A Simple Pickleball Focus System for Players
A simple focus system for pickleball should not give the mind more instructions to manage. From the FMF perspective, focus works best when it quiets the brain’s tendency to supervise every shot. Begin with soft eyes, so you see the ball and court without staring. Add a small pause before contact, giving the body a fraction of stillness. Acknowledge the ball rather than focussing on it as some kind of emergency you are trying to resolve. commanding the swing. Fid the quiet wide angle vision space between shots. he system is simple because natural movement does not need a lecture. It just needs room to organize itself. And there’s room between the shots.
What to do
The Nines
The Nines: consider quietly counting the number nine inside as the ball is hit and as it comes toward you.
Acknowledge the ball
Simply acknowlegde the incoming ball, rather than intensely focussing on it.
Pause before contact
Just as the ball reaches you, find a moment to pause, just before the hit.
Soft eyes
Soften the vision: have your attention on the whole field of vision (and the ball)
FAQ:
What should I focus on before the ball is hit?
Have your attention on the entire visual space in front of you. The point is not to maintain the wide angle focus, but the effect that focussing you attention that way has in relaxing the mind and letting the amazing cerebral cortex take over.
Should I focus on the ball, the paddle, or my target?
None of the above. Use soft eyes, The win is within.
How can a simple focus system keep me from overthinking?
It gives the mind something to do other than spinning its tires in an ineffective and interruptive way.
Can a focus system help me stay calmer during long rallies?
Yes because it emphasizes the now, which, in a long rally, translates to a string of fully attended “nows” that would otherwise be smeared together and distorted in traditional play.
How is the Fluid Motion Factor different from ordinary concentration?
Just let go and move on with what you can totally control: Soft eyes, the Nines, or any other FMF technique.
How do I stay calm when the score gets close?
Concentration is narrow, a lot of hard work, and difficult to maintain. FMF is a lot easier, freer and results in surprisingly effective, relaxing play.
Related Blog Posts
The Release Technique
The Release Technique and Pickleball Approval, Control, Safety, and Flow Pickleball has a sneaky talent for revealing what is happening inside us. A third-shot drop, a dink exchange, a hand battle at the kitchen line, and suddenly the body is not just moving. It is…
Unconscious Pickle
Unconcious Pickle… or Is It Actually Conscious? Every pickleball player knows this moment. You are in a fast hands battle. Everything is happening too quickly to think. Then somehow, your paddle snaps to the ball, you hit a ridiculous winner, and everyone on the…
Freedom
I’ve been watching the Australian Open (tennis) this week and what I saw I see in all sports. What separates the players that do the best, including Carlos Alcarez the winner, is the level of freedom they have during key points. In any tennis match there are five or…