Should You Stop Playing With Lower-Level Pickleball Players?

Should better pickleball players still play with lower-level players? Everyone wants to play up. We hear it all the time: play with better players if you want to get better. But what happens when you’re the better player? In this episode of the Juice Bros Pickleball Podcast, we flip the conversation and ask whether playing below your level actually hurts your game — or whether there are benefits most players overlook. We get into developing bad habits, dealing with unpredictable players, using lower-level games to work on specific shots, building confidence, playing with beginners, declining games without being a jerk, and what happens when we’re the ones trying to get into higher-level games. Plus, we kick things off with The Juice Press, talking PPA Tour Canada, the MLP Playoffs and the upcoming Canadian National Championships. In this episode: 🏓 Why some players refuse to play down 🏓 Can lower-level games create bad habits? 🏓 What you can actually learn from weaker players 🏓 The “Pickleball Blues” confidence strategy 😂 🏓 Should better players help grow the game? 🏓 Is it rude to decline a game? 🏓 What happens when higher-level players won’t play with you? 🏓 Would you rather always play up — or always be the best player on the court? Question for you: Would you rather ALWAYS play with people better than you, or always be the strongest player on the court? 🎙️ Juice Bros Pickleball Podcast 00:00 Intro 00:32 The Juice Press 05:09 Should You Play Below Your Skill Level? 07:48 Is There Value in Playing Down? 15:54 Is It Rude to Decline a Game? 18:27 When Higher-Level Players Won’t Play With You 20:21 Would You Rather Play Up or Play Down?