Imagine this…
You’re flying from LAX to New York City.
If the pilot adjusts the heading just 3.5 degrees south, the plane will go to Washington DC instead of NYC.
That’s a 228-mile difference.
Such a small change is barely noticeable at takeoff, but when magnified across the entire United States, you end up hundreds of miles apart.
That’s wild. The point is…
Small changes can lead to big results.
So what does that have to do with pickleball, or you?
Let me explain…
Like any sport, there’s a lot that goes into getting good. We know this.
In pickleball, I’m repeatedly learning how to improve my footwork. Touch. Paddle position. Decision making. Court placement. Serves. Drives. Serve return. 3rd shot drops. 5th shot drops. Slice. Dink. Cut. Topspin. Ernies. ATP’s. Rolls. Lobs. And blocks — to name a few.
In the past few weeks, I’ve spent ample time focused on foot position, paddle placement, and body down in a stance. And what inevitably happened?
I got better at those three skills because the grass is greener where you water it.
All of a sudden, my third shot drop (one of the most critical shots in the game) started to flounder. I hit balls too high and too low, to the right and to the left. Pretty much everything except where I wanted it to go.
And I couldn’t figure out why, which was infuriating.
Then, two days ago, during a training session with my coach, he noticed a flaw in my technique.
I was hitting balls with my weight back rather than moving my momentum forward toward the net.
Subtle, but significant.
After he mentioned that, I changed and started making shots again. My consistency improved, confidence rose, and I felt like I had my touch-back.
While unnoticeable to the average fan or everyday person, the expert (my coach) helped me make a 3-degree change in technique, which immediately gave me a better outcome.
Life is similar…
A small change in your daily life can lead to remarkably different results.
Start taking 5-minute walks each day to clear your head.
Start writing 5-minutes a day to clarify your thoughts.
Start reading 5-minutes a day to strengthen your mind.
Start sending one kind-text to brighten someone’s day.
We often think big results come from massive changes. But often, it’s the opposite.
Small changes do the trick.
Like braces, growth starts slow. It begins with a decision to do one new thing. For me, I needed the reminder (which is the power of having a coach) to move my paddle 6 inches to the left and move into the shot rather than away from it.
That changed everything.
So as we wrap up, consider this.
What’s a small change in your life you could make that’d lead to big results?
and.
What’s a small change you could make in your pickleball game that would lead to big results?
Are you not sure what you should change...? Ask someone! In life, ask someone you trust! In pickleball, ask someone who knows what they are talking about (maybe a coach or a higher level player).
Until next time,
Kyle Koszuta
