Think Small to Win Big: How to Set Pickleball Goals and Actually Achieve Them

You can't will yourself into winning a tournament. You can absolutely will yourself into drilling eight hours a week.

Alex Crum and Kevin Dong are back with another episode of Cracked Paddles, and this time they're tackling something that separates casual players from serious competitors: goal setting.

They're not talking about vague aspirations like "get better at pickleball." They're breaking down a framework that actually works, one that separates results-oriented thinking from the system-oriented approach that actually moves the needle.

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The Problem With Winning Goals

Kevin starts by laying out the fundamental issue with traditional goal setting in pickleball.

"I want to win a pro medal" sounds great in theory. The problem? You only get a checkpoint on that goal once every month or two. So what are you supposed to do in between tournaments? Sit around and hope?

This is where most players get stuck. They set a big result-based goal, then have no idea how to actually work toward it on a daily or weekly basis. It's like knowing you want to reach the top of a mountain but having no map for the climb.

System-Oriented Goals: The Real Game Changer

Here's where Kevin's approach gets interesting. Instead of fixating on results, he built a spreadsheet tracking specific, measurable actions he needs to complete every single week. We're talking:

• 8 hours of drilling per week
• 4 hours of recreational play
• 21 sets of hip preventative rehab work (because hip strength issues cascade into knee and joint problems)
• Agility and strength workouts
• 2 hours of Peloton per week for muscular endurance

The beauty of this system? Kevin can actually measure whether he's doing the work. If he doesn't hit these targets, he can't complain when tournament results don't go his way. There's no excuse-making. Either you put in the work or you don't.

"If I don't do what I set out to do, I cannot complain if I lose in a pro tournament," Kevin explains. It's accountability wrapped in a spreadsheet.

Why This Matters for Your Game

Alex gets it immediately. He's been struggling with the mental side of competition lately, losing early leads at both the Life Time Open and PPA Vegas he feels he should have closed out.

But here's what resonates with him about Kevin's approach: having a checklist throughout the week before a tournament gives you an edge on the court that goes beyond physical preparation.

When you're out there playing against someone like Ben Johns, knowing you've put in the work creates a psychological advantage. You're not wondering if you could have done more. You know you did.

This connects to something bigger that both hosts touched on earlier in the episode. Alex has been viewing tournaments as obstacles to overcome rather than opportunities to compete. That mindset shift matters. When you've got your system dialed in, you can actually enjoy the competition instead of white-knuckling your way through it.

The Group Accountability Angle

Here's a detail that shouldn't get overlooked: Kevin's spreadsheet isn't just for him. It's a shared Google Sheet where multiple people track their habits. Different tabs for different people. Everyone can see what everyone else is doing.

That's not just accountability. That's peer pressure in the best possible way. If you know your training partners can see that you skipped your drilling hours, there's a different kind of motivation that kicks in. It's the same reason people join gyms with friends instead of working out alone.

Result Goals Still Matter (Sort Of)

Now, Kevin and Alex aren't saying you should ignore results entirely. Alex has his own big goals: be number one in the world in singles, make the tour finals by May (which would require being ranked in the top eight). Those are still important. They're just not the focus.

Think of it this way: result goals are the destination. System goals are the GPS. You need both, but you can only control one of them directly. You can't will yourself into winning a tournament. You can absolutely will yourself into drilling eight hours a week.

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