The journey to be a more well-rounded player can be filled with distractions that pull you in different directions, that are not as productive as others, the Erne being a good example.

When you watch the Erne in action in pro matches, you'll find that it's of very limited strategic value.

What's an Erne? In this episode I explain to you what that is, why it's not an effective shot, and unless you're super excited about it, I would suggest putting it on pause and really think about it, again.

Because winning in pickleball comes from the basic, non-sexy stuff, as well as doing it better and better than you have before.

In the RIFF, we thank you, as a listener to the podcast, for trusting us with your pickleball journey and your relationship with the sport.

The Soft Game is DEAD ... or is it? - Let's stop guessing and find out on the In2Pickle Channel: https://betterpickleball.com/the-soft-game-is-dead-or-is-it/

Check out our courses: https://betterpickleball.com/academy/

Join our Live Game Studies: https://betterpickleball.com/live-game-study/

And as always, thanks for joining us on Pickleball Therapy - the podcast dedicated to your pickleball improvement. If you have not yet subscribed to the podcast ... wait what?? you haven't subscribed? ... you know what to do.

Is everything fast and hard? This week we turn towards a strategy concept. It's something I've been working on recently based on a question that's frequently asked - is the soft game dead?

And as always, thanks for joining us on Pickleball Therapy - the podcast dedicated to your pickleball improvement. If you have not yet subscribed to the podcast ... wait what?? you haven't subscribed? ... you know what to do.

The soft game is alive and is being used by those who know how to use it well, to win a lot of times against teams that don't apply a soft game approach.

When you study the best teams, you'll notice that they rely on a soft game, Chapter One, disciplined approach to pickleball.

Listen to this episode as we discuss Chapter One Pickleball, what you need to add to the soft game or make sure you have that approach to your game and more!

In the RIFF I share with you a quick story I read from a post that was in the Pickleball System Facebook group.

Check out Better Pickleball Camps: https://betterpickleball.com/pickleball-camps/

Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQxtrHYdJT1Iy_SHckPt6cg

The Pickleball System: https://betterpickleball.com/system/

Video on In2Pickle channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=46eAo_G0Y3Y

Beat the Bangers course: https://betterpickleball.com/beat-the-banger/

This week we wrap up the series on setting the right baseline for yourself. The key here is basically grounding ourselves in reality to evaluate our performance in a good and healthy way.

And as always, thanks for joining us on Pickleball Therapy - the podcast dedicated to your pickleball improvement. If you have not yet subscribed to the podcast ... wait what?? you haven't subscribed? ... you know what to do.

I share with you a quick side story I was reminded of that has nothing to do with pickleball, but you'll see how it ties together.

Now one of the benefits of setting the baseline is that it gives you accurate information about how you perfom today. Listen to the full episode as I talk to you about this and more benefits of setting the baseline and using this approach to evaluate performance.

In the RIFF I'm going to talk about the concept of seeing the game that maybe foreign to some, but when you're able to see the game, it really changes how you engage with the sport.

Subscribe to The Pickleball Therapy Podcast on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQxtrHYdJT1Iy_SHckPt6cg/

Join us for the Live May 2024 Game Studies: https://betterpickleball.com/live-game-study

Previous Episodes on this series:

Part 1 : Doing the Best You Can Do PLUS Incremental Growth- Episode 187
Part 2: Setting the Right Baseline for You PLUS an update from the US Open- Episode 188
Part 3: Avoid these 2 Baseline Traps PLUS Hybrid Pickleball is Amazing- Episode 189

What is this Pickleball Therapy podcast all about? In one word: you. In 3 words: your pickleball improvement. In 16 words: You enjoying the fullest, healthiest, and best relationship with this awesome sport that we all love.

If that sounds interesting to you, join us inside the podcast. You can watch it here or listen to it on Apple, Spotify, and all podcast platforms.

See you on the inside.

We had an opportunity to sit down with Mark Lashley, the CEO of UTR Sports. They have been in the ratings game for a long time & in this episode he explains why ratings and rankings matter.

And as always, thanks for joining us on Pickleball Therapy - the podcast dedicated to your pickleball improvement. If you have not yet subscribed to the podcast ... wait what?? you haven't subscribed? ... you know what to do.

A rating and a ranking creates level-based play so no matter what level you're at, it's fun to be on a court and you get to enjoy the experience with people at your level. Mark explains how the rating system works to determine the level of a player.

It's a really good episode that you'll also get to understand why a good rating system is always going to be more accurate than a ranking system.

If you're either a tournament player,playing league, you play at a facility that uses levels, or you're just curious about ratings, listen to this episode and check out UTR Sports for yourself on how they impact the group and the environment in which you play.

UTR Sports: https://www.utrsports.net/

Join us for the Live May 2024 Game Studies: https://betterpickleball.com/live-game-study

There's a baseline appropriate for us based on where we are right now. Why? Because the baseline is supposed to keep us in reality. It's meant to ground us in the modality of our situation.

A baseline is like a snapshot of your performance. You can, ofcourse, improve in the future and move your baseline with some work, a focus on your game and growth.

And as always, thanks for joining us on Pickleball Therapy - the podcast dedicated to your pickleball improvement. If you have not yet subscribed to the podcast ... wait what?? you haven't subscribed? ... you know what to do.

In this episode I'll share with you a conversation I had with a friend of mine and why we need to compare ourselves to a baseline that's appropriate for us as well as how to avoid the trap of being theoretical.

In the Riff I share with you a particular story about the US Open Tournament Play that has to do with hybrid pickleball that was both eye-opening and exciting plus the lessons that I took away from that experience.

Episode 188: https://youtu.be/m05zWoDcSAk

Join us for the Live May 2024 Game Studies: https://betterpickleball.com/live-game-study

Are you asking the right questions when setting the baseline for yourselves? In this episode we dive deep into setting the baseline for ourselves and understanding the realities of the game.

And as always, thanks for joining us on Pickleball Therapy - the podcast dedicated to your pickleball improvement. If you have not yet subscribed to the podcast ... wait what?? you haven't subscribed? ... you know what to do.

It's important that you resist the temptation to compare yourself to the other player or trying to look for the perfect sequence when you're out there playing .

Because we're all in different places. Some of us are younger, some older, some of us are left-hand, and some are right-hand and so many other differences, including our backgrounds.

Simply ask yourself, 'Did I do what I could do? Did I do the best that I can?'

I am recording this podcast on location, down at the US Open in Naples and in the RIFF I talk about the US Open and the camaraderie that you see at an event like this.

I have two requests;

i) Please rate and review us, even if you have left a review in the past of the podcast
ii) If you like YouTube and you're on there, go to Pickleball Therapy on YouTube, like a video or write a comment here and there to help us reach more players.

Purchase from our friends at Total Pickleball.

I had the pleasure of interviewing Eric Brynes, a very passionate player & former Major League baseball player. Eric talks to us about his journey as a pickleball player, his book and more!

And as always, thanks for joining us on Pickleball Therapy - the podcast dedicated to your pickleball improvement. If you have not yet subscribed to the podcast ... wait what?? you haven't subscribed? ... you know what to do.

The beauties of our pickleball is seeing many folks with different backgrounds, all playing this awesome sport.

During this episode, Eric talks about various concepts I think you're going to find super interesting. One of them is that we sometimes fight with our students or with players in terms of understanding that they are, in fact, athletes.

Listen to the full episode as Eric also talks about how he takes care of his body, why positioning matters and lot's of other awesome stuff, including how he puts himself in a position to succeed.

You can get KT Tape at this link.