Blog: Order On The Court: Always value good feedback

Even Leonardo da Vinci appreciated good feedback wherever he could find it.

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There was once an unknown artist who lived and worked in the city of Florence 450 years ago. 

This struggling artist showed early promise and was full of ideas for big artistic works, that depicted big stories, such as Jesus sitting down for dinner with his disciples.

His name was Leonardo da Vinci.

Leonardo, was young but eager despite coming from modest means. He even had a place picked out for his painting which he was sure would finally give him the recognition he sought — a Dominican convent in Milano, the Santa Maria dell Grazie.

But Leonardo had a problem. Painting such a large scene would take a lot of paint and supplies, and he had very little money. So he went to his mama for support.

“No, Leonard. Large paintings cost too much. They use too many brushes. You’re best keeping at portraits. They bring us a few coins and keep food on our table.

So Leonardo listened to his mama and kept painting portraits of his patron's supporters, until he ran out of the friends. So he painted the wife of a Florentine merchant, Lisa Gherardini.

Leonardo was proud of his enigmatic painting, and had taken extra artistic license, but when he showed it to the cantankerous merchant, Francesco del Giocondo, he was met with derision.

“Leonardo, what have you done!,” said Franceso with exasperation. “Her smile, my beautiful wife, has a lovely smile, but you haven’t shown that in your painting. And it’s too dark, and the background. What’s in the background of my wife’s portrait. Did I tell you I wanted detail?”

So Leonard took half his usual commission and went home to dream about flying.

Years later, when he could finally afford to paint the Last Supper, he proudly showed his masterpiece to the Abbot, the head of the monastery who had commissioned the epic work.“Leonardo, Leonardo, who told you to arrange the disciples around the table that way? I wanted Peter over here, and Luke on the other side of Jesus! You’ve messed up the whole painting!”

So Leonardo, close to tears, accepted the criticism with stoicism and switched back from painting masterpieces, to drawing war machines designed to kill people.

As you can tell, I never let real facts get in the way of telling a good story, but the point is….good feedback is hard to get.

It’s not hard to get friendly advice in pickleball, suggestions to using harder drives, or trick serves, or stepping into the court after serving. The internet is full of tips on using a windshield wiper sweep of the ball from in close. 

But does this helpful advice mean it’s always best for the style of game you play, or want to learn how to play.

Should you be concerned about using too much paint with hard topspin drives, or leaving a messy court by poaching at the net? 

I love feedback, even when after I show what I believe to be a creative blog to be reviewed, and am told I structure is wrong or the font is too bold, or the home page photo isn’t really pickleball is it?

The point is, trust your instincts and trust your eyes. If the results show the benefit of changing your game, keep doing it. Which is why I always do what a trusted coach said about running up to the Kitchen Line on every service returns, and taking a step back behind the line, after serving, with shuffle steps at the Kitchen Line. 

Good advice that’s made a difference in my game.

The Mona Lisa, The Last Supper…thank God, Leonardo trusted his instincts, and had confidence in his divine talent as a painter, against a current of doubters and skeptics.