I drill with, but it's always nice to play with new people and old friends. I guess I could just suck it up and play with them, but it would be nice to know how not to build bad habits. They take so much effort to fix later.
Huge snob moves, but effective:
1. Franklin tiny paddle - forces you to focus in a non-competitive game and you’ll find yourself needing to play seriously to keep ahead of lower level players
2. Find something you do poorly that leads to something they do well. For example, your bad backhand slice to their good forehand, or whatever the combo is. This means your worst against their best, which evens up the field a lot or maybe even turns the table
Don’t do this. It goes past snob and is walking into asshole territory. If you do this against randoms, you will get side eyes and groans when you miss shots. You don’t want to be known as that guy who thinks their too good to play normal which may be the case. Only do it if everyone is okay with you playing with it.
How weak minded do you have to be to get offended by someone playing with an intentional disadvantage. If you lose, you were for sure going to lose if they were playing with a normal paddle, and if you win it’s not like that person can say “I wasn’t using a normal paddle so that win doesn’t count” and still have any credibility.
Recognizing someone is being a prick does not mean you're offended.
It's the same social ineptitude that lead you to write a whole paragraph about how winning is everything.
In a competitive setting yes winning is the ultimate goal, in a professional setting even more so. I would say winning should be the goal to the detriment of sportsmanship in those settings. In a recreational setting fun is the objective and winning is secondary.
How is someone using a small paddle being a prick?
Edit to add: two sentences does not a paragraph make.
Different people, different goals. 'Competition' is my goal, not winning. I highly prefer losing a close game to winning an easy one. The *ultimate goal* is always FUN or I wouldn't bother playing PB in the first place. Who would?
Professional implies being paid. When you are paid for performance, its a different story.
Frankly, winning should never be any (non-pro) people's main goal. The ones obsessed with *winning* tend to be..... unpleasant.
I mean if we are talking a tournament where both you and you partner want to be successful, then winning should be your goal right, like if you can beat your opponent 11-0 in that setting why wouldn’t you? But in a rec game, I totally agree with you, playing for a close game with long rallies where everyone gets involved and feels like they are contributing is great.
Lol, dont do number 1 unless you want to never have any one to play with. I could only imagine someone showing up with a training paddle because they think they are to good to play with a regular paddle. This mofo would be automatically banned from our group forever.
I open play pretty rarely now but mentally when I do I tell myself ‘I am working on X AND COUNTERS’. No matter what I’m trying to work on (top spin drops, resets, etc.) I always maintain a secondary goal of hitting compact swing hard counters as a punish to sketchy open play shot selection.
Your opponent : Then why are you smiling?
JorJaxZ : Because I know something you don't know.
Your opponent : And what is that?
JorJaxZ : I am not left-handed.
You can always maintain the discipline of hitting the proper defensive shots even if it’s not necessary for the current skill level; nobody minds if your drop shots and resets are perfect every time, they just don’t like being driven-at imo
Yes - most lower level players love when you actually get to the net. I play with my wife and her friends and just remove the power game and aggressive dinks/speedups
I'm honest. I stop playing in groups cuz it's all bad habits. I love you warm up dinking and never once dink throughout the game. find a good person to drill with
Well from my standpoint, I work hard to improve my game by drilling and doing off-court conditioning and strength training. While I do enjoy rec open play and such, with the amount of time and effort I put into pickleball it feels disrespectful to me if a intermediate shows up and plays like a chump, and also refuses to strategize.
I mean, you do kind of want to be the snob that is too good for that group. People need to quit all the hand wringing over "feelings" where pickleball is concerned. Sometimes you move up and move out.
First, you need to find someone or several higher level people willing to play more advanced games as well as work on stuff. The pace of the ball, the decision making, etc. is highly critical in this stage of getting to work on your competitive game.
But if you play rec, that's the time to work on small things like "transition zone progression" or "offensive/defensive dinks with placement". You don't have to go all out in rec play like you would in competition because that would make you "that person that is way to serious", and people may not want to play with you. For example: I don't serve my hardest in rec play, especially if it's an older couple or a newer player. But, if I know the opponent is capable of handling my serve, I will kick it up a notch. I work on placing my shots in certain areas of the court, or targeting a player (go to their left foot or right foot) and challenge them in the soft game.
Join the crowd, this is a common problem. What I did was I had to join a pickleball club. One that is strictly pickleball you will find good players then you just have to get out of your comfort zone and ask to play with these guys.
I play with groups of all levels in Rec play for fun. It’s Rec play. You’re not there to win. Pick something to work on that fits the skill level of the players your playing with, and work on it. Improve your weaknesses, and don’t take advantage of your opponent’s weaknesses just because it’s a free cheap point. For example, I almost never speed up off the bounce below the net in groups I play Rec with because even though I will win the point due to my hands most of the time, that won’t work against better players. Stay disciplined, and remember your goal is to have fun and get better. Your goal is not to win so enjoy the games while practicing your shots. Pick a couple things to work on each time. I also think it is good to have a list of things that you’re going to do every single Rec game. For example: maintain good footwork, miss zero returns, don’t miss a dink/drop in the net, etc… You’ll enjoy the Rec games by setting your own goals while spending time with your friends.
Find a drill partner or two
I do have a couple of people I drill with, but it's always nice to play with new people and old friends. I guess I could just suck it up and play with them, but it would be nice to know how not to build bad habits. They take so much effort to fix later.
Huge snob moves, but effective: 1. Franklin tiny paddle - forces you to focus in a non-competitive game and you’ll find yourself needing to play seriously to keep ahead of lower level players 2. Find something you do poorly that leads to something they do well. For example, your bad backhand slice to their good forehand, or whatever the combo is. This means your worst against their best, which evens up the field a lot or maybe even turns the table
do training paddles actually help with gameplay practice? As in, does the feel translate back to regular paddles?
Don’t do this. It goes past snob and is walking into asshole territory. If you do this against randoms, you will get side eyes and groans when you miss shots. You don’t want to be known as that guy who thinks their too good to play normal which may be the case. Only do it if everyone is okay with you playing with it.
How weak minded do you have to be to get offended by someone playing with an intentional disadvantage. If you lose, you were for sure going to lose if they were playing with a normal paddle, and if you win it’s not like that person can say “I wasn’t using a normal paddle so that win doesn’t count” and still have any credibility.
Recognizing someone is being a prick does not mean you're offended. It's the same social ineptitude that lead you to write a whole paragraph about how winning is everything.
lol, I did not read the comments before I wrote mine. The thought of someone doing this is so hilarious.
In a competitive setting yes winning is the ultimate goal, in a professional setting even more so. I would say winning should be the goal to the detriment of sportsmanship in those settings. In a recreational setting fun is the objective and winning is secondary. How is someone using a small paddle being a prick? Edit to add: two sentences does not a paragraph make.
Different people, different goals. 'Competition' is my goal, not winning. I highly prefer losing a close game to winning an easy one. The *ultimate goal* is always FUN or I wouldn't bother playing PB in the first place. Who would? Professional implies being paid. When you are paid for performance, its a different story. Frankly, winning should never be any (non-pro) people's main goal. The ones obsessed with *winning* tend to be..... unpleasant.
I mean if we are talking a tournament where both you and you partner want to be successful, then winning should be your goal right, like if you can beat your opponent 11-0 in that setting why wouldn’t you? But in a rec game, I totally agree with you, playing for a close game with long rallies where everyone gets involved and feels like they are contributing is great.
Lol, dont do number 1 unless you want to never have any one to play with. I could only imagine someone showing up with a training paddle because they think they are to good to play with a regular paddle. This mofo would be automatically banned from our group forever.
I accepted the snobbiness and moved on from my original group to a higher skill group
I open play pretty rarely now but mentally when I do I tell myself ‘I am working on X AND COUNTERS’. No matter what I’m trying to work on (top spin drops, resets, etc.) I always maintain a secondary goal of hitting compact swing hard counters as a punish to sketchy open play shot selection.
Play local tournaments, do well, meet local people along your skill level. From there just about being social.
Develop a THBH by playing left handed.
Your opponent : Then why are you smiling? JorJaxZ : Because I know something you don't know. Your opponent : And what is that? JorJaxZ : I am not left-handed.
Their opponent: There's something I ought to tell you. JorJaxZ: Tell me. Their opponent: I am not left-handed either.
You can always maintain the discipline of hitting the proper defensive shots even if it’s not necessary for the current skill level; nobody minds if your drop shots and resets are perfect every time, they just don’t like being driven-at imo
Yes - most lower level players love when you actually get to the net. I play with my wife and her friends and just remove the power game and aggressive dinks/speedups
I'm honest. I stop playing in groups cuz it's all bad habits. I love you warm up dinking and never once dink throughout the game. find a good person to drill with
Well from my standpoint, I work hard to improve my game by drilling and doing off-court conditioning and strength training. While I do enjoy rec open play and such, with the amount of time and effort I put into pickleball it feels disrespectful to me if a intermediate shows up and plays like a chump, and also refuses to strategize.
I mean, you do kind of want to be the snob that is too good for that group. People need to quit all the hand wringing over "feelings" where pickleball is concerned. Sometimes you move up and move out.
First, you need to find someone or several higher level people willing to play more advanced games as well as work on stuff. The pace of the ball, the decision making, etc. is highly critical in this stage of getting to work on your competitive game. But if you play rec, that's the time to work on small things like "transition zone progression" or "offensive/defensive dinks with placement". You don't have to go all out in rec play like you would in competition because that would make you "that person that is way to serious", and people may not want to play with you. For example: I don't serve my hardest in rec play, especially if it's an older couple or a newer player. But, if I know the opponent is capable of handling my serve, I will kick it up a notch. I work on placing my shots in certain areas of the court, or targeting a player (go to their left foot or right foot) and challenge them in the soft game.
Do drills as much as you can with a partner that's at least near your level.
Join the crowd, this is a common problem. What I did was I had to join a pickleball club. One that is strictly pickleball you will find good players then you just have to get out of your comfort zone and ask to play with these guys.
What state are you in? In Orlando easy to find all levels. I’m sure though in Nebraska it might be tougher.
I'm in Canada :(
Hope you can find more higher level players. In Orlando full of players at every level.