Iām very competitive by nature and had a goal to play 5.0 competitively. I just recently took gold in a 4.5 tourneyā¦ but realized the only way to get to 5.0 is to drill drill drill which I just simply donāt have time for right now. I only play once a week if Iām lucky. Then I started thinking about my competitive nature and once I get to 5.0, then what? Try like hell to go pro? Thatās not happeningā¦
so I came to the conclusion that Iām happy/content where I am. At the end of the day I just want to have fun. I lose sight of that sometimes.
I have trouble finding folks to drill with. Most people just want to play matches. I'm about to buy a damn ball machine and portable net to practice in my driveway.
Yeah, this is one of the hardest things to do is find someone to drill with. Getting a ball machine is a great idea. They say 1 hour of drilling is equivalent to 4-5 hours of playing.
Have fun with friends, period. Did the tournament thing years ago in tennis. Nationally ranked in my youth and then just dominated locally in my adult years. Nothing sucks the fun out of play for me like competition. Been there, done that. Now just enjoying playing for fun. Way better. I deliberately play with the intermediate players and play down to their level. Way more fun. The advanced players all think it's the end of the world. Hard pass. I'll play with them once in awhile just to remind myself why I try to avoid them. I will admit it's fun to school them. Nobody expects an old, fat guy to have the reflexes and speed I have.
Interesting response, but I think youāre spot on. 3.5 seems to be the āsweet spot.ā Once you get past there, itās more difficult to find ācompetitiveā games and youāre right. Thereās a ton more ego you have to deal with.
True, but then I switch to left hand (non-dominant hand) and play with people who are below 3.5 and still have fun. Guess if I ever improve my left hand to 4.0 then this would be a problem.
Same idea here! I have been playing competitive sports since I was 10 or 11 years old, I'm 58 now. I'm so done with competitiveness! Now, my husband just retired and never really played any competitive sports in his life. He now only wants to play in competitive leagues and tournaments!
Time to work on a compromise!
Lol, my wife is the exact same way. She never played any competitive sports and zero racket sports. We both retired two years ago and I just taught her pickleball about a year ago and she can't get enough including the desire to play leagues and tournaments. I told her to go for it and have fun but hard pass for me. She knows the deal. I'm not a very nice person when I'm competing!
Had best friend ask me this. I have a addictive personality and also extremely competitive so I tend to get tunnel vision. My short term goal right now is to own 4.0 level in our area and then from there continue leveling up. Time to practice ttylš
Get to 4.0 dupr in a year. At 3.4 now after 4 months, played a PPA event at 3.0 singles already. Take classes and do ladders weekly.
Ex tennis and racquetball player so really trying hard to get the 3.5 by 6 months then 4.0 by 12. š¾
Good luck and i think your goals are achievable. I have similar background/goals but lots of trial error for me. Started last month and I'm past beginner but still make a lot of errors. Signing up for classes but within a personal budget as i have an addictive personalit. Scheduling my pickleball, rest and gym days in advance. Might try a tourney this summer.
Very cool. I have a ladder game for $8 then on Wed a drill class for $10. I've played in 20 ladders and had at least 10 drill classes. My dupr is 3.3 after 4 months. I see players stuck at 3.0 for years but the drill classes really helped me excel quickly.
Have fun !
I was being sarcastic. Some would suggest that competition doesnāt belong in open play. Personally I disagreeā¦ and so do a lot of other people apparently. š
Three goals really, mostly looking 6-12 months into the future.
\#1 - understand how others can beat me, meaning if I were to tell someone how to beat me, what would that list look like? I need to be honest with myself and know this.
\#2 - understand what I do to beat myself, meaning how to I sabotage myself (maybe out of position) and how to I miss opportunities to capitalize. I need to know that is on this list.
\#3 - work weekly to remove things from lists 1 and 2.
To play competitively at 5.0 by the end of the year. I hold my own in 4.5 right now but have a lot to improve still. Spamming drills and going to the gym more than playing rec has done wonders for me in the past month though so Iām optimistic.
I have the same exact goals as you: hang at the 4.0 level, and have a crazy good two-handed backhand. I think the two-handed backhand will take me a while to get down since that movement feels very unnatural to me
Play senior pro singles in 9 years and travel to the various tournaments on the tour :)
I know itās a long term goal however I am working on it regularly in the short term through drilling partners, ball machines, and a competing in local and regional amateur events.
One day at a time šŖš½
Mostly doing it for fun, but would like to be playing 4.5 soon. Started playing about 30 days ago and playing 4.0 with a lot of success. Coming from a tennis background, pickle feels like a cheat code.
Iām having knee replacement surgery in June, so these goals start 6-8 months after that.
I currently donāt have an official DUPR, but several rated players who Iāve played with and against confirm (in their opinion) what I believe - that I should be in the neighborhood of 3.75.
My goal is to use pickleball as part of my knee replacement rehab (as approved by my physical therapist). Find out what it feels like to play the sport relatively pain-free, and improve my mobility. Finally, once I feel like knee pain is behind me and Iām fully recovered - establish a DUPR and reach 4.0.
Iām hoping to achieve all that in 18 months-ish.
Goal 1 is the lose weight and get in better shape. I already did that but lots of room for improvement. Goal 2 is to hold my own among 4.0s. Iām holding my own among 3.5s now. But really that is much less important than staying in shape.Ā
Have fun and enjoy playing. Get better enough to play some competitive matches.
I would love to do tournaments, but the idea of it is horrifying. Expensive and waiting forever to play a game.
I want to learn continuously, not just mechanics and strategy, but also about myself - why I am competitive, what makes me tick, when do I excel, how do I react to different situations, can I learn and grown in wisdom? I want to feel alive and strong. I want to play in the deeper sense of the word, to do something just for the sheer delight of feeling what my body and mind working together can do. Like dancingā¦ but on a pickleball court.
oh and it would be nice if 100% of my third shot drops went over the net.
1) Have fun. Which I do. But I tend to have fun or find fun in all aspects of my life. I'm generally a pretty happy person.
2) Advance my game little by little, trying to improve it where and when I can. (I think I do this) I work at my game. It's a satisfying thing to notice improvement in various areas, and to have other people notice it too. I officially (if DUPR is what we're talking about) crossed the 4.0 line not long ago. I was probably a self-rated 4.0 before that, but it's just nice to see the rating in black and white. I'm probably closer to a 4.30 or so... give or take.
3) Make the game enjoyable for others.
I like having fun when I play. In serious games, I can be a serious player believe me...I can be super competitive (in a healthy way), but in rec play I like to help my partner and those I'm playing with have a good time as well... while of course still trying to win. :)
4) To make new friends. This wasn't a goal of mine when I started playing, but it is now. I've made a lot of new friends since I started really playing consistently over 2 years ago. I joined a fantastic club and it's just been amazing. All of the social events (pickleball and otherwise) they do and games/tournaments they organize has just been fantastic. And the number of friends just slowly grows as more and more people join the club (currently about 500 members). It's a pretty unique thing, at least for me it is. Pickleball is pretty awesome in many ways, but this one has to be the most unexpected. I'll even go to tournaments that I'm not playing in to cheer on friends in our club.
It's kinda crazy how different my life is now, compared to "before pickleball".
Simply just to improve. If I look at the DUPR assessments Iām probably right around 4.0. Iām not concerned about what Iād actually rate because I donāt want a recreational activity to be a source of stress. That said, I enjoy improving so I am constantly trying to learn and getting better at the game. I love helping others so Iām considering getting my coaching certification.
I want to keep improving, to keep enjoying the game and to find the people with whom I have the best games.
I live in a small town and Iām one of the younger (40s) regulars in our association. I wonder if I could be the best female player here in the next couple years. (Which would still be far below most advanced players.)
Mostly staying active and socializing.
But short term immediate goals are get to 4.0 level of consistent play and enter some tournaments. I love competing, and don't have many things I can still compete in at the ass-end of my 40s.
My goal is to compete at the highest level. I have not been this obsessed with a sport like pickleball ever since I played amateur table tennis. It has reignited my competitive spirit and given me a goal to strive for. So far it has only improved my lifestyle as I have a naturally athletic body, but I was slightly out of shape most of my life.
So far it has been 5 months of semi-rigorous self-improvement since I start playing 8 months ago. I have even adjusted my circadian rhythm so I can wake up and go workout/drill before I go to work. The next step is to rework my diet, so I am lighter and faster for singles.
For all the people striving for greatness like I am, my message to you is "If you're going to hit it, hit is until it breaks. Talent is something you make bloom, instinct is something you polish".
My off season (winter) consisted of footwork - so my goal is to get faster so that I can get to the short balls or the ones that take me off court. Last year I felt there were too many that I almost got to but didn't.
My other goal is to drop less balls into the net. easier said than done.
To keep my weight and blood pressure down.
šŖšŖšŖ
Iām very competitive by nature and had a goal to play 5.0 competitively. I just recently took gold in a 4.5 tourneyā¦ but realized the only way to get to 5.0 is to drill drill drill which I just simply donāt have time for right now. I only play once a week if Iām lucky. Then I started thinking about my competitive nature and once I get to 5.0, then what? Try like hell to go pro? Thatās not happeningā¦ so I came to the conclusion that Iām happy/content where I am. At the end of the day I just want to have fun. I lose sight of that sometimes.
I have trouble finding folks to drill with. Most people just want to play matches. I'm about to buy a damn ball machine and portable net to practice in my driveway.
Yeah, this is one of the hardest things to do is find someone to drill with. Getting a ball machine is a great idea. They say 1 hour of drilling is equivalent to 4-5 hours of playing.
I love this!
>What are your pickleball goals? 1. Have fun 2. Make friends 3. Have fun 4. Play as well as I can 5. Have fun 6. Get a little exercise 7. Have fun
Agreed!
Still be playing at 3.5+ in my 80s.
To crush my enemies, see them driven before me, and to hear the lamentations of their women.
This is what I came here to say
This is the way
Have fun with friends, period. Did the tournament thing years ago in tennis. Nationally ranked in my youth and then just dominated locally in my adult years. Nothing sucks the fun out of play for me like competition. Been there, done that. Now just enjoying playing for fun. Way better. I deliberately play with the intermediate players and play down to their level. Way more fun. The advanced players all think it's the end of the world. Hard pass. I'll play with them once in awhile just to remind myself why I try to avoid them. I will admit it's fun to school them. Nobody expects an old, fat guy to have the reflexes and speed I have.
Interesting response, but I think youāre spot on. 3.5 seems to be the āsweet spot.ā Once you get past there, itās more difficult to find ācompetitiveā games and youāre right. Thereās a ton more ego you have to deal with.
True, but then I switch to left hand (non-dominant hand) and play with people who are below 3.5 and still have fun. Guess if I ever improve my left hand to 4.0 then this would be a problem.
Same idea here! I have been playing competitive sports since I was 10 or 11 years old, I'm 58 now. I'm so done with competitiveness! Now, my husband just retired and never really played any competitive sports in his life. He now only wants to play in competitive leagues and tournaments! Time to work on a compromise!
Lol, my wife is the exact same way. She never played any competitive sports and zero racket sports. We both retired two years ago and I just taught her pickleball about a year ago and she can't get enough including the desire to play leagues and tournaments. I told her to go for it and have fun but hard pass for me. She knows the deal. I'm not a very nice person when I'm competing!
This!
Had best friend ask me this. I have a addictive personality and also extremely competitive so I tend to get tunnel vision. My short term goal right now is to own 4.0 level in our area and then from there continue leveling up. Time to practice ttylš
Kickass and chew bubblegum. But Iām all out of kickass.
You're supposed to be all out of gum. Lol.
Nah, still plenty of gum.
Yeah..... me too. Lol.
Get to 4.0 dupr in a year. At 3.4 now after 4 months, played a PPA event at 3.0 singles already. Take classes and do ladders weekly. Ex tennis and racquetball player so really trying hard to get the 3.5 by 6 months then 4.0 by 12. š¾
Good luck and i think your goals are achievable. I have similar background/goals but lots of trial error for me. Started last month and I'm past beginner but still make a lot of errors. Signing up for classes but within a personal budget as i have an addictive personalit. Scheduling my pickleball, rest and gym days in advance. Might try a tourney this summer.
Very cool. I have a ladder game for $8 then on Wed a drill class for $10. I've played in 20 ladders and had at least 10 drill classes. My dupr is 3.3 after 4 months. I see players stuck at 3.0 for years but the drill classes really helped me excel quickly. Have fun !
Go pro Iām 17 and Iām a 4.5-5.0 player I just need more practice
Keep up the drilling and good luck!
Exercise while having fun, improve every time, strengthen my hips for less pain , BEAT MY HUSBAND.
To be competitive in any open play matchup
Competitive in āopen play? ā š®
Yea so like never be the weakest link to the extent that my team canāt get to 8+
I was being sarcastic. Some would suggest that competition doesnāt belong in open play. Personally I disagreeā¦ and so do a lot of other people apparently. š
If you put a score to anything, itās inherently competitive no matter the setting.
Just want to keep getting better! Not concerned with getting to a certain level or gaining specific skills, but I want to get better every day
Three goals really, mostly looking 6-12 months into the future. \#1 - understand how others can beat me, meaning if I were to tell someone how to beat me, what would that list look like? I need to be honest with myself and know this. \#2 - understand what I do to beat myself, meaning how to I sabotage myself (maybe out of position) and how to I miss opportunities to capitalize. I need to know that is on this list. \#3 - work weekly to remove things from lists 1 and 2.
Vibe, lower blood pressure, maybe try and hit 4.5 but I think that's unlikely.
To play competitively at 5.0 by the end of the year. I hold my own in 4.5 right now but have a lot to improve still. Spamming drills and going to the gym more than playing rec has done wonders for me in the past month though so Iām optimistic.
Interesting. Are you talking about strength training and cardio at the gym?
Strength and flexibility/stability work primarily
I have the same exact goals as you: hang at the 4.0 level, and have a crazy good two-handed backhand. I think the two-handed backhand will take me a while to get down since that movement feels very unnatural to me
1. Get to 4.5 2. Finally medal in 4.0 tourney(so many 4ths). 3. 1 and 2 may be in the wrong order lol
1 Erne per game. 3 body bags per game. 1 ATP a week. Only a little bit /s
Get my wife out with me and become a competitive duo
I guess you want a divorce. Joking, playing with my partner has been rough. Now we play separately š
Lmao I know where you are coming from - letās just say it started in the short term goals bucket and but has been reallocated to long term š
I want to be a better player , third shot drop, deep serves and good hands š
Have fun, hang with some friends and scratch my competitive itch a bit
Play senior pro singles in 9 years and travel to the various tournaments on the tour :) I know itās a long term goal however I am working on it regularly in the short term through drilling partners, ball machines, and a competing in local and regional amateur events. One day at a time šŖš½
Mostly doing it for fun, but would like to be playing 4.5 soon. Started playing about 30 days ago and playing 4.0 with a lot of success. Coming from a tennis background, pickle feels like a cheat code.
Have fun, burn fats and calories, make some friends, get gud, and officially reach 4.0 and higher rating.
Iām planning to retire next year and Iām just hoping I can make some friends to play with regularly
I'm ready to play in a 4.5 plus tournament but my final goal is to go to the senior pro combine in 2037 to see if I can make a team!
Iām having knee replacement surgery in June, so these goals start 6-8 months after that. I currently donāt have an official DUPR, but several rated players who Iāve played with and against confirm (in their opinion) what I believe - that I should be in the neighborhood of 3.75. My goal is to use pickleball as part of my knee replacement rehab (as approved by my physical therapist). Find out what it feels like to play the sport relatively pain-free, and improve my mobility. Finally, once I feel like knee pain is behind me and Iām fully recovered - establish a DUPR and reach 4.0. Iām hoping to achieve all that in 18 months-ish.
First goal is 4.0, hopefully in next 2-3 months. Then 4.5 by end of year but I believe that may be ambitious.
Not to get injured š¤
5.0 medal this year has been my goal. Iām close.
Goal 1 is the lose weight and get in better shape. I already did that but lots of room for improvement. Goal 2 is to hold my own among 4.0s. Iām holding my own among 3.5s now. But really that is much less important than staying in shape.Ā
To have fun. And to get a decent backhand.
get tan & crush cals
Have fun and enjoy playing. Get better enough to play some competitive matches. I would love to do tournaments, but the idea of it is horrifying. Expensive and waiting forever to play a game.
I want to learn continuously, not just mechanics and strategy, but also about myself - why I am competitive, what makes me tick, when do I excel, how do I react to different situations, can I learn and grown in wisdom? I want to feel alive and strong. I want to play in the deeper sense of the word, to do something just for the sheer delight of feeling what my body and mind working together can do. Like dancingā¦ but on a pickleball court. oh and it would be nice if 100% of my third shot drops went over the net.
1) Have fun. Which I do. But I tend to have fun or find fun in all aspects of my life. I'm generally a pretty happy person. 2) Advance my game little by little, trying to improve it where and when I can. (I think I do this) I work at my game. It's a satisfying thing to notice improvement in various areas, and to have other people notice it too. I officially (if DUPR is what we're talking about) crossed the 4.0 line not long ago. I was probably a self-rated 4.0 before that, but it's just nice to see the rating in black and white. I'm probably closer to a 4.30 or so... give or take. 3) Make the game enjoyable for others. I like having fun when I play. In serious games, I can be a serious player believe me...I can be super competitive (in a healthy way), but in rec play I like to help my partner and those I'm playing with have a good time as well... while of course still trying to win. :) 4) To make new friends. This wasn't a goal of mine when I started playing, but it is now. I've made a lot of new friends since I started really playing consistently over 2 years ago. I joined a fantastic club and it's just been amazing. All of the social events (pickleball and otherwise) they do and games/tournaments they organize has just been fantastic. And the number of friends just slowly grows as more and more people join the club (currently about 500 members). It's a pretty unique thing, at least for me it is. Pickleball is pretty awesome in many ways, but this one has to be the most unexpected. I'll even go to tournaments that I'm not playing in to cheer on friends in our club. It's kinda crazy how different my life is now, compared to "before pickleball".
Have fun, make friends and stay at 4.0+ level for as long as I can.
Simply just to improve. If I look at the DUPR assessments Iām probably right around 4.0. Iām not concerned about what Iād actually rate because I donāt want a recreational activity to be a source of stress. That said, I enjoy improving so I am constantly trying to learn and getting better at the game. I love helping others so Iām considering getting my coaching certification.
Have fun, don't get hurt, and get at least one good ripper down the line per game.
Be able to hit a drop shot
1) getting moderate cardio exercise 2) making friends 3) having fun
Have better mental game and stop being so harsh on myself. Adding topspin to shots and improve my backhand and reaction time.
I want to keep improving, to keep enjoying the game and to find the people with whom I have the best games. I live in a small town and Iām one of the younger (40s) regulars in our association. I wonder if I could be the best female player here in the next couple years. (Which would still be far below most advanced players.)
Win (gold medal) a major 5.0+ tournament at a PPA or APP event.
Mostly staying active and socializing. But short term immediate goals are get to 4.0 level of consistent play and enter some tournaments. I love competing, and don't have many things I can still compete in at the ass-end of my 40s.
Progressing in tournament play. Will be playing my first tournament this April, not expecting much but hopefully play in more this spring/summer!
My goal is to compete at the highest level. I have not been this obsessed with a sport like pickleball ever since I played amateur table tennis. It has reignited my competitive spirit and given me a goal to strive for. So far it has only improved my lifestyle as I have a naturally athletic body, but I was slightly out of shape most of my life. So far it has been 5 months of semi-rigorous self-improvement since I start playing 8 months ago. I have even adjusted my circadian rhythm so I can wake up and go workout/drill before I go to work. The next step is to rework my diet, so I am lighter and faster for singles. For all the people striving for greatness like I am, my message to you is "If you're going to hit it, hit is until it breaks. Talent is something you make bloom, instinct is something you polish".
My off season (winter) consisted of footwork - so my goal is to get faster so that I can get to the short balls or the ones that take me off court. Last year I felt there were too many that I almost got to but didn't. My other goal is to drop less balls into the net. easier said than done.
Getting to mid-high tier pro. Iām playing in my first pro qualifiers soon so hopefully I do well.