Mindset
Play To Get Better
Mindset is a habitual or characteristic mental attitude that determines how you will interpret and respond to situations.
I highly recommend having a mindset of playing to get better and NOT playing to win. I know this is contrary to human nature, but please read on.
Losing = Failure and Winning = Success
Few would disagree with this statement above. But does losing really equal failure? If your partner is a beginner or your opponents are rated 1.0-2.0 higher than your level, you'll probably lose. Did you really fail? Try not to equate losing with failure since the skill levels weren't equal.
The reality is Losing ≠Failure
We can also look at this from the other side, does winning equal success? You could make several chronic mistakes but you keep winning since your partner is really good or your opponents are rated 1.0-2.0 lower than you. This is a worse scenario than the previous example since if you keep winning in these situations, bad habits can become ingrained into your game and you won't know about them until you play more advanced players or get professional coaching. At this point, these habits are difficult and time consuming to change. The reality is winning doesn't necessarily equal success.
My recommendation
Play to get better: I recommend picking 1-2 shots or goals per game to work on and not being concerned about winning or losing. If you love to drive and are good at it, try dropping instead. If you don't lob well, try lobbing both at the net and the baseline. If you hit 8-9 out of 10 lobs 2-3 feet from the baseline and put your opponent on the defense, you win! Success! If you drop 8-9 drops out of 10 into the Non Volley Zone, and your opponent only attacks 2-3 of them, success! You were successful regardless of the score. I've found this is the way to become a better pickleball player and be much happier player.
Instead of specific shots, you could have other goals in mind. Some common goals:
I won't run around my BH to hit a FH. I'll just hit the BH and if it goes out, it goes out.
I'll stop running and split step before my opponent makes contact with the ball.
I'll keep track of the score regardless of who is serving, maybe even saying it out loud.
I'll aim 1-2 feet inside the line when going down the line. This is a good goal if you are often hitting down the line shots out.
I won't over stretch to hit a ball, I'll have better footwork and take that additional step to get the ball in front of me.
I won't attack balls that are behind me or too far to the side
In a hands battle, I'll try to reset especially if I'm losing.
My priorities when I play sports are in the following order:
Don't get injured
Get a lot of exercise
Play well individually
Play well as a team
Accomplish my goals
Win
As you can see, winning is the last priority. This page was about playing with a particular mindset. However, to improve quickly, I recommend drilling 70-80% of the time you're on the court and playing 20%-30%.