Your voice is one of your most important tools on the court. Whether you’re running drills or giving feedback, the way you speak shapes how players understand and respond. A coaching voice isn’t about being loud, it’s about being clear, confident, and engaging so everyone feels guided and supported.
Pickleball Strategy, Pickleball Technique
Turning the Tide in a Point: How to use Defensive Strategies to stay in the Game
Defence is just as important as offence. Knowing how to handle an aggressive opponent can change the direction of a match. When you’re under pressure, giving yourself more time can help you reset and get back into position. Remember, hitting the ball slower with more shape can provide more time in comparison to hitting the ball faster and straight, which can take away time. A soft reset shot is one of the best ways to regain control and break their momentum. By taking the pace off the ball and dropping it into the non-volley zone, you force your opponent to move from attacking to dinking, giving yourself time to recover.
Why Good Defence Matters
You’ve seen it happen: a strong opponent attacking over and over while the other team scrambles, making mistakes. Good defensive skills can disrupt that pattern. A calm, controlled reset can take the sting out of an opponent’s power, forcing them to play your style instead. The best defenders know how to stay balanced, read the attack, and buy time until they can get back on even ground.
Defence isn’t just about surviving — it’s about giving yourself a chance to turn things around.
The Reset Shot: Your Defensive Safety Net
One of the simplest but most powerful defensive tools is the reset. By playing a soft, low shot into the kitchen, you take away your opponent’s angles and force them to hit up on the next ball. This levels the playing field and stops them from keeping the pressure on.
It doesn’t have to be perfect, but it should be soft and controlled. That way you avoid feeding them another attackable ball.
Tips for Better Resets:
Keep your paddle soft, with a gentle grip
Aim for the middle of the kitchen to reduce angles
Stay balanced and avoid backing up while resetting
Focus on absorbing pace rather than counterattacking
Using the Defensive Lob
The lob can also be a valuable defensive play, especially against teams crowding the net. A high, deep lob can push opponents back, giving you time to reposition and reset your court coverage. But keep in mind that a short or low lob can be punished with an easy overhead.
Tips for Better Defensive Lobs:
Get under the ball and lift with a smooth motion
Aim high and deep, well over your opponents’ heads
Use the lob sparingly so it’s not predictable
Recover quickly to your ready position after you lob
Defending Body Shots
When opponents target your body, stay compact. Swinging too much can turn defence into an error. Instead, use a short, controlled motion and angle your paddle to block the ball back into play. This keeps you safe and can help you remain in the point.
Tips for Defending Body Attacks:
Keep your paddle close to your torso
Stay light on your feet so you can adjust quickly
Angle the paddle to soften and redirect shots
Avoid reaching too far — move instead
Turn DefenCe into Offence
A solid defensive mindset helps you weather the storm. Think about how you can give yourself more time to reset, get into position and be ready for the next shot before your opponents have a chance to attack the ball. The next time your opponents go on the attack, focus on resets, smart lobs, and calm blocks to stay in the point. Once you’ve neutralized their power, you can look for opportunities to turn the tables and go on the offensive yourself.
Good defence is more than survival — it’s a way to take back control of the game.
Set the Lesson Tone: First impressions Matter More Than You Think
Whether you’re running a beginner clinic or working with advanced players, the tone you set at the start of a lesson shapes the entire experience. Before you even feed the first ball, players are forming opinions: Is this coach prepared? Do they take this seriously? Am I in good hands?
One of the easiest and most effective ways to set a professional tone is by arriving early and showing up looking like a coach. These small habits build trust and create a strong foundation for learning.
Footwork and Positioning: Move with Purpose to Stay in Control
Keep It Game-Like, Coach! The Importance of Training Players Through Play
In pickleball coaching, one of the most effective ways to help players improve isn’t a complicated drill or a long explanation—it’s simply to make practice look and feel more like the real game. When your drills reflect the actual situations players face in matches, their learning sticks, their decisions improve, and their skills transfer more easily.
Volleying and Net Play: How to Take Control at the Kitchen Line
How to Give Effective Feedback: Coaching That Drives Improvement
Providing effective feedback is one of the most important skills a pickleball coach can develop. The way you deliver feedback can make the difference between a player feeling motivated to improve or becoming frustrated and discouraged. One of the best ways to ensure that your feedback is clear, constructive, and encouraging is by using the "What, Why, How" feedback method.
Should I Drop it or Drive it? How to Make the Right Third Shot Choice
You’ve served. Your opponents return the ball deep. Now it’s your move—and this next shot may just decide how the rally plays out. It’s the third shot, and whether you choose to drop it softly or drive it with power, one thing’s for sure: this shot is your first real opportunity to take control of the point.
Building Progression in a Lesson: A Coach’s Building Blocks for Pickleball Mastery
One of the most effective ways to help players improve in pickleball is using a progression-based approach to teaching. Instead of overwhelming players with multiple concepts at once, start with basic skills and build up gradually. This method ensures players develop solid fundamentals before advancing to more complex techniques.
Join The Soft Side: The Importance of Mastering Drops and Dinks
Keep It Simple Coach: Less is more, especially in the coaching world
Mastering the Serve & Return in Pickleball: Controlling the Rally from the First Shot
In pickleball, a strong serve and return are essential for controlling the flow of the rally right from the start. The serve is your first opportunity to set the tone for the point, and a strategic return can give you the upper hand. As pickleball paddle technology progresses, players can hit stronger, faster and more aggressive serves while maintaining control, which means they are starting off the point with a bang. By not taking advantage of your serve, you start off the point at a disadvantage by letting your opponents get a free ride to the Non-Volley Zone (NVZ). Here’s how to master both and give yourself the best chance of success.
Starting with the Fundamentals: The Big Five
No matter your skill level, mastering the fundamentals is key to improving your pickleball game. Too often, players jump ahead to advanced strategies without first developing a solid foundation. By focusing on the Big Five—Grip, Setup, Impact Point, Sensation, and Recovery—you’ll build consistency, control, and confidence on the court. Let’s break them down.
Teamwork Makes the Dream Work: The Importance of Teamwork and Court Positioning in Doubles
Great doubles teams don’t just hit great shots—they work together seamlessly. The best partners move as a unit, communicate effectively, and cover the court strategically. When you and your partner are in sync, you force your opponents into challenging situations while setting yourselves up for success.
It’s the Little Things: Being a Caring Instructor
A great coach is not just about having successful drills and teaching effective techniques it's about connection. The best instructors don’t just teach the game; they make their students feel valued, supported, and motivated. It's the little things in every lesson that make the biggest impact on players.
The Art of Deception: Disguising Your Shots Through a Consistent Setup and Impact Point
Pro pickleball players don’t just hit great shots—they keep their opponents guessing. One of the most effective ways to do this is through deception, and the key to deception is consistency in your setup and impact point. When your preparation looks the same for multiple shots, you force your opponent to react late, giving you the advantage.
Coaching a Game of Movement: Throw and Catch Drills
If we’ve said it once, we’ve said it a million times: pickleball is a game of movement. You can have the nicest swing in the world but if you can’t get to the ball, you can’t use it. That’s why pickleball coaches should get their players – especially those who maybe don’t have an extensive ball sport background – to work on their catching skills. Here’s are three examples of catching-related drills that will help your players improve:
Let’s Talk Technique: Think PAS
Show, Don’t Just Tell: Why Great Coaches Demonstrate
When it comes to coaching pickleball, one of the simplest yet most powerful tools at your disposal is demonstrating. Whether you’re teaching technical skills or running a new drill, showing players what to do — and how to do it — can make the difference between confusion and clarity, between a practice session that drags and one that’s dynamic and effective.
If you’re serious about helping your players improve, here’s why demonstrating is essential — and how to do it well.
Pickleball Technique, Pickleball Strategy