48 Players Coached in Six Weeks
On February 19, Deep River Pickleball hosted our third pickleball coaching event in six weeks. Since the beginning of January, 48 players including 12 new ones, have attended pickleball coaching in Deep River.
IPTPA Knowledge Sharing Event
The February 19 event was a knowledge sharing event based on the IPTPA approach of teaching pickleball 'from the net out'. The session started with some basic information on the IPTPA coaching process, court safety and some insight on choosing the right pickleball paddle. Gripping the paddle properly was also covered. Participants learned the advantages of both the continental grip and the v-grip, as well as how firmly to grip the paddle (job interview strength!).
Then, Rosie Archard, DRPB’s resident pickleball fitness guru, lead participants through a fun, inspiring warm-up to prepare for the on-court activities.
Pickleball Coaching from the Net Out
Teaching pickleball from the net out is designed to reinforce the importance of finesse and strategy over power in competitive pickleball. Basic, but key skills/elements are coached including:
- The ready position - feet apart, arms in the driving position, paddle up, etc.
- Dink shots – out in front, shuffle step, height, placement
- Third shot drop shots – power dinks!
- Serves – slow, deep
- Return of serves – slow, deep
- Strategy – the advantages of playing at the non-volley zone; how to get there and win
- Team work – communication and eliminating gaps on the court
Bangers and Mash
In Deep River and other local communities, many players are influenced by their tennis, squash and badminton backgrounds. Hence, there is a lot of power! Slowing down the game and playing patiently at the non-volley zone is not natural for many players. Also, dink shots and third shot drops are difficult to master in one session. Not mastering them quickly leads to frustration and a quick return to less effective power habits.
Basics of Pickleball
Basic elements of pickleball need to be reinforced for every player, including those with experience. Participants in the February 19 coaching received a handout to remind them:
Ready position after every shot – this doesn’t come naturally but not being in the ready position is a killer in competitive games
Stop wasting time perfecting a killer serve – the purpose of the serve is start the game; although few killer serves are winners, many either go out or into the net – it’s not worth it
Hard hit shots come back as fast or faster which minimizes time to get ready and move up – strategically, slower shots are much better
Stay at the non-volley zone (many players drift back, especially against more powerful players) and block off court opportunities for the opposing team
Good pickleball shots take practice which isn’t something most players do – SO, be prepared to lose some points during games practicing dinks and third drops
Join Deep River Pickleball on Spond
Finally, participants were encouraged to join the Deep River Pickleball group on Spond. Spond is a community sports app available from the app store or by visiting spond.com. It has been incredibly helpful keeping players informed of events, receiving and accepting event invitations, setting up games and staying touch. There are almost 70 local players on it. The code for Deep River pickleball is OTRHU.
Stay Tuned for More Pickleball Coaching
Between now and mid-April, two more coaching session are being planned. Stay tuned on this website or on Spond for more information.
Jim
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