Drills & Practice
Practice isn't just repetition. At IT Guy Pickleball, practice is a search for understanding.
When you begin a drill, you should have some idea of what you are trying to discover. You may be learning a skill you don't yet understand or trying to find what is preventing you from performing it successfully.
Sometimes the problem is that you aren't ready for the entire drill. A good instructor can break the skill into smaller tasks, allowing you to see, feel, and understand each part before putting them together. The goal isn't perfection. It is getting each piece good enough to build upon.
The Educated Eye
Players can sometimes practice for a long time without improving because they misdiagnose what is wrong. They are inside the problem and can't see the problem.
An instructor's educated eye can recognize a physical or mental misunderstanding and make a small adjustment that changes everything. Sometimes a few seconds of explanation is all it takes for something to click.
Once the pieces begin working, repetition becomes valuable because the player is now practicing with understanding rather than simply going through the motions.
Recognize Before You React
A successful practice session doesn't necessarily mean you can immediately perform the new skill in a game.
The first step may simply be learning to recognize the situation when it happens. If you see it but don't yet know what to do, that's okay. Make a mental note: I've seen this before.
The next time you recognize it, you may remember what you learned in practice. You may try the action and miss. That's okay too.
With each experience, the connection between recognizing the situation and knowing what to do becomes stronger. After seeing it several times, you may begin to react naturally.
That's when the real progress begins.
Eventually, recognizing the situation and knowing how to respond become connected. The skill moves from something you are learning to something you can use.
It has become another tool in your PAQ toolbox.
Practice isn't just repetition. It is a search for understanding.