Being one of our local pickleball ambassadors, I often play with new players and introduce them to the game. At this point, I’ve worked out a pretty good method on how to talk and coach new players when you’re teaching them the game.
Before we jump into some of the communication tips I’ve learned along the way, it’s essential to consider the types of new players you’ll encounter and what new players commonly find difficult when learning the game. Once you’re able to identify a new player’s athletic background, it’ll be much easier for you to determine what needs they might have while learning the game.
In my experience, here are three of the most common types of new players:
- Athletes who come from a racket sports background.
- Other types of athletes that have a newfound interest in pickleball as their first racket sport.
- Casual players who have recently heard about pickleball and want to try it.
There are also three areas that seem to give new players the most trouble while learning the sport:
- The “two-bounce rule” regarding serving and the return.
- Understanding the literal ins and outs of the no-volley zone.
- Scoring.
I always start by giving a very brief explanation of the no-volley zone, the two-bounce rule, and how we serve and keep score. I am very big on “active learning,” where you learn by actually participating.
So, it’s usually best to start hitting the ball and playing exhibition matches with new players or pickle rookies as soon as possible. While they have YouTube and other online resources that they can watch and learn whenever they want, court time for most people is limited.
Plus, you can’t really enjoy pickleball unless you play it, so I find it best to teach new players actively during games. Even if they struggle with it initially, you can teach them to look at their first games as massive learning opportunities.
Here are some general tips no matter who you are playing with:
- Be positive and upbeat. A “nice shot” or “good effort” goes a long way!
- Avoid using the phrase, “You should do this…” Instead, consider using, “You might want to try…” as a way of having them consider new techniques instead of being ordered around.
- When they start, have them focus on returning the ball deep. Saying something as, “deep and in the middle is usually a good shot.” While they might not get the nuances of drops and lobs right away, it’ll be good for them to get used to keeping their opponents on their feet while also keeping the ball in play.
- Point out that even stepping on the kitchen line when you volley or having your momentum carry you into the kitchen after the volley is a foul. Non-volley zone violations are common at first, so try using words of encouragement like, “Of course, even seasoned players can make that mistake.”
- Tell them not to sweat the score; winning will come with time. As is true of all other hobbies, time and energy spent doing it will eventually bring success.
When playing with tennis or other paddle sports players, i.e., players that race to the kitchen, remind them about the “two-bounce rule.” Whenever I play with aggressive athletes just coming to the game, I find myself saying things like, “Remember: bounce, bounce.” I also remind them, “You can volley; just do it from behind the kitchen line.” It’s also helpful to remind them, “You don’t need to hit everything as hard as possible. Finesse will take you far.”
With new players who haven’t played a lot of sports, it’s been my experience that it’s the opposite; you almost have to beg them to join you at the kitchen line when the time is right. If you’re returning a serve, you remind them that they have an advantage by starting closer to the kitchen line.
Say something like, “The goal is almost always to get up to the kitchen.” Explain that positioning is everything when trying to win a point. Paddle, Return, Position (PRP) is one of our new favorite practices for teaching new players the value of always being set and well-positioned to prepare for your next shot.
Let new players know that they need to duck or get out of the way if the server serves directly at them. (But I hope nobody would try a Nasty Nelson on a new player.)
When your team controls the serve, you’ll often have to invite new players to come up to the kitchen. This is either because they don’t want to get caught by the two-bounce rule, or they generally feel more comfortable at the back line.
Here, I find it helpful to be informative and diplomatic. I say things like, “Don’t be afraid to come and join me at the line.” Or I say something witty like, “Now it’s time to have two cooks near the kitchen…” Then I try to explain that once we’re both up here, we have a better chance of winning the point as they have to make a more difficult shot to beat us.
Finally, I always tell new players, “Make sure you are having fun!”
