​Hey Reader,​
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You may have noticed I missed last week's newsletter. No email, no tip, no content.

The reason: I was in the hospital with pneumonia. I'm on the mend now and genuinely glad to be back (both writing to you and, soon enough, back on the courts).

Being flat on your back for that long gives you a lot of time to think. And somewhere between the fluids, antibiotics, and bad hospital TV, I kept coming back to the concept Helle talks about a lot in Dynamite Doubles.

Patience.

It sounds simple. It isn't. And over a week of forced stillness made it land differently than it ever has for me on the court.

Here's what Helle says: patience is the single most important (and needed) virtue most players don't have. Not footwork. Not shot selection. Not even role clarity. Patience.

Most players dink five or six times and can't take it anymore. They force the issue. They go for the shot that isn't there yet. And they lose the point they were winning.

As Helle puts it: live for one more dink. That's the whole game. Not the flashy winner, not the put-away you weren't actually set up for. One more ball. Then one more after that.

Here's what patience actually buys you that most players never think about: information. Every ball you keep in play is another look at your opponents. Their feet. Their paddle. The shots they default to under pressure. The side of the court they protect a little too much. The longer the rally goes, the more you know... and the more rope you're giving them to make a mistake.

As I was lying there last week unable to do much of anything, I thought about how often players rush on the court. How often they try to force an ending before I've actually earned it. How often they lose points not because the opponents beat them, but because they beat themselves.

Patience isn't passive. It's a strategy. A relentless, deliberate, slightly maddening strategy that works at every level of the game.

One thing to try this week: before your next match, set a number. Pick how many balls you'll keep in play before you attack. Five? Seven? Ten? The number matters less than having one. Players without a patience rule almost always pull the trigger too early, especially when they're ahead.

Give yourself a rule. Then trust it when the moment comes.

I'll be back next week with more. Good to be here. ^😀️​
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Go play well,
​
Trey

(30-day money-back guarantee · 1-year access · Live Q&As with Helle & Trey)

P.S. Helle’s line that stuck with me most: “If you’re not patient, you can be beaten by players who are not as technically sound as you... who are simply more patient.” I’ve seen it happen. I’ve had it happen to me. The fix isn’t more practice time. It’s a decision to wait one more ball. It’s all inside Dynamite Doubles →

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