As athletic as pickleball is, it’s just as much about mental strategy.

It goes without saying that World No. 1 Anna Leigh Waters has exemplary mental strength.

Pro pickleball player and content creator, Kyle Koszuta, jumped on the court with Anna Leigh and Leigh Waters to gain insight about their respective mental strategies.

Koszuta used an example from the Zimmer Biomet Masters when Anna Leigh and Ben Johns were down 4-10 against Tyra Hurricane Black and Christian Alshon.

Anna Leigh called a timeout at match point: So what was her thought process during a moment like that?

“When they came back in after the timeout, the game became less about being aggressive, and instead about lowering the risk on their shots. Ben is hitting the balls hard, but he’s not going for outright winners. He’s going for placement and spin because you cannot afford to lose those points,” Leigh explained. “So, you have to come in with a mental mindset of 'I’ve got to be very high-percentage with my shots.'”

Leigh called it "controlled aggression." 

“The main thing is belief that you can come back from that,” noted Anna Leigh.

Koszuta brought up another match with a similar moment at the Select Medical Orange County Cup when Ben and Anna Leigh were down 4-10 against JW and Jorja Johnson.

Anna Leigh called a timeout and went to talk things over on the sideline with her mom.

“A lot of people would come over to the bench and be totally dejected, but Anna Leigh comes over and says, 'Alright mom what do we do? I’m not losing this match,'” Leigh shared. “It’s amazing what the brain can do for you, because the minute your brain thinks 'I can’t do it,' your body literally can’t do it,” said Leigh.

“Whatever you tell yourself out loud or in your head means so much,” added Anna Leigh.

Anna Leigh is a vocal player on the court. She often hypes herself up and tells herself “Come on!” and “Fight!” during matches. Even if Anna Leigh misses a shot, she refuses to beat herself up over it. Instead, she tells herself that was the right idea. 

“Always think and say positive things. If you can keep your emotions in check and think positive thoughts, good things will happen,” said Anna Leigh. 

However, not all of us have the same mental toughness to practice positive thinking on the court, especially after an unforced error. 

“Sometimes I’ll miss a shot and I’ll get so upset with myself, and that’s why I started yelling things because I yell and I can get that feeling out of my system. And then I reset,” Anna Leigh explained. “My mental coach says, ‘It’s okay to go crazy for a second after you miss a shot, as long as you get back to being yourself right after that.’”

So, be careful against beating yourself up over missed shots.

Use the power of positive thinking instead, and see how it improves your mental game. 

For more tips from the top pros, follow us on Instagram and X (formerly Twitter).