The 3 Keys 🔑 to Dealing with Nerves Under Pressure 🤯
The number one question I get asked from my students isn't how to hit a better 3rd shot drop--it's how to deal with nerves. How to play 15% better when it matters the most. Below, I share three of my very best science-backed and court-tested pieces of advice for performing your best under pressure.
1.) "I'm nervous, but I've never been afraid" - Lindsey Vonn
I think most of my students misinterpret nervousness. What they're actually feeling is fear. Which is totally different than nervousness.
Nervousness you can work with; fear you cannot. Professional athletes (at least the good ones) own the nerves--to us, it's a feeling much closer to excitement than fear. We associate it as normal (trust me, even Anna Leigh Waters gets nervous), we say "hello" to the feeling, we acknowledge it, and we work with it (vs trying to pretend it's not there). Here's how:
Even just saying the words out loud "Wow, I'm nervous", but changing it to "Wow, I'm excited" does two huge things: 1.) It acknowledges the feeling, which instantly takes power from it and 2.) It reframes it as excitement (to which it is much more closely related than fear).
If you are feeling fearful, then remember this: fear and gratitude cannot coexist. So if you can only feel one way on the court, feel grateful to be out there, in the sunshine, with your partner battling, that you have two legs and health enough to be on a pickleball court.
The moment I feel fear creeping up on me (and trust me--it does. I'm no Lindsey Vonn!), I always channel gratitude and I swear to you that flame of fear is instantly snuffed.
2.) Ask yourself, when is the right time in a pickleball match to feel nervous?
It's 0-0, should you be nervous? No, the match just started!
You're down 0-3...are you nervous? No, you're down with nothing to lose and it's really early in the match.
It's 6-6, are you nervous? No, 6-6 is the same as 0-0.
It's now 6-7, are you nervous? No, we are only down 1, it's basically 0-1.
Ok, so when should you be nervous? Tell me the score-line that should cause nerves.
How about down 8-10? Well, ALL of the pressure in the world is on your opponents to close out the game. It's TOUGH to be in their position.
This exercise of "when should I be nervous?" may seem silly but out of the 3 keys I share with you it has probably helped me the most. If I really examine each possible scenario in a scoreline I find there are mental reframes to totally and utterly dispel nervousness. Down 0-7? Literally zero reason to be nervous. Up 10-6? Well, I'm up and about to win--isn't that what I want?
Try this out next time you feel those nerves creeping in and let me know how it goes!
3.) Nerves are an energy. Energy can be channeled.
Why are the pros always bouncing around on their toes, especially after they miss a shot? Believe it or not, they are channeling their nerves!
"Take your nerves out on your footwork," my mom would say to me when I played junior tennis tournaments. And she was right. Nervousness is an energy and energies can be leveraged, channeled, and repurposed.
The next time you're feeling nervous, try bouncing around! It's amazing how often my students tell me they feel "silly" moving their feet. To which I ask, "Do you think I look silly?"
BIG CHANGES TO CAMPS IN 2027!
It's hard to believe, but every camp we ran in 2026 (so far!) has sold out and I say this with deep and humble gratitude for the community we (as in Kristin, myself and YOU--our students) have built together. You inspire us to think differently, to keep being our authentic selves, to keep creating videos that we think are important for our community. Yes, we're a part of your pickleball journey, but you're the biggest part of ours.
You spoke, we listened. Changes in 2027:
We started doing this in July but now it's official: We are the only camp, full-stop, with a 5:1 or less player to coach ratio.
SoCal Newport Beach camps will have a fully trained Jilly B Coach on every single court.
More on court-time for everyone, every single camp.
The first day of camp now includes a welcome party & mic'd up exhibition where you can play w/ or against Jilly B!
"Tall Person Syndrome": The Bad Pickleball Habits Killing Your Game 🏓
Speaking of videos...Think being tall is an advantage on the court? It can be, but if you’re guilty of any one of these bad habits, you may have what we call: TALL PERSON SYNDROME (TPS). Join me and Michael Oakson in this instructional breakdown where we explore the sneaky bad habits that quietly wreck tall players' pickleball games — from lazy footwork and standing too upright, to lunging instead of stepping, breaking posture at the kitchen line, and getting caught flat-footed on overheads. I break down exactly why these habits creep in (hint: it's not actually your height's fault) and give you simple fixes to move lower, faster, and more efficiently — no matter how many inches you've got on your opponent. If you've ever been called "surprisingly slow for your size," this one's for you.
You can still get my signature colorway paddle!
More than just a color, it's a way of life: Pickleball is joy, represented in the rainbow color scheme of the Ignite Gen 4 all-foam paddle by Thrive. Choose which shape suits you the best and use code JILLYB for a discount!
Hybrid has the lowest swing weight (108-113) aka your hands will feel the fastest. Has the shortest handle. Also available in a 4 inch handle (ultra thin).
Elongated has the highest swing weight (but still very low compared to other elongateds on the market, coming in around 116-119). Great if you love the elongated shape or have a two handed backhand.
Elongated Arc:Â Imagine if a hybrid and and an elongated had a baby and you got the best of both worlds. Longer handle, blended shape, with a swing weight 111-114 (right between the two paddles). My hands are lightning when I play the Arc.
Have an idea for a future blog? Email us at jillybcamps@gmail.com
Pickleball is joy,
Jilly B
Looking forward to Baja and learning more.