You Have More Time: Why Pickleball Students Report This As Top Advice During Clinics
Picture this: You’re at the baseline, your opponent floats up a lob, and your brain screams “Hurry!” You rush, swing too soon, and watch the ball sail long. Frustrating, right?
This is one of the most common experiences in pickleball — the feeling that rallies are flying past faster than you can react. The truth? The game hasn’t sped up. Your perception has. Players at every level get trapped in this illusion of time pressure, and it leads to rushed swings, poor shot selection, and unforced errors. That’s why in clinics you’ll often hear coaches repeat the same mantra: “You have more time than you think.”
At first it sounds overly simple, almost like filler. But this phrase is one of the most powerful mindset shifts in pickleball. When you learn to trust the rhythm of the game, your style of play transforms. Instead of panicking, you breathe, move deliberately, and start choosing shots with purpose. And once you believe you have more time, several subtle but game-changing improvements appear.
Why the Game Feels Faster Than It Is
Pickleball offers more built-in reaction time than most racquet sports. The ball is slower, the court is smaller, and even the fastest drives take longer to reach you than in tennis or squash. A groundstroke usually takes one to two seconds to cross the court. That’s a gift — if you can learn to see it.
The problem is that stress distorts perception. Under pressure, your body goes into fight-or-flight, narrowing vision and rushing footwork. Shots that objectively give you a second or more suddenly feel like they must be taken instantly. Coaches remind players “you have more time” to break this panic loop and anchor them in the reality of the ball’s pace.
The Ripple Effects of Slowing Down
When players start to absorb this idea, the improvements aren’t just mental — they show up everywhere in their game.
First, the number of unforced errors drops dramatically. A sense of urgency often leads to balls dumped into the net or smashed out of bounds. By steadying yourself and focusing on clean execution rather than frantic reaction, you take control of your strokes and keep the rally alive.
Second, you naturally begin to prioritize placement over power. Players who rush often swing harder than necessary, thinking speed will win the point. But in pickleball, it’s usually smarter to take that extra moment and aim — putting the ball at your opponent’s feet, finding an angle, or forcing them into an awkward shot. The slower you feel the rally, the sharper your targeting becomes.
Third, you become more comfortable embracing the soft game. Slowing the pace with arcing drops or controlled dinks at the kitchen line gives both you and your partner time to reposition. Instead of getting dragged into a slugfest, you’re dictating the tempo — a skill that wins more rallies than brute force ever will.
This patience also helps when facing bangers. Hard-hitting opponents thrive on speed and chaos. By refusing to rush and sending the ball back with calm dinks, you take them out of their rhythm. Suddenly, they’re the ones being forced to generate their own pace — and often, they crack first.
Finally, slowing down improves your court positioning. When players hurry, they often get stuck in “no man’s land” — too far from the baseline, not yet at the kitchen, exposed to attack. By moving more deliberately, you place yourself exactly where you need to be before the next shot arrives.
All of these benefits flow from the same root: the ability to see and use the time you actually have.
Training Yourself to Feel the Extra Time
Shifting mindset alone isn’t enough — you need to train it until it becomes second nature. One of the simplest ways is the slow-motion rally drill. Rally softly with a partner, counting “one-Mississippi” after each shot. It slows your tempo and forces your body to internalize patience.
Wall drills are equally powerful. Instead of reacting immediately, let the ball fully return before striking. The delay feels awkward at first, but it teaches trust in the bounce. Coaches often add cone drills to reinforce deliberate footwork, training players to set their stance before swinging rather than lunging in panic.
For doubles, even a verbal cue helps. Some clinics have partners call out “time” before each strike in a drill — a simple way of reminding each other that patience is the hidden weapon of the game.
The Mental Game of Time
What you tell yourself on court matters. Visualization — picturing yourself calmly tracking the ball in slow motion — translates to composure during real rallies. A single deep breath before serving or returning resets your nervous system. And short cue phrases like “I have time” anchor you in control when adrenaline spikes.
Sports psychology research backs this up: athletes who use positive self-talk and visual focus (“quiet eye” techniques) perform more accurately under pressure. The goal isn’t to play slower than your opponent — it’s to experience the point as slower, so your decisions sharpen.
From Clinics to Competition
In tournaments, the pressure to rush is at its highest. But watch top professionals like Ben Johns and you’ll notice something: even in the fastest firefights, they appear calm. They aren’t immune to pressure — they’ve simply trained themselves to stretch time, buying space with resets, dinks, and deliberate footwork.
You can bring the same principles into competition. Begin each match with a routine to center yourself — bouncing the ball, breathing, visualizing the point. In doubles, talk with your partner not just about tactics, but about pace: saying “take your time” can be as important as calling “mine.” And when panic rises mid-rally, don’t force a winner. Reset with a soft shot, and make the rally yours again.
Final Word: Turning Time Into Confidence
“You have more time” isn’t just coach-speak. It’s a foundation for confident, strategic play. By believing it, you reduce errors, place your shots smarter, embrace the soft game, frustrate bangers, and move with better positioning. You stop being pulled into your opponent’s tempo — and start setting your own.
Pickleball doesn’t reward panic. It rewards patience. Trust the time you have, and you’ll find that rallies feel calmer, decisions feel clearer, and the game itself feels more fun. The clock hasn’t changed — only your perception has. And that shift can change everything.
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