Target or Not to Target...
Pickleball Proverb
Mastering others is strength. Mastering oneself is true power. In pickleball, true mastery will never be found by overpowering the weak. The true "target" to overcome is not your opponent, but your own limitations and skills as a player.
When I play with some people, it is rare for me to receive the ball on the pickleball court. Instead, my partner will tend to get all the balls directed towards them. Targeting occurs whenever people purposefully attack and direct most shots toward the weaker player on the court. So why do people target? Well, the answer is probably obvious. People want to win and one way to accomplish this is by focusing your attacks on the weaker player.
This leads to an important question. What are my goals on the pickleball court? How much should you care about "winning" a recreational game? Does it make you feel good to target an immobile elderly person, young children, or people who are just learning the game? I have seen all of this happen on more than one occasion on the pickleball courts during recreational games.
In competitive play, which would include any rated game or games specifically set up to prepare for a tournament, I have no qualms about targeting a weaker player on the court. However, in recreational play, success for me is not determined by "winning" a match. In these games you are often paired with random people or people who you do not play with frequently. You cannot control what your partner does so winning or losing is a poor criterion of success. Success, for me, in recreational games is to have fun and to experiment with different types of shots that I am learning in drills. If I personally play well and incorporate some new things into those games then I am happy.
Targeting can make sense in some situations during a competitive match. But my point is that an overwhelming majority of the matches that I see this happen in are not competitive. They are recreational and the goals are vastly different.
Below are three things to consider to make recreational play more inclusive and fun for everyone:
1. Emphasize Learning in Recreational Play -- during these games take time to emphasize learning and improvement during the actual game for everyone on the court. For example, discuss with both teams tips and strategies for improving during the actual game or take quick pauses during the match to emphasize what went well or what went wrong and why. We are all here to have fun and get better!
2. Switch Partners Frequently -- switching partners can sometimes reduce the feeling of someone being consistently targeted on the court. Mix it up!
3. Play the Best Shot not the Person-- play the best shot at the moment instead of focusing your attacks at a specific person. This can make the games more inclusive and fun for everyone.
Pickleball Humor
