Mental Toughness

Quick Look

• When the game gets more competitive, mental toughness becomes part of the game.
• Bring your own personality into it. There is no single right way to do this.
• A positive mental attitude is the biggest piece for me: enjoy yourself, smile, stay positive.
• Try not to say anything negative during the game, to yourself or your partner.
• Miss a shot? Quick deep breath, nothing negative, move on to the next ball.
• Focus on what you can control: your preparation, your footwork, your effort.
• Execution is the hard part. Hitting 100 out of 100 is nearly impossible, so do not measure yourself by it.

Bring Your Personality

When the game starts to get a little more competitive and you are playing at a higher level, mental toughness is part of the game. And really, you have to bring your personality into it, so it depends on who you are. For me, I like to enjoy myself, smile, have fun, and try to be positive.

A Positive Mental Attitude

I think one of the biggest parts of the mental toughness game is bringing a positive mental attitude into the game, and trying not to say anything negative, especially during the game.

If I miss a shot, I take a quick deep breath, I do not say anything negative to myself or my partner, and I move on to the next ball.

Control What You Can Control

Another big part of mental toughness is focusing on what you can control. What you can control is your preparation, your footwork, and the effort you put into the game. You can always control your effort.

Execution is the challenging part, because it is very difficult to hit 100 out of 100. Sometimes you will hit a great shot, but hitting that same ball 100 times in a row is hard. So I measure the preparation and the effort, and I let the execution come.

That is the mental toughness I like to bring to the table when I am playing pickle.

Key Takeaways

• Mental toughness matters most when the game gets competitive.
• Bring your own personality. Mine is positive, smiling, and enjoying it.
• Keep the negative talk out, for yourself and your partner.
• After a miss: quick deep breath, no negativity, next ball.
• Control your preparation, your footwork, and your effort.
• Do not judge yourself on execution. Hitting 100 out of 100 is not realistic, so let it come with reps.