The Rule of Thirds: Why Feeling Like a Hot Mess Is Actually a Good Sign

The Mindset Shift That Turns Chaos Into Progress

Some days, you’re a pickleball goddess. Every third shot drops like poetry. You hit your resets, your partner doesn’t glare at you once, and you leave the court wondering why you’re not sponsored by JOOLA and PB5Star yet.

Other days? You’re the chaos. The serve goes long. Your dink lands in the net. You forget the score again. You’re half convinced your paddle is sabotaging you. (Spoiler: it's not. Probably.)

Joyce and I recently met some new pickleball friends and the first time we played them we won all the games. Two days later…not so much, it was an even split. What was going on? 

This is the rule of thirds. Not the photography one. The pickleball one.

Here’s how it works:
If you’re playing regularly, about a third of your time on court should feel amazing, a third should feel pretty average, and a third should almost feel like you’ve never held a paddle in your life. And believe it or not, that’s exactly where you want to be.

The Good Third

This is what keeps you coming back. It’s the kitchen exchanges that go on forever. It’s the drop that just sits there, begging to be put away. It’s the game you win 11–9 after being down 2–8. 

These moments aren’t luck. They’re the result of progress. They’re signs that your work is showing up in your play. 

They’re also fleeting. And that’s okay. If every game felt this good, you’d stop learning.

The Normal Third

This is your baseline. Decent rallies. Some good shots, some weird ones. Maybe you win, maybe you lose, but nothing’s catching fire—on your side or the other.

This is the unsung hero of pickleball: the “meh” games. These are where your consistency is built. Where your mechanics are reinforced. It’s reps and rhythm. It’s adult recess. Don’t overlook it.

The Dumpster Fire Third

Ah yes. The games where you can't get out of your own way. You pop everything up. You question your life choices. You blame the ball, the sun, the humidity, and then yourself.

Here’s the thing: if you never feel like this, you’re not stretching yourself.

Improvement lives on the edge of discomfort. If you’re always cruising, you’re coasting. And if you’re coasting, you’re not getting better—you’re just reinforcing your comfort zone.

So embrace the days when nothing works. It means you’re trying new shots, pushing your timing, playing against tougher competition, or experimenting under pressure. That’s where the growth lives. In the third where it feels like it’s all falling apart.

Final Serve

Pickleball isn’t supposed to be perfect. It’s supposed to be fun, and occasionally frustrating, and filled with little glimpses of greatness between long stretches of effort. That’s the beauty of it.

So next time you’re on the court and it all feels off? Smile. You’re in the right third. And if you’re in the glorious third where everything clicks? Enjoy it. Just don’t get too comfortable.

Because the rule of thirds always comes back around.