Use the Time Out to Your Advantage During Pickleball Matches

A timeout is called. Sit down, take a drink, and rest. Or better yet, don't do any of that.

Pickleball is a game of streaks. Momentum alone can win you a game, and one of the few tools pickleball players have to alter momentum is the timeout.

If your opponent calls one, they're trying to break your momentum. Don't let them.

One of the best ways to stay in the zone is to literally stay in the zone. Stay on the court. Don't sit down and tell your body the job is done when it isn't yet.

It's easy to lose your touch during a timeout. We've seen it a hundred times: a team is on fire entering the timeout, then loses three or four points in a row.

So instead of leaving the court, grab the ball and volley with your partner during the timeout. Stay on your feet. Keep the pressure on. Heck, strut around if you have to.

This keeps your mind and body sharp, and probably demoralizes your opponent who's just trying to gulp down a water. Make them wonder how you're so spritely while they're catching their breath.

If you need a drink and a rest, by all means, take it. But if you're up by eight points and almost have it in the bag, collect those last few points and wash the victory down with some water after the game. No one wants to tell the story of how they were up 10-0 and lost 12-10.

On the flip-side, we'll pose a question: why are there far more timeouts in pro matches than in amateur matches? Pros know the power of the timeout. So be like them and harness that power, too.