From the Top Rope to the Kitchen Line: 5 Pro Wrestling Mental Tricks to Win at Pickleball

Last Updated on November 30, 2025 by Drew Pierce

At first glance, the WWE and your local pickleball courts have nothing in common. One involves steel chairs and spandex. The other involves plastic balls and people arguing about whether that ball was really out.

But here’s the thing: both are deeply psychological. They’re about positioning, reading your opponent, and yes—”working” them to get the upper hand.

I’ve been obsessed with this crossover lately. So much so that I wrote a short story called “Dropkicks and Dinks” (part of my new collection, Before the Sink Overflows), about a washed-up wrestler who finds redemption on the pickleball court. But while writing it, I realized the skills weren’t just fiction. They apply to real gameplay.

Here are five mental hacks that pro wrestlers use—that will absolutely fix your pickleball game.

Trick #1: “Selling” the Fake (The Art of Misdirection)

In wrestling, “selling” a move means making the audience believe one thing is happening, only to surprise them with a reversal. CM Punk sells a Cody Cutter like he’s been hit by a freight train. Meanwhile, he’s already planning his comeback.

On the pickleball court, this translates to one thing: stop telegraphing your shots.

Your opponents are watching your paddle, your feet, your shoulders. If you wind up like you’re going to crush the ball down the line, they’ll shift that direction. That’s when you gently tap it cross-court instead.

Here are two easy misdirection moves to try:

The Look-Away: Look down the line but hit cross-court. Your opponent will shift their weight based on where your eyes are pointing.

The Body Fake: Load up for a hard drive to force them back, then soften your grip at the last second for a drop shot into the kitchen.

Actionable Tip: Next game, look at your opponent’s feet, wind up for a smash, and then gently tap it into the kitchen. Congratulations—you just worked them.

Trick #2: The “Kick Out at Two” (Durability and Resilience)

In pro wrestling, the “babyface” (the hero) takes a beating for 10 minutes straight. They get slammed, suplexed, and look completely done. But just before the referee counts to three? They kick out. The crowd goes wild.

It’s about not staying down.

In pickleball, this is your goldfish memory. The ability to reset after a bad point.

Pickleball is a game of errors. You will hit the tape. You will get lobbed. You will skull a dink into the net when the point was yours to win.

Don’t let a bad point turn into a bad game.

I’ve seen players completely unravel after one unlucky bounce. They slump. They sigh. They start making unforced errors because they’re still replaying that last point in their head.

Actionable Tip: Adopt a physical “reset” trigger. Tap your paddle on your shoe after a bad error. It’s your signal that you just “kicked out at two.” The match isn’t over.

Trick #3: “Working the Crowd” (Court Presence and Psychology)

Wrestlers control the temperature of the room with body language. The “heel” (villain) struts around, talks trash, and intimidates. The “face” (hero) stands tall, feeds off the crowd’s energy, and projects confidence.

Your body language on the court dictates the score.

If you slump your shoulders after a miss, your opponent smells blood. They know you’re rattled. It’s like a shark sensing movement in the water—or a wrestling heel sensing fear.

On the flip side, if you stand tall at the kitchen line, shoulders back, paddle ready, even when you’re down 0-8? That sends a message: “I’m not done yet.”

Actionable Tip: Never show frustration to your opponent. Save that for the car ride home. On the court, project calm, confidence, and control. It gives you energy and takes it away from them.

Trick #4: The “Hot Tag” (Trusting Your Partner)

In tag-team wrestling, timing is everything. You don’t jump into the ring without a tag. You wait for your partner to crawl across the mat, reach out their hand, and then you explode into the ring with fresh energy.

It’s called the “hot tag,” and it’s one of the most exciting moments in wrestling.

In doubles pickleball, this is about respecting the middle and communicating.

Don’t be a ball hog. Don’t come charging across the court without a “tag” from your partner. Trust them to handle their line.

I’ve lost count of how many collisions, missed balls, and awkward paddle tangles I’ve seen because both players went for the same ball. Usually because neither one said anything.

Actionable Tip: Verbally call “Yours” or “Mine” early. The moment the ball is hit, make the call. Establish that telepathic tag-team connection. And if your partner calls it? Trust them. Let them make the play.

Trick #5: Protecting “The Business” (Respecting the Game)

In wrestling, there’s a code: “kayfabe.” It means protecting the secrets of the business and respecting the tradition. Wrestlers don’t break character. They don’t reveal how matches are planned. They protect what makes wrestling special.

In pickleball, this is sportsmanship and etiquette.

Yes, you want to win. Yes, you should play hard and play smart. But you also need to respect the game and the people you’re playing with.

That means:

Making fair line calls…even when it hurts.

Tapping paddles at the end of the match, regardless of how heated it got.

Complimenting a great shot from your opponent instead of sulking.

Actionable Tip: Be competitive during the point, but be a community member after the point. Pickleball thrives because it’s social, fun, and welcoming. Protect that. Protect “the business.”

You Don’t Need Spandex to Outsmart Your Opponent

You don’t need to body slam anyone to use these mental tactics. You don’t need a finishing move or an entrance theme.

You just need to outsmart your opponent before you even hit the ball.

Sell the fake. Kick out at two. Work the crowd. Trust your tag-team partner. And protect the game.

If you love the idea of mixing suplexes with spin serves, you have to read “Dropkicks and Dinks.” It’s a heartfelt (and funny) look at a wrestler trading the roar of the crowd for the pop of the paddle.

It’s featured in my new short story collection, Before the Sink Overflows, available now on Amazon.