Beginner to Pro PIckleball in 11 Months

The Road to Redemption: Local Man Overcomes Mental Obstacles to Reach Pickleball Dream

Tony Sheng's journey from humiliation to triumph in competitive mixed doubles pickleball

When Tony Sheng took to the pickleball courts with his partner Malia Lum last April for a competitive mixed doubles tournament, he had hopes of claiming his first medal. But the day ended in disaster, leaving Sheng embarrassed and determined to overcome the mental blocks that led to his poor performance.

Over the next few months, Sheng embarked on a mission of self-improvement, studying sports psychology and refining his game through diligent practice. His work paid off this fall when Sheng and Lum shocked the competition by qualifying for the main draw of a major regional pickleball tournament. Though they lost in the first round, Sheng proved he could overcome anxiety and "trust his shots," achieving a major milestone in his rookie season.

1. What Was Broken: A Humiliating Loss Plants The Seeds of Motivation

"In April I had just won a silver in a 4.0 men's tournament so I was setting my eyes on a new goal to win a 5.0 mixed tournament," Sheng said, beginning the story of his redemption at the 0:23 mark in his video.

But in Sheng's first mixed doubles tournament with Lum, "everything went sideways." He described his play as "absolutely miserable," making errors on drives and drops throughout a lopsided loss in the first round. "Losing is one thing. Losing when you can't even play your game is the worst," Sheng recalled.

The misery continued in a consolation match, where Sheng "foot faulted four times" in a crushing 17-14 defeat. "I was absolutely mortified," he admitted. "It felt awful."

2. How To Fix It: Studying Sports Psychology and Refining His Game Through Practice

After stewing in his failures for a few days, Sheng resolved to make sure "this would never happen again" (2:45).

He identified two areas for improvement: developing "good shots" through practice drills, and improving his "mental game" by learning to "trust those shots" under pressure.

Sheng doubled down on transition and kitchen drills, strategizing for mixed doubles by practicing "on his left side" with "a guy on the right and a girl in front." He also studied the sports psychology classic The Inner Game of Tennis, looking for ways to maintain confidence during competition.

3. Problem: Choking Under Pressure

Sheng traced his collapses to tightening up in critical moments. "What was working in practice wasn't working in tournaments," he explained (2:51). He identified flawed thought patterns, like dwelling on mistakes and trying to consciously correct them mid-match.

"Every time it didn't work, I felt more down on myself," Sheng said. Negative self-talk snowballed into worse performances.

4. Solution: Quieting The Inner Critic And Trusting His Intuition

The Inner Game of Tennis by W. Timothy Gallwey provided Sheng with techniques to overcome paralyzing overthinking.

"There are two selves inside of us: one self that is thinking and one self that is doing," Sheng described the key lesson he took from the book (4:07). He realized his conscious thinking had sabotaged his muscle memory.

So Sheng set out to train his mind:

1) Quit The Thinker (5:16). Sheng worked to silence his inner critic instead of judging each shot.

2) Visualize The Outcome (5:16). Rather than obsessing over stroke mechanics, Sheng pictured the trajectory and placement of his ideal shot before swinging.

3) Trust His "Doer" (5:16). Sheng reminded himself that his body knew how to execute the skills.

4) Concentrate (5:46). Sheng stared at the ball intently right before each shot, avoiding distractions.

5. Partial Success in Practice Matches

Sheng diligently implemented his new mental routines in practices against higher level opponents. "It went decently well," he said, but admitted his driving strategy still faltered against top professionals (7:22).

This forced Sheng to reconsider his overreliance on driving. But he tabled strategizing to stay focused on his mental game plan as the next tournament approached.

6. Peak Performance When It Matters: Qualifying for the Main Draw

Arriving at the season's biggest mixed doubles tournament, Sheng's priority was proving to himself he could compete under pressure.

He and Hansen quickly won their first match of the qualifying rounds. But a strong team awaited them in the final round, with a main draw berth on the line.

After splitting the first two games, Sheng and Hansen found themselves in a marathon rally at 13-13 in the deciding game. "One of the craziest games that I've ever played," Sheng recalled, as the teams traded match points until Hansen clinched a 17-15 victory.

"We qualified and I was so excited," Sheng exclaimed. His mental focus paid dividends in the clutch.

Though they lost quickly in the main draw, Sheng still celebrated a transformative experience. "I was so pumped," he said. Sheng reached his goal through determination to fix his mental game, proving dreams can come true with hard work.

Summary: Local player Tony Sheng practiced diligently for months to overcome anxiety and "trust his shots" in big moments after two humiliating losses. His training paid off when he and his partner Malia Lum qualified for the elite main draw of a major regional pickleball tournament, achieving Sheng's goal for his rookie season and restoring his confidence through hard-won mental toughness.