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Free guide · Mental game
7 ways to perform at your peak. Short, research-backed habits to stay calm, reset after mistakes and trust your game under pressure.
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Every tip cites a source
Each habit links to the study behind it.
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Each way explains what to do, why it works with the study behind it, and a one-minute drill to make it stick.
01
A repeatable 3 to 4 second sequence that puts you in the same ready state before every single rally.
02
Use your body to calm your mind. A long, slow exhale helps you settle when the game gets frantic.
03
Treat unforced errors like bad weather: annoying, but out of your control once it happens. Stop carrying the last point into the next one.
04
When you start thinking about your elbow angle mid-swing, you crash. Your brain needs an external target, not an anatomy lesson.
05
A running internal commentary creates chaos. Two or three intentional cue words create clarity.
06
See the flight path and the landing spot before the ball leaves your paddle. Imagery plus practice beats practice alone.
07
Flow isn't pure luck. It's more likely when the challenge matches your skill level and your intent is crystal clear.
Get all seven, with the research and a drill for each.
Send me the guideThe research behind it
A meta-analysis of pre-performance routines across many sports found athletes who used one tended to perform better, under pressure and without it. The kind of routine did not change the result, so the best routine is the one you will actually repeat.
A meta-analysis found that slowing your breathing on purpose shifts the body toward a calmer state. In a separate study, a short daily breathing practice built around long exhales improved mood more than meditation did.
These studies measured the body and mood, not points won. Treat this as a way to settle, not a guaranteed edge.
Athletes taught to meet their mistakes with self-compassion instead of harsh self-criticism showed less self-criticism, less dwelling and less worry over mistakes.
These studies measured thoughts and how athletes felt they played, not match results, and none were in a racket sport.
A large set of reviews found that focusing on the effect you want beats focusing on your body's movements, across ages and skill levels. In a tennis study, players who focused on the ball leaving the racket learned the stroke more effectively.
A meta-analysis found planned self-talk improves sport performance on average, and short instructional cues work especially well for precise skills. In a tennis study, beginners who practiced instructional self-talk scored higher in rallies.
A meta-analysis found imagery improves sport performance on average, and imagery combined with physical practice works better than physical practice alone. In a small tennis study, imagining the serve first improved accuracy.
Athletes describe flow as most likely when the challenge matches their skill, the goal is clear and attention is on the task. A review of elite athletes found they see flow as partly within their control, not just luck.
This evidence comes mostly from interviews with elite athletes. Nothing guarantees flow. These are conditions that help.
From the founder
Close matches aren't decided by your third shot. They're decided by what you do between points.
I built Moment to help players train the parts of the game nobody coaches. This guide pulls together the habits that changed how I compete, and every one links to the research behind it so you don't have to take my word for it.
Scott Weiss · Founder, Moment Pickleball ·
A calm mind needs a steady base. These are the tools we built to practice at home.
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