Zen and the Art of Pickleball

Second Edition

De: Mike Leigh

Narrado por: Virtual Voice

Hopefully, you’ve read the first edition of this book and found it helpful in maintaining a Zen attitude on the court. Hopefully your focus is better and you are more calm, seeing the game in slow motion. You are visualizing your shots before you hit them. And you are talking to your partner more often, resulting in better communication between you.

Maybe you are now having more fun playing pickleball and you are not being so hard on yourself when you make silly mistakes. Pickleball is a game where you can constantly improve and mistakes help you to grow and become better. In my humble opinion, the mental game is more important than the physical game. Having a positive mental attitude helps you experience more joy while playing. And your joy is contagious, passing along to the others with whom you are playing.

I’m meeting many new players who have transitioned from other racquet sports and just love pickleball. Many new pickleball players are ex-tennis players who are finding pickleball and the pickleball community to be more fun. As mentioned in the first edition, I used to teach tennis but when I found pickleball about six years ago, I put away my tennis racquets and have used a pickleball paddle ever since. As I’ve said before, pickleball is a game of chess compared to tennis which is a game of checkers.

The rationale for this second edition is to address the constructive criticism that my first edition was too short. In this edition I provide many tips on how to stay calm, how to focus, how to visualize and how to make better decisions. If losing bums you out, I’ve also got a chapter on how to avoid the doldrums when you lose a game. In addition, I’ve included a chapter on how to prepare for an important match as well as tips on how to prep for tournament play.

I hope you find some good suggestions on how to maintain your Zen attitude on the court. Keep playing and keep smiling. Pickleball is good for your body, your mind and your soul.