The Pregame Mental Warm-Up

We all know the importance of a good physical warm-up — a few dinks, drops, and drives before the game starts. But what about your mental warm-up?

Most players skip it. They walk on court with loose limbs but scattered minds — still thinking about traffic, emails, or the outcome of a match that hasn’t started.

If you want to play present and composed from the first serve, you need to warm up your mind just like your body.

At Mental Pickleball, I coach players through a simple 3-part pregame mental warm-up:

Ground Yourself – Take a quiet moment before you step on the court. Breathe. Feel your feet.

Remind yourself: “I’m here. I’m ready.”

Set Your Intention – Pick one thing you want to bring into the match. “Stay calm.” “Communicate with my partner.” “Trust my game.” Just one clear mental anchor.

Visualize Success – Close your eyes for 30 seconds and imagine yourself playing your best — smooth footwork, focused eyes, a great serve. Feel it like it’s already happening.

This doesn’t need to be long or dramatic. You can do it in your car, by the bleachers, or on the way to warm-up. But doing it puts you in a mental space where confidence, calm, and clarity can actually show up.

Your challenge for today:

Before your next game, give yourself just 60 seconds to mentally warm up. Use all three steps
— Ground, Intend, Visualize. Watch what shifts.

When your mind shows up first, your game follows fast.

Quiet Mind, Fierce Game.

Want help crafting a personal pregame routine that sticks? Book a free virtual session with Coach Kevin at mentalpickleball.com.

Let’s get your mind match-ready.