When I made the decision to actively improve my game, the first task was to figure out where to start. I could think of a lot of things I could do to improve - practice more, lose weight, read some books, etc. - but that seemed more like a shotgun approach and not the most efficient path to improvement. If I wanted to get the most bang for my buck and improve my game the quickest, I first needed to figure out what was most hurting my game. For me, that was pretty easy to figure out: I was making too many unforced errors.
While I don't like to miss any shot in pickleball, some misses are easier to swallow than others. If I lose a point because I miss a shot in bang-bang action at the net, for instance, I'm not happy about it but those are at least difficult shots to make. The misses that really bother me are the easier, "unforced" ones - the serves, returns of serve, easy slow dinks, slow shoulder-height volleys, and overheads. These errors not only irritate me, but as I inventoried my game and ways to improve it, it was clear that I was making a lot of them. But why? Why the easy shots? And why did they seem to happen the longer I played on any given day - especially in tournaments.
It didn't take me long before I had answers to my questions: Unforced errors increased as I became more fatigued - even before I felt the fatigue kick in. The longer I played, the more unforced errors I made. Fatigue was making shots that were easy in previous games suddenly more difficult. And it made sense.
As I got more tired, my legs didn't move as far and as quickly. Instead of positioning my body to most effectively execute a shot, I was either slightly too close or too far away from the ball. Suddenly the easy shot wasn't so easy, and that routine return of serve is into the net. And as I got tired, my knees didn't bend as far. I didn't get as low as I had earlier in the day making me take easy volleys with my wrist a little lower than I'd prefer. And as I got tired, my arms didn't react as quickly so instead of taking a dink or volley out in front, I had to hit the ball from my side, and suddenly the easy dinks are popping up for an easy put away for my opponent. And as I got tired, my eyes didn't track the ball as well. By the time I'd catch up to the ball in a fast-paced sequence of shots, one of those shots was on its way to me - and I had no chance.
Once I realized that improving my fitness was the key to improving my pickleball, I was excited because improving fitness was completely under my control. I didn't need lessons or new equipment. I didn't have to master some shot that has eluded me. Instead, i just had to get fitter - and I could do that. I added a couple of cross-training routines into my week (walking, biking, rowing). I did a few squats while watching TV every few nights. I jumped rope for a couple of minutes after work. I ate a little less. I also became more aware of how and when I what I ate effected my inflammation levels. I lost some weight.
I didn't do one big thing to help my fitness. Instead, I did several little things that added up. And after just a few weeks, I could tell I was no longer gassed after long points. I didn't have to tap-out after 1.5 hours of play. I could suddenly play as long as anyone else. But more importantly, my game improved as I hoped it would. I cut down my unforced errors significantly. I won more games. I won more tournaments. I elevated my game to another level. All by just improving my fitness.
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