The Walk

I played pickleball today and played pretty well, if I do say so myself. I had a few really nice drives where the ball was low to the net and hard, too hard for the other team to touch with a paddle. After making those shots I find myself just immediately turning and walking back to my ready position with my head down, without saying much. I thought about this and I realized I did something similar when I was a baseball pitcher and a decent level volleyball player.

In baseball after I would strike someone out, preferably with a fastball, I would turn my back to the plate, walk back to the mound and keep my head down while the ball was thrown around the infield which is customary after a strikeout. I would only raise my gaze to receive the ball back from the first baseman.

In volleyball this would most often occur after I got a good hit that either went down to the ground at a rapid pace or bounced hard off a blocker and or defender and out of bounds. It would be the same deal, look down, walk to my spot and be quiet until we had the ball again, ready to start the next play.

I’m not quite sure what the psychology is behind this behavior but I found it interesting that I have somehow migrated it to pickleball as well. Maybe it’s my way of expressing that I don’t get that excited over good plays because I plan to make more of them. Funny stuff, to me at least.