We’ve written before about tournament jitters in pickleball—that strange mix of excitement and panic that shows up right before your first match.
It happens to almost everyone.
But recently, pro pickleball player Mari Humberg shared a short video about how she personally deals with nerves during matches—and her advice is refreshingly simple.
Before we break down her tips, here’s the key message she starts with:
“The day I stop getting nervous means I don’t care.”
That’s an important mindset shift for recreational players. Nerves aren’t a problem to eliminate. They’re a signal that the moment matters.
The real skill is learning how to control them so they work for you instead of against you.
Let’s walk through Mari’s approach—and then expand it with what other coaches and pros recommend for handling tournament pressure.
Watch Mari Humberg’s Advice on Handling Match Nerves
Why Pickleball Nerves Feel So Intense
If you’ve ever felt shaky before a match, you’re not imagining things. Pickleball tournaments trigger several psychological stress responses:
- heightened adrenaline
- increased heart rate
- faster breathing
- tighter grip pressure
- rushed decision-making
Sports psychologists call this “performance arousal.” At moderate levels, it actually improves focus and reaction time. At high levels, it causes rushed swings, tight arms, and poor shot selection.
That’s why the goal isn’t to eliminate nerves—it’s to channel them. And that’s exactly where Mari’s advice comes in.
Mari Humberg’s Core Strategy: Build Small Routines
Mari points out something most rec players overlook. In pickleball, you don’t always control when the rally starts—but there are two shots where you always get a pause:
- the serve
- the return of serve
Those moments are small breaks in the chaos of a match. And Mari uses them to reset. Before serving, she follows the same sequence every time:
- She stands in the same location relative to the middle of the court.
- She takes a deep breath.
- She bounces the ball three times.
- Then she serves.
It’s simple—but the repetition is what matters. Your brain begins to associate the routine with calmness and control.
Suddenly, instead of thinking: “Oh no, this is match point.”
Your brain thinks: “Bounce. Breathe. Hit.”
The routine replaces the panic.
Why Pre-Point Routines Actually Work
If you watch professional tennis or golf, you’ll notice the same pattern everywhere. Players develop routines before important actions:
- Rafael Nadal carefully adjusting his positioning
- Steph Curry bouncing the basketball multiple times before free throws
- PGA golfers rehearsing the same swing tempo
These routines do three things:
They slow your breathing.
→ A single deep breath lowers heart rate and tension.
They narrow your focus.
→ Instead of thinking about winning or losing, you think about the next step in your routine.
They create consistency.
→ Your brain loves predictable sequences. Repeating them stabilizes your nervous system.
Mari’s routine is short—but powerful.
The Return of Serve Routine (The One Most Players Ignore)
Mari also emphasizes something many rec players forget: your return of serve routine matters just as much as your serve routine.
Before returning, she steps up to the line and then backs into her ready position. Her stance is always the same.
Why does that matter?
Because under pressure, inconsistency creates hesitation. If your positioning changes every time, your brain spends precious milliseconds figuring out where you are.
Consistency eliminates that delay.
That’s why many coaches encourage players to develop a “ready position trigger.”
Some players bounce on their toes.
Some tap their paddle once on the ground.
Some take a quick exhale.
The key is that the routine resets your body and mind before every rally.
What Other Pros and Coaches Recommend
Mari’s routine advice lines up with what many high-level players emphasize about handling match nerves. One of the most common pieces of advice from pro players is:
“Shrink the moment.”
Instead of thinking about the entire match, focus on one controllable action.
Ben Johns has mentioned in interviews that he often narrows his focus to very small cues under pressure—things like paddle angle or foot positioning. Other coaches suggest similar techniques.
One common approach is the “three breath reset.” Before a big point:
- Take one deep inhale through your nose.
- Exhale slowly through your mouth.
- Repeat twice.
Within about ten seconds, your heart rate drops and your shoulders relax. It’s a surprisingly powerful physiological reset.
Why Recreational Players Feel More Nervous Than Pros
This might sound counterintuitive, but many recreational players actually experience more disruptive nerves than professionals.
Why?
Pros compete constantly. Pressure situations become familiar. Rec players might play:
- one tournament every few months
- a league match once a week
- maybe a competitive challenge match occasionally
The unfamiliarity makes the stakes feel higher. That’s why routines matter even more for recreational players.
They create familiar structure inside unfamiliar environments.
Another Trick Coaches Teach: Slow Down Your Tempo
One of the biggest giveaways that a player is nervous is rushing.
They serve too quickly.
They sprint into the kitchen after every drop.
They speed up balls that should have been dinks.
When adrenaline spikes, the brain tries to speed everything up. Experienced players do the opposite.
They slow down.
You’ll often see pros take an extra second before serving. Or reset the ball on their paddle once or twice.
That pause isn’t hesitation—it’s control.
Practical Advice for Rec Players Entering a Tournament
If you’re preparing for a pickleball tournament or competitive match, here are a few practical ways to implement what Mari—and many coaches—recommend.
First, build a serve routine. It doesn’t have to be complicated.
- A deep breath.
- Two paddle taps.
- Then serve.
Second, establish a return stance ritual.
- Step into position the same way every time.
- Set your paddle angle the same way.
- Feel your weight balanced.
Third, simplify your early points.
Many players try to do too much early in matches because nerves push them to prove themselves immediately.
Instead, focus on high-percentage shots:
- deep returns
- safe third-shot drops
- controlled dinks
Let the match settle before expanding your aggression.
The Final Truth About Tournament Nerves
Every competitive pickleball player experiences nerves.
Pros do.
5.0 players do.
Even world champions admit it.
The difference isn’t who feels nerves. It’s who has systems for handling them.
Mari Humberg’s routine is simple, repeatable, and effective—and that’s exactly why it works. In pressure moments, complicated strategies fail.
Simple routines win.
So the next time you feel those familiar pre-match butterflies, remember: you don’t need to eliminate them.
Just breathe, follow your routine, and play the next ball. That’s all anyone—pro or recreational player—can really control.
