Introduction: What the Game Demands, and What We Avoid
There aren’t many times I walk off the court thinking, “That’s it. That’s the 20th Ball in human form.” But today, I saw it. His name was Josh.
Before I break down his game, I want to be real about something else. Something personal. I’m the creator of the 20th Ball. It’s a mindset, a way of seeing the game, a commitment to the long rally and the long haul. But even with that, I haven’t figured out how to consistently enjoy this game.
The game only becomes fun for me under certain conditions. If I’m getting destroyed, I lock in. If I’m paired with a weaker player and we’re stealing wins, I come alive. Or if it’s a tight match that gives me just enough friction, I’ll find ways to handicap myself. I’ll rush dumb shots, avoid going too far too early, and create a reason to fight.
And if I lose, I don’t really care either way.
You can call that nonchalant or noncompetitive. But it’s real. I do this two, three, maybe four times to start the day. It helps me find the tempo. Then I ease into focus. Sometimes I hit that locked-in feeling right away. Other days I need to scrape my way into it. It depends on the people, the rhythm, and how I’m regulating myself emotionally.
That’s been hard to admit. Because sometimes, as a creator, a coach, a competitor, and the one who built this entire concept, I forget how to play inside it. I stop enjoying the game unless I make it mean something.
But today was different. Josh played a big role in that shift.
Josh Plays Like It All Matters
Josh doesn’t wait to care. He steps onto the court with intention. He plays as if every rec game is a chance to build his foundation. He plays with a seriousness that might make some players uncomfortable. And that’s the point.
I told him today, “You play like it matters so much that people might not want to play with you again.” That wasn’t a dig. That was a compliment. Play with purpose. Don’t apologize for taking it seriously.
And if they don’t want to play with you, let them walk. You’ll be better off for it.
Josh is hard on himself. He wants every point to count. Every angle. Every decision. He wants to know the game so well that it becomes second nature. That’s the type of hunger that doesn’t always show up in open play. That’s rare.
We played some of the best structured points I’ve had in a while. Points that had real tempo. Not just reflex play, but planned, paced, intentional rallies. And he didn’t get swept up in my emotional swings either. I can be unpredictable with how I enter and exit focus during a session, and I appreciated that he didn’t follow that drift. He stayed present. He kept structure.
That’s a big deal.
The Four Areas of Growth for Josh
Josh is on the edge of something. His game is right there. With just a few shifts, the leap could be massive. These are the four areas I see for him:
1. Touch and Patterning
Right now, some of his shots keep the point going, but don’t build toward anything. His game will take a step forward when he starts crafting touch with purpose. Constructed play over reactive play.
2. Timing, Footwork, and Visual Processing
The feet and the eyes are the foundation. When his footwork syncs with his tempo, he’ll find another gear. You’ll start to see the game unfold and be very proactive and ahead of the game. Not more movement, just better movement. Less reacting, more arriving.
3. Court Awareness and Positioning
Knowing why you’re standing where you are changes everything. Josh sometimes floats in neutral spaces. A little more awareness and intention with his positioning would let his instincts shine even more.
4. Paddle Angle and Shot Intent
This might be the most important. Once he starts breaking down the angles, whether that’s incident, refraction, or redirection, he’ll step into a new game entirely. His speed-up to reset ratio is the next motif for him. Speed without reset is chaos. Speed with reset is control. This one unlocks everything.
The Technical Underlayer: What’s Really Next
This isn’t just about movement or mindset. There’s a technical layer that Josh is approaching. Once he gets there, the entire framework of his game will shift. The moment he starts exploring paddle angle nuance, understanding redirection, and playing within the space of spin and time manipulation, he’ll move from reaction-based play to strategy-driven play.
He’s right at the doorway of reset-to-speed-up motifs. That counterattack continuum is a major leap for players trying to move beyond basic offense and into tactical freedom.
The key is this: resetting after your own speed-up is one of the most underappreciated high-level skills. Most players think resets are reactive. Josh is learning how to make them preemptive. That’s real growth.
Finding Rhythm Through Training Partners
Another piece for Josh, or any player in this stage, is the need for specific training environments. Ideally, find partners who won’t pull you into chaos. Rhythm hitters. Older tennis players. Strong 55+ pickleballers who want to play clean, smooth, predictable patterns.
Play light singles with them. Hit only from the middle. Time the bounce. Dink and reset with choreographed hands. Learn how to speed up, and more importantly, how to take speed off.
This is where confidence is built. In slow reps. In patterned chaos. In environments where you’re not defending your pride, but shaping your game.
Losses That Teach, Not Shame
The other piece missing from most development paths is volume losses.
Be willing to lose. Be willing to get beat while trying something new. Be willing to look sloppy while exploring something essential.
Your style won’t show up when you’re protecting your ego. It shows up when you chase rhythm, feel, and truth through trial and failure.
That’s the 20th Ball mindset. Build your game on principles, not just reactions. Build it on a foundation that outlasts the day’s score.
The Identity Within the Grind
Every player has a default. When it all falls apart, what do you rely on?
For me, it’s three things:
- Drops
- Resets
- Slow, constructed points
Lethargic movement. Drawn-out rallies. Points that look like I don’t even want to be there. But that’s the work. That’s how I craft the pressure. The slower I play, the more I know where my shots land. I know where they’re vulnerable, where they’re volatile, and where they’re vital.
Josh needs to find his version of that. The thing that stays even when everything else breaks.
What Josh Taught Me by Just Showing Up
Today was a reminder. You don’t always need hype, perfect energy, or ideal conditions. Sometimes the game shows up through someone else’s clarity.
Josh didn’t bring noise. He brought discipline. He brought presence. He brought intention. That was more than enough.
Closing Thoughts: The Style Is Forming
There’s so much room for growth in his game. But more importantly, there’s so much curiosity. Josh isn’t playing to get it right. He’s playing to get it understood.
I’m looking forward to watching his game transform into something very aggressive and detailed. Something structured and instinctive at the same time. The kind of game that doesn’t just chase wins. It builds them.
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