Week 9
Aug 11-16, 2025
This week's breakthrough came from a mental shift: roll first, attack second. After struggling with inconsistent dinking and positioning, I found more control by focusing on pressure instead of power. My counter game is improving, but a humbling loss was the reality check I needed. Follow my journey from 3.5 to 5.0 pickleball with raw insights on what's working and what isn't.
Brad Douglas
August 19, 2025
Focus Areas
What I Worked On
This week started off 50/50 — some shots felt natural, others like I was learning the game all over again. But then something clicked. I felt more control than ever before, like I wasn't just reacting but actually reading and dictating play.
The game-changer? A mental shift: don't always attack. Roll first, then attack the second ball. On shots I'd normally try to put away, I focused on rolling them back with pressure, which usually gave me an even better ball to attack afterward.
My drives feel great right now — lots of spin with decent pace on both backhand and forehand. But the biggest jump is in my counter game. I'm starting to anticipate speedups better instead of just reacting, and when I do speed up myself, I'm already positioning for the counter rather than assuming it's a winner.
Gameplay was mixed. I felt poised and in control for most matches, but court positioning still gets me in trouble. I can tell Cam's training is paying off, but I need more actual game reps to solidify everything.
What I Learned
The Mental Shift: Roll First, Attack Second
This was the real game-changer this week. Instead of always looking to attack, I'm learning to roll the ball first and then attack the second ball. On shots I'd normally try to put away, I focused on rolling them back with pressure, which usually gave me an even better opportunity afterward.
It's a completely different mindset—less rushing and reacting, more reading and dictating. When I make this mental shift, I feel like I have more control than I've ever had before.
Dinks and Rolls
My dinking was hit and miss during gameplay. The honest truth? I was trying to do too much instead of being patient and letting the shots come to me.
My 4th shot rolls are starting to feel good though. I can control pace and placement much better than even a week ago. It's following that familiar trajectory: struggle for a couple weeks, then suddenly the shot clicks. Love that feeling.
Drives and Counters
Drives feel great right now—lots of spin with decent pace on both backhand and forehand sides. Exactly what I'm going for.
But the biggest jump is in my counter game:
- I'm starting to anticipate speedups better instead of just reacting
- When I speed up myself, I'm positioning for the counter rather than assuming it's a winner
- I'm getting better at reading where the ball is coming back so I can be ready
I'm still not great at this, but when I do it right, it feels incredible.
Gameplay Reality Check
A mixed bag, if I'm being honest. I felt poised and in control for most matches, but court positioning still gets me in trouble. I'm not shifting properly too many times for my liking.
I can tell Cam's training is paying off, but I need more actual game reps to solidify everything. That's going to be a focus moving forward.
What Still Needs Work
- Court Positioning: I'm not shifting properly too many times for my liking. This gets me in trouble during gameplay when I should be dictating the point. Need to focus on proper positioning to take advantage of my improved shots.
- Patience in Dinking: During gameplay, my dinking was hit and miss. The honest truth? I was trying to do too much instead of being patient and letting the shots come to me. Need to trust the process and let opportunities develop naturally.
- Game Reps: I can tell the training with Cam is paying off, but since I'm still relatively new to the game I need to start getting actual game reps. This will be a focus going forward - taking what works in drills and applying it consistently under pressure.
Win of the Week
This will sound weird, but it was losing a game this week that we had no business losing. It was the reality check I needed—a humbling reminder that I'm nowhere near where I want to be. Time to dig deeper in drills and bring more focus to match play. The path to 5.0 doesn't have shortcuts, and this loss was the perfect kick in the ass to remember that.
What's Next
Cam's back in the lab this week, and after that humbling loss, I'm locked in like never before. Not sure exactly what we'll be targeting, but whatever he throws at me, I'm bringing a different intensity. That reality check was exactly what I needed—time to put in the real work.