Why does serving matter besides just getting it into the court? Let’s talk about getting power on the serve, varying serves, serving targets and strategies. And what about the return? Where should we target the return (and why?) How do we adjust our targets and returns based on our abilities and those of our opponents?

Let’s talk about 3rd shot options and decisions. Let’s talk about when and where should we drop, drip or drive? And where should we target those shots? We’ll talk about the pros and cons of each choice and why we might use one shot over the other depending on the situation or who our opponent is?

How about the 4th shot. What type of shot we should hit (volley, ground stroke, dink). Let’s work on how to keep our advantage and make it hard for the serving team to get in. On the flipside, we’ll talk about transition and what are the different strategies for the serving team to gain the NVZ line.

While the game seems to be getting ever faster, there is still a role for dinking. Let’s talk about the goal of dinking, how to use dinking to set up the advantage you’re seeking. We’ll talk about speedups decisions, targets and being ready for the ball coming back!

The development of effective lobbing and overhead smashes can be very effective pickleball tools. A lob in pickleball is a high, soft shot hit over your opponent’s head, typically used to push them back when they’re at the non-volley zone or to buy time and reset a point. An overhead smash is an aggressive, downward shot taken above your head, usually in response to a weak lob, aimed to finish the point with power and placement. This session will provide ideas of how and when to use these shots to your advantage.

Very few players consider how their decisions on the court regarding ball placement can take advantage of their partner’s position creating problems for the opponents. Do you know what your role is, while your partner is dealing with the ball? Where your partner hits the ball tells you which area of the court you are responsible for! What information should you share with your partner during a point that can help them? Attend the session to widen your horizons regarding partner play! Additionally, a high-level overview of stacking will be shared.

Now’s your opportunity to integrate everything you’ve learned so far this year! During the first part of game play coaches will focus on the player’s transition skills and team play. They will provide feedback to participants regarding skills and strategies in these two areas. Players will have an opportunity to ask the coaches to watch for specific skills/strategies during the last half of the session.

Playing in your first tournament can be a stressful endeavor. This clinic will take players through the entire process. From entering a tournament, to prepping for the tournament, until the end of the day, players will be given tools and information to help them have a successful experience.