Silencing the Inner Critic on the Pickleball Court

“MZ!” he yelled. “Why did I do that?” My opponent across the net was upset; he had just sailed an easy put-away 20ft out of bounds. “That was stupid,” he continued. I had no answer for him, but it made me think. When I had played with him on the same side, he was always encouraging and patient with me if I made that very mistake. A curious double standard for sure.

I often hear fellow players talk about drilling, stretching, working out, what supplements to take, the latest paddle tech or game strategy. All of us are looking to gain that extra edge out on the court. But few of us talk about the psychological side of the game.

Not having come from a racquet sports background, I was surprised at how much the mental aspect of the game dictated overall play. And I am not referring to thinking one’s way around the court, but rather the ability to find a flow state and return to it after strategic mistakes, missed easy shots, or partner miscommunication. As I played, I found there to be way too much negative chatter up in my head. And as I talked with fellow players about this chatter, they started to tell me about their negative chatter. What? This is common? I just assumed my opponent was having a bad moment. And I was the only one with a negative talk problem. And sure, I expected doubt and negative talk to be the case on the biggest stages, when people are playing for high stakes, but rec ball, against friends, in a park? I got intrigued. What is this phenomenon? Where is it coming from? And what to do about it?

Introducing the Inner Critic

The inner critic is our self-referring mental voice that judges, critiques, evaluates, and acts like a jerk. It makes us doubt if we should be on the court, it wants us to worry if we will miss a shot, and it will try to get us to review and replay every single mistake. It will often undermine our abilities, fuel self-doubt, and create pressure by constantly evaluating each point, stroke of the paddle, or overall play. It’s that internal dialogue that tells you you're not good enough, not skilled enough, or that your performance today is subpar. If you can’t relate to this description, now is a good spot to stop reading. And be grateful you were born without this pesky, noisy blowhard.

Why am I so lucky to have this?

So, where does this inner critic come from? Bad parenting? Genetics? Faulty brain wiring? Nope. The inner critic is a vestige of our ancient survival instincts. Evolutionarily, it’s meant to keep us safe by alerting us to threats, avoiding mistakes, and augmenting social cohesion (what will others think of me?). However, in modern-day life, it often shows up when we’re not in physical danger. Rather, it slots into the next closest thing. When we are in fierce competition over a whiffleball. For athletes, this manifests in negative thoughts that derail confidence and prevent optimal performance. If we let the inner critic dominate, it will distort reality by MAGNIFYING every mistake and ratcheting up performance expectations (I should be playing better! Why did I miss that shot?). Ultimately, it can create a mental loop of negative review and elevated expectations creating a spiral that degrades our play. As we tighten up from the pressure the inner critic is applying, our grip tightens, we are less attentive, we move a bit slower. We end up playing in just the way the inner critic tried to warn us about. Badly. Some help, huh?

The inner critic is drunk. Do not allow them to drive!

When the inner critic is active, it’s not just in your head—it’s happening in your brain. Studies suggest that the Default Mode Network (DMN) plays a major role in self-referential thinking. The DMN is activated when we think about ourselves—our past, our failures, and our future. This constant self-focus can lead to overthinking and rumination, causing the inner critic to take the wheel. As soon as we start evaluating, we invite in the inner critic. And then we have our friend the amygdala joining the party. The amygdala, the brain’s emotional center, often gets triggered when the inner critic is active, intensifying the emotional response to our self-judgment. This creates a cycle of negative emotions—fear, frustration, anxiety—locking us out of the present moment (a key component of flow state, which we will discuss later) and making it difficult to perform at our best. Stress produces hormones like cortisol, which impair cognitive function, focus, and memory. When the inner critic dominates, instead of responding instinctively to the game, we become distracted by our inner dialogue, and our performance dips.

How to take the keys away.

Mindfulness

Mindfulness meditation has been shown to reduce activity in the DMN, quieting the inner critic. When athletes practice mindfulness, they become better at observing their thoughts without getting entangled in them and feeling the game in their bodies. The Buddhists have a mediation where one spends time noticing their thoughts, labeling what it is (without judging the thought) and then doing the same thing for the next thought that inevitably comes down the conveyor belt. This teaches the athlete to be aware of and to disengage with random thoughts, and this practice of letting go prevents the inner critic from taking the wheel. Remember, the inner critic likes to judge and evaluate. We are hacking our way past that by naming the thought and moving on.

Play Nice

In her research, Dr. Kristin Neff describes self-compassion as a powerful antidote to self-criticism. Instead of berating yourself for mistakes, try talking to yourself as you would a friend or teammate. We should, at the very least, be as polite to ourselves as we would be to another person. For example, if you miss a shot, say, "It’s okay, I still got this. Missing shots is normal. What can I do better next time?" This simple shift from judgment to support, to constructive problem solving can reduce the sting of failure, keep the amygdala in its cage, and refocus your attention on improvement rather than judgment.

Physical Anchoring

Often, the inner critic thrives when our bodies are tense or stressed. One of the most effective ways to quiet this voice is through physical anchoring—something as simple as deep breathing or rhythmic movement can interrupt the negative thinking loop. Taking a deep breath, feeling your feet on the ground, or even bouncing the ball before a serve can help you stay present and grounded. We have all seen athletes with numerous rituals or routines. They are purposeful. Bouncing the ball three times before a free throw or constantly adjusting gloves and helmets in the batter’s box are grounding and focusing techniques. Heck, there was a guy in Major League Baseball by the name of Mike Hargrove, whose grounding had to be done between each pitch. It was so time-consuming that he became known as the human rain delay. But he was a lifetime .290 hitter and had an 11-year big league career. Maybe it works!

This seems like a lot of work just to hit a wiffleball.

It might be. But here we are, playing the game we love, and trying to get better. The inner critic doesn’t only pop up in sports. It can try to take the wheel before a big presentation at work, public speaking, or even before a crucial conversation with a significant other. So, there can be many additional benefits to learning to quiet the inner critic. But in sports, it opens the door for something completely different and formidable. Flow State.

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Michael Zervas is an avid player and partner at ZeroZeroTwo, an innovative 17-court indoor-outdoor facility located in Fort Collins.