Avoiding Burnout in Pickleball

I’ve been on the pickleball courts a lot lately. Maybe too much. There’s been a lot of drilling, which is always good, and some really fun games as usual. But the problem is that I’m starting to feel tired, like I’m drilling without purpose. I know that’s not really the case, because there’s always something to work on. My backhand drive, overall consistency, shot tolerance, those are just a few of the things on the list. But even though I know there’s plenty to improve, I’m starting to feel like I’m at a point where I need the pressure of competition to help guide my next steps forward.

I like to think of it like this: I can spend an hour drilling drop shots and feel like I’m making progress. But then in a real game, when the score is tied 10-10 and everything’s on the line, hitting that same drop shot is a totally different matter. One common scenario is in a point where you play a bunch of defense, then several shots into the rally it's time to move up to the net. That's when there's a lot of pressure, and it changes everything. And the only way to really build comfort in those high-stakes moments is by playing tournaments. I need more of those pressure reps, because they reveal what no drill can, how you perform when it actually counts.

Another pattern I’m noticing is how my environment affects my motivation. When I’m here in Nicaragua, with empty courts and not much competition around, it’s hard to get myself out there to drill. It starts to feel really monotonous, like I mentioned in this post. But when I’m in the States, and I see how hard others are training, that energy becomes contagious. It makes me want to go hit the courts and grind. Plus, after a tournament, it feels like everything gets exposed, whether it’s a lack of physical conditioning, the absence of a reliable shot, or just an out-of-control error rate. Realizing all of that at once can be a shock to the system, but it never fails to light a fire under me to go get drilling immediately.

What I’m really trying to figure out is how to stay motivated without having that shock, before competition forces me to take inventory of my weaknesses. That’s the tricky part. I guess this is all just part of the grind of trying to master a sport or skill. I’m not burned out yet, but I know if I keep going without motivation or clear direction, I’ll end up getting sick of it. It’s a delicate balance, trying to work hard and stay dedicated without crossing over into boredom or burnout.

So the conclusion I keep coming back to is simple: I need to make sure I stay motivated. I really don’t want to burn out. For now, I think the best kind of drills for me are the ones that build consistency. Make 100 forehand dinks in a row. Then 100 backhand dinks. 20 drop shots in a row. 10 drive shots. 10 backhand flicks. These are the more boring types of drills, for sure, so I can let my muscle memory build and shut my brain off. And I think at this point in my journey,  these drills are exactly what will help me improve the most. 

‍