Pickleball 101 Syllabus and Stuff

 PB 101

Here are the things we teach and some thoughts as to why it is so.  There are two parameters in play.  The first being that the class is only an hour and half.  And the second is that there is only so much information we can pass on that will be remembered.  It seems to be an hour and a half is about right to introduce the students to a new game with strange scoring and a lot of new physical skills and strange ball and paddles.  We used to try to teach a lot more, but it was too complex and difficult for the students.

The simplification came about that instead of making students into PB players, we now provide and introduction to the game.  If they like the game, they can develop skills as they play.

The philosophy is to provide enough skills and knowledge to get them to play a couple of games.  Usually I've found that the students will have enough skills to play in the Tuesday, Thursday games and I mention that to them as a path to improvement.

Here is an outline that I use, that has worked well:

1) Introduce yourself.  Go over the names of the areas of the court.  Which lines are important, etc.  You have to mention the non-volley rules, but don't go crazy.  You usually have to define what a volley is, etc., and there is so much new for them, it's only going to stick a little bit.  Not a problem.

2) Demonstrate dinking.  Get a couple of people on each side of the net.  As they try it, check their grips.  Correct bad grips to the Continental or shake hands grip.  If the grip used is from tennis and they know what they are doing, I'll mention problems with a strong grip, but I won't insist they change it.  If they can't get the dinking, then put down the paddles and just toss the ball back and forth over the net underhanded until the light bulb goes on.

3) As soon as they can control the ball a little in hitting and returning, then break for water and then it's service time.  I will demonstrate drop and bounce serves, then have each person hit a couple with one on one supervision.  If they get it, then send them to the far side of the court and instruct them to catch/stop/pick up any balls and then serve them back.  I'll get all four going and then roam around while they hit them.

Spend some time on this as it's usually the hardest stroke to hit.  They usually will not swing at all hard enough.  "Hit the back fence!" I tell them, it works occasionally.  The serving target is the center of the service area and I generally will say nothing else.  Things to watch for, are foot positions and sideway swings.  It's usually the ball position relative to the body that causes the most problems.

4) After serving, take another water break, and then go over rules as it's time to play.  The scoring will be the most difficult topic of the day.  I stole  a good explanation of the scoring system: in that on every side out, both players get to service and the score keeps track of the first and second server.  

This is true with the exception of the first point and that's where the struggle is.  

5) Let them play while you are on the court.  You'll need to move folks around as their roles change -- Up, Back, etc.  Somewhere along the way you need to spend some time on the two bounce rule.  Getting the servers to stay back on the baseline and the service returner to come up is good training, but it usually will not happen.  No problem!  So let them play, make sure they call out the score properly.

And that's it.  Other topics you can blend in as they come up: don't fall, don't run backwards, get some safety glasses, make sure a new paddle will match their eye color, etc.  All the little bits of knowledge you learned in a year or two.  Note that you can't pass all that on.  Less talk more play is my philosophy.