2 or 3 times a week I find a wall to hit against or a court to drop balls to myself for an hour or so. Several weeks ago I had someone stop by and ask me If I needed a partner to hit with while I was dropping balls. While I appreciated the offer, I told him that I was working on some mechanical aspects of my shot and preferred to do it on my own. He stayed for a little bit and watched as I worked to master a shot. As I packed up my stuff and walked off the court, he told me he had never seen anyone doing that before. Unless it was someone practicing a serve, he had never seen anyone practicing alone. He said he would feel awkward doing that himself.
As I walked off I thought about how silly it must look to some who watch me do this. I've never honestly thought about it but I guess it does seem a little weird (and lonely) to play pickleball by yourself. lol. But I found comfort in knowing that I was willing to do something different and somewhat weird that many others may not be willing to do.
There are many players who come into the sport of pickleball with many natural abilities that they don't have to work hard for. I, on the other hand, am not one of those people.
I'm a firm believer that the ones who come out on top aren't necessarily the best or most talented, but the ones who have worked harder than any other in their craft. Sometimes that means that you may have to wake up a little earlier to get a drill session in, set aside a budget for private lessons, eat healthier, or cross-train to stay in an athletic shape that your genes don't naturally allow you to have. And yes, sometimes it might mean doing something that is weird or stupid looking to your peers.
The bottom line is that talent isn't everything. Working hard and doing things that others aren't willing to do will eventually pay off. Keep grinding and enjoy the process as you do so!
Please feel free to reach out to me with any pickleball questions or if you are interested in taking pickleball lessons in Augusta, Georgia!