It was finally time to take pickleball lessons. Why? Because everyone I know—friends, their friends, family, pros, amateurs, kids...everyone is playing pickleball. I had fun playing a handful of times, but I knew I needed guidance to play and learn. I needed explanations of the pickleball rules and scoring, along with basic instruction, especially since I’ve never excelled in racket (or is it racquet?) sports. I just wanted to hit the pickleball with a basic level of confidence while having fun. A great place to start was a group clinic for beginner pickleball players.
Finding Pickleball Lessons
Thanks to the sport’s rising popularity, there’s no shortage of pickleball courts and group lessons. Unsurprisingly, most tennis centers and clubs have adapted to include pickleball courts, open play, lessons, clinics, and more. A quick local search for beginner pickleball lessons revealed four locations within a 10-mile radius of my home.
My criteria were simple to choose a clinic;
- the clinic had to be for beginners only,
- it had to meet at a time and day that fit my schedule,
- and be reasonably priced.
A bonus was finding a location that offered a great online experience, including an easy-to-navigate calendar of clinics, skill-level options, and a simple sign-up and payment process. Enter the “Bison” Tennis Center, it checked all the boxes. Within 15 minutes and $30 paid, I was signed up for a beginner pickleball clinic. Next, I wondered about acceptable attire and equipment. The quick answer for beginners? Anything is acceptable.
Group Lesson Structure
The pickleball group clinic was well-structured. In a small group of eight beginners, the instructor, “James,” provided a quick introduction before starting us off with dinks in the kitchen. Thankfully, James explained these terms in an easy-to-understand way, turns out we were just softly hitting the ball back and forth in the section nearest to the net. Who knew?
Over the 1.5 hours of instruction, the drills included practicing dinks, partnering up for rallies, keeping score, and learning how to approach the net from the baseline. During this time, James gave us helpful tips on holding the paddle, the best swing angles, and even strategies for ball placement to avoid getting smashed in return. He made it competitive but also maintained drills so we were able to try without feeling we were out of our element. As for the group, we all had similar skill levels, making the experience fun and rewarding. Everyone had their moments of great shots, bad shots, and everything in between, but we were all there to learn and have fun.
Continuing My Journey
There’s plenty more for me to learn as I start my recreational pickleball journey, but my first clinic was a success. The instructor explained that he adapts drills based on each group and even advises players to move up or down skill levels if needed. My journey continues with another group clinic and a weekend game with a fellow beginner friend. All in good fun in this game of pickleball that everyone seems to be playing.
Pickleball Journey Side Notes
Here are a few side lessons I picked up entering this pickleball realm:
- Tennis clubs can feel intimidating on your first visit. Use the helpful staff and find other pickleball players to feel more comfortable. (Pickleball courts are usually in the back of the facility.)
- Good instructors often bring demo paddles, try them out and ask why they’re recommended. They might even provide solid advice on price differences and where to begin when buying a pickleball paddle.
- Don’t worry about dress codes, shoes, or equipment unless the facility explicitly requires something specific. It’s called pickleball, for goodness' sake!
- All beginners are trying to learn and improve, cheer each other on, they'll cheer you on.
- Group clinics are great for learning drills, but try to find opportunities to play games with players at your skill level.
