01/09/2025
BODEGA
đKeep Targeting the Weak Player. Youâre Really Making the Games You Play Way Better đł
You know the drill.
You walk onto the court for a friendly game of rec pickleball. You greet everyone with smiles, exchange a couple of âgood lucks,â and then you and your partner instantly begin the noble sport of ball funneling.
Not toward the person across from you who looks like theyâve been playing for a while and has some real ability,
Nope. Straight to the weaker player. Every Single Shot.
Because hey, nothing says âfun social gameâ like giving their partner 45 minutes to wonder why they bothered bringing a paddle.
The Great Art of Targeting
Identify the weaker player.
Avoid their partner like theyâre radioactive.
Rinse, repeat, and collect your hollow, meaningless victory.
Wow. Impressive stuff!!
Itâs like playing basketball and insisting you only guard the 12-year-old.
This âstrategyâ is just about as useful for your actual improvement as eating cake to train for a marathon.
Peak Small-Mindedness in a Nutshell
1. Youâre Not Practicing the Shots Youâll Actually Need
Sure, you can hit 8 consecutive d***s at the weaker player until they finally pop one up. Congratulations, youâve trained for the exact situation of playing one dimensional pickleball against a single opponent.
When you face a balanced, competitive pair? Youâll be lost.
Rotate your shots. Force yourself to challenge both players, even if it risks losing points. In practice games, losing a rally but learning a shot is more valuable than padding your ego with a fake win.
2. Youâre Killing the Game for the Stronger Opponent
While youâre busy inflating your win column, the stronger opponent is basically standing there twiddling their paddle, thinking about what theyâre going to have for dinner.
Youâve turned a doubles game into a glorified singles drill. And if theyâre anything like me, theyâre counting the minutes until they can find a partner who actually hits them a ball.
If you must target for strategy, do it in a tournament, not Tuesday morning rec. Thereâs a difference between sharpening a weapon and dulling your own skills.
3. Youâre Not Building Mental Toughness
Part of getting better is learning to handle pressure from every corner of the court. If you avoid hitting to the stronger player, youâre avoiding growth. Comfort is where pickleball dreams go to die.
Take on the stronger player intentionally. Even if you lose the point, youâre gaining experience in the exact situations that make most players fold.
Rec play is where you should be testing yourself, not padding your âlegacy.â
If your entire highlight reel is made of shots you hit past someone who just learned the word âkitchen,â youâre not a strategist, youâre a bully with a paddle.
The weak player already knows theyâre the weak player. The strong player knows youâre avoiding them. And deep down, you know youâre not actually getting better.
So maybe, just maybe, grow a spine, spread the ball around, and make it a real game.
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