Why Playing More Pickleball Doesn’t Make You Better

And What to Work on Instead at the 3.0–3.5 Level

★ From the author of 6 pickleball books and PPR-certified instructor with nearly 150 5-star reviews ★

If you’ve reached the 3.0–3.5 level, you’ve probably been told the same thing over and over:

“Just play more.”

But you already are.

You play regularly. You care about improving. You’ve fixed obvious mistakes. You understand strategy better than you used to. And yet your game feels flat—sometimes steady, sometimes inconsistent, but no longer moving forward.

This book explains why that happens—and what to do instead.

The Real Problem Isn’t Effort

At this stage, most recreational players don’t stall because they lack motivation, discipline, or court time.

They stall because they don’t know what to work on next.

Playing more reinforces the same habits. Practicing everything spreads attention thin. Watching more advice adds noise instead of clarity. Progress slows—not because you’re doing the wrong things, but because you’re doing too many reasonable things at once.

This book introduces a different approach:
direction instead of volume.

What This Book Helps You Do

Rather than adding drills, strategies, or pressure, this book helps you:

• Understand why progress slows after early plateaus

• Identify the one constraint limiting your game right now

• Stop working on everything and focus on what actually matters

• Stay with a focus long enough for improvement to show up

• Keep improving without burnout or starting over

The goal isn’t faster improvement.
It’s sustainable improvement.

Why This Works When Playing More Doesn’t

Early improvement comes from exposure.
Later improvement comes from selection.

Once you reach the second plateau, progress only restarts when you stop asking “How can I do more?” and start asking “What deserves my attention now?”

This book gives you a way to answer that question calmly and repeatedly—so your time on the court starts producing movement again, not just maintenance.

Who This Book Is For

This book is for you if you:

• Play pickleball regularly at the 3.0–3.5 level

• Feel like you’re doing many things right, but still stalled

• Don’t want hype, drills, or professional imitation

• Want clarity about what to focus on next

This book is not for you if you:

• Are brand new to pickleball fundamentals

• Want quick fixes or instant breakthroughs

• Prefer volume over reflection

What You’ll Notice Over Time

Readers often report:

• Clearer focus during play and practice

• Less frustration after matches

• A renewed sense of progress without urgency

• Confidence that they’re working on the right thing

Not because they tried harder—but because they chose better.

About the Author

Bob Savar is a PPR-certified pickleball instructor and author who works with recreational players looking for steady improvement without hype. Based in Palm Beach County, Florida, he writes and teaches with an emphasis on clarity, focus, and long-term enjoyment of the game.

Part of the Pickleball Plateau Series

This book is the fifth title in a series designed to help recreational players move through common plateaus:

• 10 Mistakes That Keep 3.0–3.5 Players Stuck (Free)

• Stuck at 3.0–3.5? The Complete System for Breaking Through the Plateau

• Why Pro Pickleball Strategy Fails Recreational Players

• 30-Day Pickleball Challenge (Workbook)

• Why Playing More Pickleball Doesn’t Make You Better (this book)

Each book solves a different problem. You don’t need all of them at once—just the one that matches where your game is now.

If playing more hasn’t helped, this book shows you what to work on instead.