What to Do When You Think You've Lost Your Mojo

How to find the Joy in Playing Pickleball Again

Juli Schafer

Mo-jo (definition)-in modern usage- "magic”, control, power,or confidence.

Have you ever Googled "what to do when you've lost your pickleball mojo"?

Or have you been having Eeyore-esque internal dialogues lately?

We pulled some sentiments from online female pickleball groups and admittedly have felt some of these black clouds over our heads.

“Sometimes I feel like the teams are really uneven and I’m the weak link. People don’t want to play with me.”

“I'm so worried about letting my teammates down that I beat myself up and I cannot let it go. I feel terrible.”

”I’m just not getting better. Everyone is surpassing me. I can’t get these shots.”

“I’m having a complete confidence crisis. There are lots of kleenex involved from so many tears. I am just not having fun anymore.”

“The past two Friday nights I have walked away from a pickleball court, feeling I don’t belong because I’m not good enough. It’s been pretty devastating emotionally. Pickleball used to be fun. Who wants to just have balls slammed at them all night and play with partners who don’t GAF about you?

If you have felt some or all of these, girlfriend, you are not alone. Pickleball is a microcosm of real life sonce it involves comptetition and people, so these feelings will likely either enter or consume our space at some point in our pickleball journey. It is totally reasonable that at some point, we will begin to question ourselves, our abilities and how what we do affects other people. Admittedly, some of us may fall a little deeper into this hole than others (any hands raising up high with mine?)

But have you considered that this might mean you have some bigger goals and desires here?

You may want to play in the higher bracket at open play. You might have a goal to get better at certain shots and game strategy and you are frustrated where you are. Maybe you got that feeling of ‘I have awakened a fire deep in my soul’ and now you’re even considering competing in a tournament.

Whatever roadblock you have hit, you know you need to figure out how to move past it. Because even though you may have idly threatened to throw in the towel, this, my dear, is not an option.

If you aren't having fun anymore, or feel like you don’t belong where you are, then it’s time to change something. Even if it’s just for a little while.

In the book Pickleball Mindset by Dayne Gingrich and Jill Martin, Gingrich challenges us to rethink how we view struggles on the court.

His take? There’s no such thing as a slump. If you feel you are in one, your focus, preparation, and mindset need adjusting. Instead of waiting for the “slump” to pass, he suggests evaluating your habits, tracking your progress intentionally, and staying mentally sharp and confident in your game.

Here are some ideas to help you move through this and find your joy again.

Get Back to the Basics.

So for starters, this means drilling more for a while and playing less. Don’t have a drilling partner? Don't let that stop you. Practice on the wall. Use quiet balls to do it in your house.

Don’t go it alone. Lesson Up.

Players at every level drill and have coaches and take clinics. When you need a change, or a glow up, take some lessons or sign up for some small group classes. Improved skills create stronger confidence.

Find the right people

If you're not having fun, you're playing with the wrong people. I've been there. Try to form your own group of people that you enjoy being around to see if it’s a good fit. Get in a league or different open play or round robin to meet new friends who pay near your level. Just try it.

Pickleball Therapy

This isn’t what you’re thinking, although if you are struggling with something that spills onto the court, you may want to talk to someone about it.

Pickleball Therapy is a great podcast that focuses on the mental game. Senior Pro, Tony Roig, does most of the episodes and addresses challenges that a lot of players encounter. Scroll the titles and see what resonates with you. PT website Podcast on Apple Podcast on Spotify

Listening to podcasts about Pickleball Mental Fitness is a great pick me up. Wise words and helpful tips from people who have been there can go a long way to stoking your embers.

Other Pickleball podcasts we like are Pickleball Fire on Apple and Spotify (check out the earlier ones) and This Pickleball Life with Jilly B. on Apple , Spotify and YouTube

(For strategy and more info 4.0 to Pro and Briones Pickelball are great, but listen on speed 1.2 LOL)

You can change your mindset.

Here comes some tough love from someone who gets it. You must change how you’re seeing everything around you, and more importantly how you’re seeing yourself. Everything is perception. If you see yourself as a terrible player who can’t get better, guess what? You’re going to see, feel, and experience more things that reinforce that view. If you go into games expecting to play horribly and have people not like you…guess what? You will see and experience more of that.

I’m not saying it’s easy. I’ve been there. I fully empatisize. But that means I’m speaking from experience. You are enough as you are. More than enough. Don’t let anyone or anything outside of you tell you who the f*%k you are. Keep your head up and go into those games knowing that you are trying your best and not sitting on a couch watching your life go by you.. Change the way you see things and things you see will change.

Go in Gratitude

Sometimes you need a perspective shift. We call this Putting on your Perspectacles.

When you find yourself in a “woe is me” place, give yourself a mental slap on the cheek.

Here you are, right now, GETTING TO GO PLAY THE MOST FUN SPORT IN THE WORLD. You are not at work, or lying in a hospital, or homeless. And you have access to clean water which a quarter of the world does not. So whatever is going on, it's not that bad. Flip the gratitude switch on in your mind snd list what you are grateful for. If you play with this attitude of gratitude, it make you play better.

Bowl of Ice Cream

Tony Roig uses the Bowl of ice Cream metaphor in one of his most downloaded podcasts.

The gist: Every single time you step on the court to play, you get a bowl of ice cream. If you win, you get sprinkles. If you win every game or play really well or earn a medal, you get hot fudge, whipped cream and a cherry on the top.

But even if you lose every single game, you STILL get the bowl of ice cream (because you were out on the court playing.) Your body was moving, you were chasing a plastic ball, feeling like a kid again, and hopefully smiling and laughing.

If you don’t appreciate the ice cream in this, it might be time to re-evaluate your relationship with pickleball.

Celebrate!

It’s hard to be upset or down when you are actively being happy.

Celebrate your successes on the court.

Celebrate those of your friends.

Enjoy where you are.

If you are always playing up in an attempt to level up, it might be time for you to just sit on a boat in calm waters for a bit.

Maybe it’s time for you to help someone else get better instead of being the one who is always helped. Enjoy and be grateful for this level, right where you are.

Do a Stop Study.

Sometimes you just need to take a break. Take a few days or more off and see how you feel. Are you relieved to be away from the courts for a bit? Are you sad because you’re missing the game? Do you have FOMO because you miss your friends? Are you grumpy because you need to whack balls?

This will give some insight into what it is that you might need. And, when you return, you’ll likely be rested, energized, and excited.

Focus on your Food, Sleep, and Strength.

Just a gentle reminder that you won’t play well if you are eating processed food and refined carbs, drinking a lot of alcohol, and not sleeping enough.

Doing some strength training will also help you move better and feel better.

Sidebar: Build your Confidence and Mental Fitness

This is a big one, of course. Ms. Medal Chasers is working on a Mental Fitness Course that will launch early summer 2025. It’s goal will be to help you to build your Court Confidence Tool Box and make you a happier, more confident player. We will also be incorporating this into some of our Get Better Pickleball Intensive Clinics. Make sure to sign up for our email list so you are in the know!