Stop Blaming Your Partner. You’re Just Not That Good
- Tom Kiat
- Aug 25
- 3 min read
Your partner is not the reason you lost that game.
It wasn’t their missed dink. It wasn’t their serve into the net. And it sure as hell wasn’t that lob they hit that got smashed back into your teeth.
You lost because…...... wait for it….......you’re just not that good yet.
The “BLAME GAME” is the Hobby of the Mediocre
Blaming your partner is the easiest way to keep yourself comfortable and stagnant. It’s like eating ice cream for dinner and wondering why you can’t see your abs.
The best players I’ve met, the ones who win even when their partner is having a meltdown, have one thing in common: they own the entire court.
Not literally, but in responsibility.
When something goes wrong, they ask,
"What could I have done differently to save that point?"
not
"Why can’t Karen keep the ball in play?"
Wanna Fix Your Game?
1. Your Job Is to Make Your Partner Look Good
Great players elevate their partners.
If they pop it up, you cover the counter. If they get pulled wide, you slide and defend. You anticipate their mistakes and clean them up before the other team turns them into highlight reels.
Play your next game pretending you’re the “safety net” for everything. You’ll start moving sooner, thinking ahead, and covering space you normally ignore.
2. You’re Probably Not Moving Soon Enough
The ball doesn’t care about your excuses. If you wait to move until after your opponent hits, you’re already too late.
The difference between a 3.5 and a 4.5 isn’t magic wrist flicks, it’s moving before the ball is even hit because you’ve read the play.
3. Stop Playing “Hero Ball”
If you’re going for a winner every other shot, congratulations, you’re basically playing against both teams: your opponents and your own impatience.
High level pickleball is about setting up the perfect ball to attack, not forcing the issue.
The pros dink, drop, and defend far more than they attack. Why? Because control wins more games than chaos.
Why Do People Blame Their Partners?
Because it’s easier to protect your ego than to face the truth.
If you admit the loss was on you, now you’ve got to, you know, get better. That takes work and most people hate work.
The players who take EXTREME OWNERSHIP are the ones who climb the ladder fastest.
If you’re a 3.0, own it. If you’re a 3.5, own it.
Then stop talking and start drilling.
If you keep pointing fingers, you’ll stay exactly where you are.
If you start taking responsibility for everything that happens on the court, even your partner’s screw-ups (because we know for sure they will) you’ll become the player everyone wants to team up with.
When you’re the one people fight to partner with, you’ll never have to worry about carrying dead weight again.
If you liked this article, you’re going to love out book:
The Pickleball Book They Don't Want You To Read, where we take this same “no sugar, no excuses” approach to life, competition, and winning, on and off the court.
Read it. Apply it. And stop hiding behind your partner.
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Stop losing to players you know you can beat. This is the secret sauce top pros use to crush every rally, no guesswork, no wasted time.
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