Jerene posted in the community, “not really following where we are going???” I thanked her for the question. It’s important that we all feel ok asking questions, certainly of the coaching. Our whole mission is to do our best to help players connect the dots of the game a bit better. If we are not doing that well, we would rather know than not.

Now that said, we also know that not every coaching message or approach will land equally with all players. Despite our common love of pickleball, we are not a homogeneous group. Each of us receives information in a slightly different way. And that’s great.

Here is where we have traveled:

Chunk 1 – Flow is real. Before we can add flow to our game, we need to establish that it is a real thing. We overlaid the Blue Danube by Strauss on a pickleball rally. Based on your feedback, this seems to have landed pretty well.

Chunk 2 – The broad strokes. We attempted a side-door approach to unlocking your flow by tapping into our primal connection to music through dance. I am not sure whether the dancing was done or not. But if you want flow, I am confident that dance is a solid side-door option.

Chunk 3 – The finer strokes. We went back to fill in the picture of flow. The reason is that dance – and a pickleball rally – is about more than just the major beats. There is “stuff” in the middle. But this middle part doesn’t vitiate the overall rhythm of the dance.

Chunk 4 (where we are now) – Bringing it back to pickleball. More below.

Chunk 5 (our final chunk) – Removing interference and tapping into our flow.

Pickleball Flow

Our game has a rhythm to it. The better you get at tuning your play into that rhythm, the more in the flow you will play.

You’ll also “feel” it when you play. Many of you have already expressed this during this project: having the music in your head calms you and helps you play at a steadier pace (as opposed to feeling rushed or out of sync).

I put together 5 different rallies for you for this chunk of the project. Each rally is paired with a different genre of music, from rock to blues. To see it, check out the Extra Rally Flow video lesson. I think you’ll enjoy the watch.

What’s Your Path?

In our Chunk 4 coaching session, I discuss the difference between learning how to bake and following a recipe. We use a simple loaf of French bread to explore the difference between the two approaches.

This decision is important because it dictates how you will move forward with your development. To be transparent, I coach by “teaching you how to bake.” I find it the more fulfilling way to engage with pickleball – and I want that for you.

I am also confident in saying that baking makes for an easier entry into flow. I do not see how a player can enter a flow state if their play consists of recollecting specific “recipes” for each particular situation. Compare that to a player who just knows how the dough ball feels in their hands. (This will make more sense when you watch the coaching lesson ☺.)

The player who knows how to bake can let their subconscious mind take control of their movement and shots, thereby entering into the flow of the rally.

We are almost back at our departure port on this adventure we have been on.

Give some thought to how you want to proceed when we get back.

See you in the Community.