Pickleball Lessons - Pickleball Rookie

How to Improve Reaction Time in Pickleball

Pickleball players of all ages understand that improving your reaction time can elevate your game to the next level.

The fierce exchange of volleys. Four players at the line, dripping sweat, ripping forehands and backhands with mind-numbing speed. High-level pickleball can be an exhilarating knife fight. Aside from an insanely cool Erne or ATP, winning a rally like this is the best feeling in pickleball.

But losing? Losing one of these tenacious rallies is a drag.

Here’s the good news. You can increase your reaction time, and I’m going to give you some tips and tricks on how to do it.

Pickleball Etiquette — Unwritten Rules Beginners Should Know

by Drew Pickles

Pickleball is one of the fastest-growing sports in the world and is enjoyed by millions of people. It’s a great way to get some exercise and socialize with friends, but it also brings an unspoken code of conduct — pickleball etiquette.

Like most sports, there are some unwritten guidelines that all players should follow to ensure everyone has a fun, safe, and enjoyable game.

This article will focus on the basic unwritten rules of pickleball etiquette that all beginners should know. From what to wear to how to tap paddles, we’ll prep you for your first few pickleball matches so you can focus on the game.

How to Handle Rude and Aggressive Pickleball Players

by Drew Pickles

I recently played pickleball with The Most Aggressive Lady on Earth. Every shot was a drive; a yelp; a fist pump; a scream.

Let’s call this player, Edgy.

It was clear that Edgy had quite a bit of pickleball experience. It was also clear that her enthusiasm wasn’t received with open paddles. The 20 or so people at our open play nodded, winked, laughed, and shrugged off Edgy’s antics. It was just Edgy being Edgy.

Pickleball Overkill: How to Rest Your Body and Signs You Need Rest

by Drew Pickles

Recently, I skipped out on my weekly Wednesday night pickleball league; it was raining cats and dogs. Then, I skipped my Thursday night league to help my son finish a school project. So it was two unplanned pickleball absences. I was bummed to miss an opportunity to play. And a couple of days later, I beat myself up for missing exercise.

However, as a few more days passed, I started to feel energized. Spry!

Even though it’s Wellness 101, I had once again forgotten the importance of resting my body.

Engage Pickleball Camps Review – A Look Inside a 2022 Clinic

by Drew Pickles

Engage Pickleball Camps are the go-to for players looking for an intense crash course on pickleball strategy; I knew I had to take a class when the roadshow hit New York.

The 16-hour Engage Pickleball Camp took place at the Carefree Racquet Club in North Merrick, a venue where I have attended a handful of open plays. Certified instructor Stéphane Jolicoeur and Senior Pro Pickleball Tour Player Jose Derisi delivered an excellent mix of drilling, strategy, and playing advice to help all attendees improve their pickleball game.

I booked the class back in March after I played pickleball for the first time, so to say I was excited is an understatement. Like a good student, I packed my hydration and snacks and took the 25-minute drive to Merrick, blasting some awesome 90s alternative rock along the way.

The class started with a warning from Coach Stéphane, “You’re not going to like us by the end of the day today…but you’ll love us by the end of day three.”

That set the tone: we were here to work on leveling up, and as they say, ‘no pain, no gain.’

I Took a Pickleball Clinic With Professional Player Zane Navratil

by Drew Pickles

Your resident Pickleball Rookie took a two-hour pickleball clinic this past Memorial Day with Zane Navratil and Frank Anthony Davis (F.A.D.), two of the top pickleball players in the world.

The class was fantastic!

But first and foremost, explaining to your family that you are leaving a Memorial Day barbecue midstream to take a pickleball class, was met with some inquisitive looks and a single question, ‘why?’

Simple answer: When you have an opportunity to learn from the best in a subject area that you are passionate about, you seize the opportunity; that’s why! And three months into my pickleball journey, I felt the timing was perfect for attempting to improve my game and start to work on upping my skill level.

Pickleball 101: The Popular Game Explained

by Drew Pickles

C’mon, admit it! You want a better understanding of pickleball and to better understand why everyone is talking about the sport. Here is your pickleball 101 lesson. 🙂

Pickleball is the fastest-growing sports in the United States. From 2019 to 2020, U.S. pickleball players grew from 3.46 million to 4.2 million players, a 21% increase, officially making it a thing.

What Is Pickleball? I Took a Lesson to Find Out!

by Drew Pickles

I took my first one-on-one pickleball lesson this week to answer America’s favorite recent question, “What is pickleball?” I thoroughly enjoyed learning more about the fastest-growing sport in America. It is clear that I have a ton to learn, but the 60-minute session left me confident that my tennis skills will translate well on the pickleball court. However, there were a few surprises for this brand new player. If you’re considering picking up a pickleball paddle, here are a few things that my instructor shared with me, as well as a few things that caught me off guard.