The Power of Quieting the Noise - Part Nine of The Mental Side of Pickleball

By David Pascolla

Way back in Part One of this series, we began by exploring The Power of Presence. We talked about how staying anchored in the current moment sharpens our game, lowers stress, and even helps us remember the score. I shared one of my own mental reset triggers—quietly saying the words “next shot” between points.

As we head into the final stretch of this series, let's look at the biggest obstacle to staying truly present: the noise. I don't mean the sound of paddles popping or laughter drifting in from the next court. I mean the running commentary that starts the exact moment a shot doesn’t go our way. Think about your last day on the courts. The second a shot doesn't go your way, the commentary instantly starts—either in your head or, more times than not, out loud.

• “Another ball into the net.”

• “Too high… again…”

• “I knew I was going to miss that.”

• “Come on, dummy, hit the ball…”

• And one I just heard last week, "I couldn't hit the water if I fell out of a boat" :)

  
  

Sometimes it’s loud. Sometimes it’s subtle. Sometimes it’s just a sigh, groan, or a head shake. But whether it’s spoken out loud or whispered internally, the habit is the same: we instantly judge the shot and then comment on the mistake.

And if we're honest, many times we are not talking for ourselves—we are talking for everyone around us. It is almost as if we feel the need to explain the mistake so our partner and opponents know that we know we messed up, because we've been conditioned to think that self-criticism equals self-improvement.

But here’s the truth: every second spent judging and commenting on the last shot pulls us right out of the present moment and away from the next one. By stripping away the useless drama, we instantly free up the mental energy required to fix the problem on the very next point. We stop fighting ourselves, and let our natural mechanics take over.

Submerging the Commentary

Years ago, when I used to swim, the best part of every lap was the exact second I slipped underwater. The noise above instantly vanished. Everything became quiet, calm, and focused. Peaceful.

On the pickleball court, we need to learn how to slip under the surface as well.

When we judge every shot, we stay splashing around on the surface. We hit a third-shot drop a little too high, or a drive past the baseline, and instantly begin analyzing it. Meanwhile, the next ball is already flying back across the net while our mind is still stuck in the past. Our own commentary makes us late. Even positive commentary pulls us out of focus. We hit an incredible winner and think, “Wow, what a shot!”—and just like that, we’ve shifted from playing the game to evaluating ourselves again.

To experience real clarity and freedom, we have to stop grading the paper while we are still taking the test. We have to practice neutrality—seeing our shots as simple data, not emotional dramas.

Just Data, No Drama

Lately, I’ve been practicing a different response when a shot goes into the net or flies past the baseline. Quiet. No analysis. No public explanation. No emotional label. No commentary. Just the next shot.

Instead of turning every mistake into a personal failure, we can choose to see it as simple information—just data. If a ball sails two inches long, it doesn’t mean we are having a terrible day. It simply means the ball traveled two inches too far based on velocity and angle. That’s all. No moral judgments. Just information.

The moment we remove the emotional drama from a missed shot, a beautiful physical shift happens. The internal grip softens. The feet move more freely. The breath relaxes. By staying neutral, we stop fighting ourselves, and the game suddenly becomes far more enjoyable.

The quieter we become internally, the more present we stay—and yes, the wins seem to follow naturally.

If you’ve ever watched club member Susie Greenaway on the courts, you've seen this in action. She exemplifies that wonderful sense of quiet grace as she plays, proving that the most powerful presence on the court is often the quietest one.

Off the Court: Quieting the Noise in Life

This isn't just about pickleball anymore. It’s about how we go through our day-to- day lives.

On the courts, we commentate every missed shot. In life, we commentate every bad bounce. We get stuck in traffic, spill a splash of morning coffee, or send a rushed text, and the mind instantly spins a narrative:

• “What is wrong with me?”

• “This day is ruined.”

• “I always do this.”

  
  

We turn simple, neutral moments into exhausting emotional dramas.

But what if we chose to simply observe them instead? It’s not a disaster; it’s just traffic. It’s not a character flaw; it’s just spilled coffee. It’s just data. Nothing more, nothing less.

The less energy we waste fighting reality, the lighter we become. Our stress drops, our relationships soften, and we become much calmer people to be around. Ironically, we navigate life the exact same way we navigate a tough rally—when we stop judging ourselves, we finally start playing our best ball.

The Quiet Mind

Many players spend years chasing perfect technique. But the ones who truly elevate their game are almost always the ones who develop a quiet mind.

If we can look at a missed shot without immediately attaching frustration, embarrassment, or commentary, the clutter clears. Our instincts take over. The game slows down. We stop fighting ourselves.

When both the internal and external commentary finally fade, we step through the ultimate doorway in the mental game.

In the tenth and final part of this series, we are going to explore what happens when the noise disappears completely, time stops, and we enter one of the most rewarding experiences in all of sports:

The Flow State.

See you on the courts—with quiet minds and neutral hearts.