Hey!

Have you ever been up in a game, like 6–1, feeling pretty good… and then somehow walked off the court ten minutes later, wondering how you just lost that match?

You didn’t suddenly forget how to hit a third-shot drop or lose your hands at the net. What you lost was your mindset.

Here’s the truth no one tells enough pickleball players: you can have great hands, awesome footwork, and a silky-smooth drop—but if your mental game melts under pressure, you’re toast. This goes for pros, too.

In fact, Anna Leigh Waters recently shared a story in one of my YouTube videos that shows just how critical mindset is. 🎥

Watch it here: 

She was down 4–10, game point. Most players would’ve mentally packed up. But at the timeout she looked at her partner and said,

“We know we can come back.”

That one sentence flipped the match. Your brain runs the show. If it says “we’re done,” your body hits cruise control. If it says “we’re still in this,” you move better, see the ball clearer, and make sharper decisions.

So today’s skill is Belief—not in some fake-it-’til-you-make-it way, but a grounded, “I’ve fought back before and can do it again” kind of way.

🧠 Action Step: Start your “Comeback Rolodex.” Write down one moment you were down and still fought back—even if you didn’t win. Next time you’re down, that story is ammo for your brain.

EMAIL 2:

Hey!

Alright, picture this:

You miss a dink. Cool, it happens.

But as you walk back to the baseline, you’re still on that miss…

Then you miss your serve.

Then your partner gives you that look…

Next thing you know, three straight points slip away and you’re spiraling.

Most players don’t lose because their skills fall apart—they lose because their focus does. I call it the mental lag effect: your brain is stuck on the last mistake while your body is being asked to play the next point.

Mentally strong players don’t let one bad moment steal the next five minutes. They use a 3-Step Mindset Reset System:

1. 🧘 Breathe on Purpose
   Slow inhale, slower exhale. One deep breath will do more for your game than 20 hours of video tips.

2. ✋ Use a Physical Trigger
   Pros have small rituals—bouncing the ball, touching their chest, pulling their ear. Find yours and press the mental reset button between points.

3. 🗣️ Say a Mantra (Out Loud)
   Short and focused: “Next point,” “Let’s go,” or even “Breathe, dummy.” Give your brain something to lock onto that isn’t the last error.

🛠️ Action Step: Choose your breathing pattern, trigger, and mantra. Practice them until they’re automatic.

Breathe in, breathe out—and I’ll send you the next lesson tomorrow.

–Kyle

P.S. Tomorrow we’ll introduce the three-week Mindset Reset and give you your first tool.

EMAIL 3:

Hey!

So far we’ve covered why mindset matters and how to reset after a mistake. Now let’s zoom out to the full 21-Day Mindset Reset roadmap, then dive into your first tool.

Three-Week Overview

• Week One: Mindset Detox
  Purge limiting beliefs and negative self-talk.

• Week Two: Mental Armor
  Build unshakeable toughness with proven practices.

• Week Three: Performance Tools
  Master strategies that elevate your play under pressure.

🎯 This Week’s Tool: Limiting Belief Purge

1. Identify one belief holding you back (e.g., “I choke on big points”).

2. Write how it shows up in your game.

3. Counter it with an empowering truth (e.g., “I’ve overcome pressure before”).

4. Create a short statement: “I am calm and focused.”

5. Repeat it before matches and practice.

🗓️ Action Step: Run your Purge, craft your statement, and use it in your next session.

See you on the court,
–Kyle

EMAIL 4:

Hey!

Let’s say you’re up 10–7. You’re dialed in… then you try a “hero” shot and blow the lead. Welcome to Hero Mode—the sneakiest mental trap in pickleball.

How to Prevent Hero Mode

• Stick to what got you the lead (stay boring—it wins games).

• Dink to their backhand, third-shot drop, reset—no curveballs.

• Recognize when you’re tempted and reel it in.

In fact, I talk about Hero Mode (and four other mental mistakes destroying your game) in this video:

🛠️ Action Step: Next game, challenge yourself to only hit shots you’ve practiced 100%.

Bonus: Hero Mode coaching is one of the Week Three lessons inside the 21-Day Mindset Reset. You’ll get guided exercises and daily prompts to keep you focused.

Till next time,
–Kyle

P.S. Tomorrow’s lesson is all about building a long-term mental routine that sticks.

EMAIL 5:

Hey!

Congrats! You’ve made it through the free “Go from ‘I don’t know’ to Thinking Like a Pro” series.

By the way, you can check out this series in one page, anytime you want, right here:

See the full mini-series.

Five days, five tools to shift how you think and play. Let’s pull everything together and look at how to turn these lessons into lasting habits.

1. Belief & Comeback Rolodex (email 1)

What you learned: How to mine your past for proof that you can fight back.

Quick reminder: When pressure hits, open your Rolodex and revisit that one match (or moment) where you rallied—even if you didn’t win. That memory becomes your instant confidence boost.

2. The 3-Step Reset System (email 2)

What you learned: A fast, point-to-point routine to clear your mind.

• Breathe on purpose: Inhale slowly, exhale even slower.

• Trigger a physical cue: Tap your paddle, touch your wristband, bounce the ball—whatever resets your focus.

• Lock in with a mantra: “Next point,” “Stay here,” or your own short phrase.

Practice this three-step combo until it’s second nature between every point.

3. Detox Your Limiting Beliefs (email 3)

What you learned: How to spot and replace self-sabotaging thoughts.

1. Identify one belief holding you back (“I always choke on game point”).

2. Counter it with a truth (“I’ve won tight points before”).

3. Reframe that belief into a short affirmation.

4. Repeat it quietly—or aloud—before each match or practice drill.

4. Prevent Hero Mode (email 4)

What you learned: Why “flashy” shots at the finish line almost always backfire.

Key insight: Boring wins games. Stick to the strategy that built your lead—dinks to the backhand, third-shot drops, consistent resets, rather than chasing highlight-reel winners.

And today’s final lesson: Building Long-Term Habits

You’ve built a toolkit. Now, let’s talk consistency.

Turning all of the above into habits is the final step.

That means:

• Daily “Mindset Minute”: Each morning or before you head to the court, spend 60 seconds running through your Rolodex story, taking one reset breath, and repeating your new empowering belief.

• Point-by-Point Check-In: Before every serve, tap your chosen physical cue and whisper your mantra.

• Weekly Reflection: At the end of each week, jot down one win you achieved by using these tools and one area where you stumbled. Use those notes to refine your system.

You have two choices: you can hope to get better at pickleball by accident or on purpose.

These tools will help you improve today, tomorrow, and forever.

Next Steps

By weaving these five tools into daily habits, you’ll stop reacting and start performing—point after point, match after match. The real magic happens not in a single lesson but in the small, consistent actions you take every day.

Take Your Pickleball Mindset to the Next Level

If you’re ready to turn these five tools into lasting habits and become the most confident player on the court, join the 21-Day Mindset Reset Challenge inside ThatPickleballSchool.

What You’ll Get in the Challenge:

• 21 Bite-Sized Video Lessons
  Five to ten minutes each, so you can learn on your schedule—warm-up, commute, or cold plunge.

• Daily Action Worksheets
  Guided prompts to reinforce each tool, cement new habits, and track your progress.

• Three Live Group Trainings
  Get real-time coaching, ask questions, and refine your mindset routine alongside Kyle and fellow challengers.

• Private Community Forum
  Share wins, troubleshoot setbacks, and stay accountable with a supportive crew of pickleball players.

• Progress Tracker & Reminders
  Habit-building made simple with automated reminders and easy-to-use tracking so nothing slips through the cracks.

Why It Works

• Consistency Over Intensity: Small, daily actions beat one-off bursts every time.

• Built-In Accountability: Group trainings and a community to keep you on track.

• Expert Guidance: Kyle’s step-by-step framework ensures you’re never guessing what to do next.

• Real Results: Designed to shift your mindset, not just your technique—so you can perform under pressure.

And with your membership to ThatPickleballSchool, you’ll also get:

• Unlimited access to 100+ on-demand video lessons covering technique, strategy, and drills

• Monthly live Q&A and coaching sessions with Kyle and the TPS team

• A private member forum where you can share wins, ask questions, and find practice partners with over 1,000 members

Whether you choose to join or not, I hope you enjoyed this series.

Because life’s better when you’re good at pickleball.

Good luck!
–Kyle

P.S. Access to ThatPickleballSchool is only $39 a month. But we offer a 30-day money-back guarantee.

If you get in there and don’t like it, let us know within the first 30 days and we’ll refund your membership. No sweat.