Dear PickleballChicks,

The other day, I was on the court and time after time, after time, after OMG time, we lost the point because one of us was guilty of the:

Unnecessary Speed Up.

Or, as I shall call it, now and forever:

The USU.

You know the shot.

The ball is low. The rally is neutral. Nobody asked for a bang-fest to break out.

And yet…

Hello, wind it up and let ’er fly! Hello, cross-court “give ’em hell” drive!

Into the net.

Out. Out. Oh, so far out of bounds sister...

Or, for me, worst of all, the USU heads directly at the perfectly prepared paddle across the net and right back at us … at even higher speeds. (Tuck your teeth in and close your eyes girls!)

The sad result? Point over. And a totally preventable case of USU regret.

That sentence stuck.

I still hear it in my head when I’m rushing. Now I try — oh, I try, like really try — to resist the Unnecessary Speed Up (USU!).

Let the ball come to me. Choose the drop. Choose to go one more, two more, three more dinks. Try like hell to reset.

Keep the rally going.

Or, at the very least, resist the urge to bang the hell out of the ball just because it happens to be within reach.

Now, of course, there is a time to speed it up.

If the ball is a delicious pop-up — or, as I’m calling them, PARTY BALLS! — and the opportunity is sitting there with a giant flashing sign that says HIT ME, go for it.

Like, really.

Go. For. It.

But when the ball is doing its usual thing ...

Maybe we don’t need to force the fabulous.

Maybe we just reset.

Because USUs have taken enough from us …

So many lost points.

So many aggravated elbows.

So many partners left standing there thinking, “Well … that was ambitious.”

So, the next time your brain yells, SPEED IT UP, take half a breath and remember:

PickleballChickadee, you have more time than you think.

And sometimes, the smartest shot is the one you don’t speed up.

That’s all I’ve got for today, other than:

You are fabulous. You are beautiful. You are perfect just the way you gosh darn are …

And …

“Just being on the court is the win.”

Yours in pickleball fabulousness,

Sharon Head Chick PickleballChicks™

P.S. I"m bursting with excitement! New “PickleballChicks Are My Flock” sleeveless and sleeved tees will be available to our USA Chicks soon!

P.P.S. Our BIGGEST Canadian charity tournament of the year has almost sold out — in about 24 hours! So, if you’re near Hamilton, Ontario, OR you want to jump on a flight and get here, head to www.PickleballChicks.org/Events to find out how to play with us and help us kick breast cancer in the ass this September!