Coach's notes
Tips. Strategy. Stories.
Drills, strategy guides, and community stories from the court — written for players, parents, and coaches.
Coaching
I've never played pickleball — where do I actually start?
The actual do-this-this-week version. Paddle, three rules, where to play in Montgomery County, and the one move that saves you a year of bad habits.
May 4, 2026
Coaching
The 5 mistakes every new pickleball player makes (and how to fix them in one session)
Every beginner makes the same five mistakes. Each one costs you 2–4 points a game. The fixes take one session.
May 4, 2026
Coaching
Your first pickleball tournament: what nobody tells you
Signing up for your first tournament is the single highest-leverage thing you can do for your game. Here's what actually happens — and how to not spiral.
May 4, 2026
Coaching
What 4.0 players know that 3.5s don't
The gap from 3.5 to 4.0 isn't a new shot. It's four habits 3.5s have that 4.0s don't. Here's what to delete.
May 4, 2026
Coaching
The 3.0 → 3.5 jump: the three shots that actually move your rating
Three shots — and only three — separate 3.0 from 3.5. The drop, the return depth, and the reset. Here's what to drill and how.
May 4, 2026
Pickleball Programming
Why open play stops working at 3.0
You hit ~3.0 DUPR and the lessons from open play quietly stopped. Here's why — and the 30-day plan to break through.
May 4, 2026