Monday Minute 7/21/2025
- Jill Braverman
- Jul 21
- 4 min read
Hello, all my Pickleball Joy Riders!
Welcome to the Monday Minute, a 60-second list of what I’m exploring and thinking about. Feel free to forward along if the pickleball spirit moves you!
In my practice…What I was working on the week before I won in Newport Beach
1.) Depth: I spent the week re-tooling my returns AND my serve to push the limit on how deep I could hit the ball. I asked myself “how close to the baseline can I hit this serve?” And it’s amazing how infrequently (even when trying) you come close to the line. I can’t tell you how big of a difference this made in the semi-finals and finals because the big return was making really good players like Bobbi Oshiro have a tough time hitting third shot drops. And the big serve in the finals was getting us super short balls that we were able to drive and crash on repeatedly.
2.) My Mind: We had a chaotic quarterfinal that went 16-14 in the second game (we won). But the match left my nervous system utterly shot to pieces. We were down 3 game points and it took 4 match points to close it out. That game alone lasted an hour. I could feel my heart-rate rate turn staccato and it stayed disjointed well after the match. I knew I couldn’t go into the semi-finals feeling this way. Something had to change…I had to change.
So I decided to lay down on the astro-turf just outside of the player tent, put a shirt over my face, close my eyes and try some box breathing, which works like this: Take a deep breath for 4 seconds, hold your breath for 4 seconds, exhale for 4 seconds, and then hold your breath again for 4 seconds. I did this for 5 minutes while listening to a favorite song (“Feels like we only go backwards” by Tame Impala). When I came out of this my nervous system felt reborn. I went into the semi-finals with the strangest feeling… borderline boredom. Does that sound weird? Everything was moving in slow motion to me and I felt completely at ease. It was the exact opposite feeling as to what I was experiencing just fifteen minutes before! I have to attribute this to the box breathing reset.
3.) Some Mantras: It’s 8-8 in the third game in the Finals of a Major in your hometown in front of your family and friends. What’s the plan? I’ve been working on being more aggressive from the baseline and transition, then super patient at the line. Maybe it’s the tennis player in me, but I keep finding that when I’m driving or dripping the ball and moving forward from the baseline, I’m playing my best. (Versus dropping a third and “watching it” and then deciding what to do—this is just too reactive for me personally). So for Megan and me, we found our most success with the formula of: Aggressive from the back, patient at the kitchen line—this is turning into my new mantra.
Some random thoughts that run through my head at 8-8 in the third: Pressure is a privilege. Be present. Present is the only moment that is real. Never forget that winning is a byproduct, not a goal.
On my body…This Red Light mat is game changing for injuries
SoCal native and 4.0 pickleball player Penny Foskaris realized that red light
devices were cheating customers in three ways:
1.) They are super overpriced
2.) They have too few number of LEDs per square inch
3.) The device sizes that were too small or poorly engineered for your most common injuries.
So she created Red Light Pro Devices to fix these three issues, and I’ve been using their superior and affordable products to help my body recover (specifically my left hip, hamstring and upper back). I spend about 30 mins/day (two 15 min sessions) using their large and small mats and the difference on my body is immediate and lasting. Check out RLPD’s products using this link for 20% off! Your body will thank you.
On my schedule… First-Ever Elite Junior Camp + New Fantasy Camp Added
MEXICO IS SOLD OUT! 48 campers are going to have an amazing week in Los Barriles! ACCEPTING WAIT LIST.
Want me to come teach at your facility next year? Get in touch jillybcamps@gmail.com
_________________________________________________________________________________
That's it for the Monday Minute. I love feedback, and if you have any for me, please tweet me @jillybpb or find me on Threads, too (@jillybpickleball). You can always email us at jillybcamps@gmail.com.
Love your Monday Minutes