Learn Pickleball with Alan
⭑5.0 17 reviews
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I’m a former math teacher and former tech exec turned pickleball enthusiast. Over the last couple of years, I’ve invested a massive amount of time studying the sport and breaking it down into its foundational pieces in order to teach myself how to excel at the game. In that time, I’ve gone from an absolute beginner to an advanced level player - my DUPR is 4.5+, I’ve won multiple medals in tournaments, and I’ve earned a Professional Coach certificate through PPR. I am truly energized by teaching others everything I've learned about this sport. As a former math teacher, I take an academic approach to coaching: lessons are planned in advance, skills are broken down into steps, there are opportunities to practice and make mistakes, and I provide written notes and videos post-lesson to solidify your learning. As a tech leader, my coaching involves giving direct and timely feedback, relying on first principles to guide lessons, and adapting quickly to optimize your learning. Thank you for considering me and I hope to see you on the courts soon!
Levels taught: Beginners, Intermediates
Teaches: Teenagers, Adults, Seniors
🏅Tournament Winner
📝PPR Certified
🎓2 years playing
🔥23 Lessons
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Reviews
Total reviews17
Average rating
5.0
Grace P.Verified ✓
Level: Intermediate•Lessons taken: 4
Alan is a great coach. Learned a lot in one hour. Will continue for many more lessons.
Xander
Lessons taken: 1
I'm a 4.0 player and I’ve had a few sessions with Alan. This guy is a true student of the game. I wanted to improve my serve and he said I was using too much shoulder and not any wrist lag. No idea what wrist lag was. He explained it like it was cracking a whip. He took videos of me before and after and I could see an immediate improvement. Later on I wanted to work on my backhand volleys and we drilled on punches, rolls, and flicks over the course of a few sessions. He helped me cut the habit of slicing my volleys and keeping the contact point out front. I particularly like when if he has time after a session, he’ll play a couple games with me and give me direct feedback.
Steve
Lessons taken: 1
Alan is one of those rare really successful but incredibly humble people. You’d never know unless you really pressed him but he went to Harvard, then became a math teacher, then helped found an analytics company that went IPO, and retired early to be a full time dad. You can tell by how he coaches - clear, patient, precise - why he’s had the success he’s had. It’s a joy not only to be coached by him but also getting to know him personally.
Kat
Lessons taken: 1
I could tell right away that Alan used to be a school teacher. He was patient, broke everything down into digestible bits, and was extremely positive. We worked on my transition zone resets and after observing me for a bit, he gave me very direct and clear feedback on how to improve them. We drilled and I got to practice some new things. I’m excited to do the drills with my friends to get even better at resets.
Joanne
Lessons taken: 1
I’m in my 70s and wanted to learn pickleball so I could understand why my son was so obsessed with it. He got me a lesson with Alan that I’m very thankful for. I’ve never played sports before and I warned Alan beforehand but he was incredibly kind and patient. He explained to me the rules and we practiced “dinking” … what a silly way to describe something ha.
Locations
These are the locations I've set as being able to provide lessons:3 courts available
Rengstorff Park
201 Rengstorff Ave, Mountain View, CA 94040, USA
2099.2 miles awayOutdoors
Mitchell Park
600 E Meadow Dr, Palo Alto, CA 94306, USA
2099.6 miles awayOutdoors
McKenzie Park
McKenzie Park tennis courts, 707 Fremont Ave, Los Altos, CA 94024, USA
2099.8 miles awayOutdoors
Want a lesson at your home or a different location? We can help.
Availability
These are the times I've set as being available for lessons.mondays
12 PM - 2:30 PM
tuesdays
12 PM - 4 PM
thursdays
12 PM - 4 PM
fridays
1 PM - 4 PM
Beginner training plan
Your first lessonEstablish Foundational Techniques: Prior to our first lesson, we'll chat on the phone to discuss your background, goals, and any injuries so that I can create a focused lesson around your needs. The first lesson is dedicated to building a strong foundation of techniques that you'll build from in future lessons. We'll cover the fundamentals such as grip, stance, footwork, and swing path on both the forehand and backhand side. By the end of the session you'll be able to engage in a controlled dink rally. I will also share with you a document with a written breakdown of what we covered, which includes relevant videos to reinforce your learning and growth - this document will be updated at the end of every lesson we have.
Lesson 11+Continued Improvement: At this point you'll have the skills to go out on your own and play recreational games with strangers. Based on your own observations, you and I will work together to continue to enhance your play. This will mean a lot of drilling on existing techniques and strategy to build mastery, as well as introducing more advanced techniques and concepts to add new elements to your game.
Lesson 4-10Learn the Full Court and Game Strategy: We will cover techniques and strategies as we move back from the net in order to build your full court mastery. By the end of lesson 5, we'll have covered and practiced the 3rd shot drop, 3rd shot drive, serving, returning, and have played simulated points of a real game. In our 6th lesson, we will go out together and play actual games versus real opponents where I will share reminders and tips during the game, but more importantly recap what went well and didn't go well after our games. We'll then use this experience to guide our future lessons as we continue to develop mastery of techniques and comfort on the court.
Lesson 2-3Playing Comfortably at the Net: Pickleball is played close to the net and if we can build good habits around technique and movement here, it will translate easily as we move back from the net. These next couple of lessons are dedicated to learning how to play a controlled game and building comfort through repetition. We'll practice a lot of dinking, volleying (punch, block, overhead), simple attacks, and finally resetting/advancing from the transition zone.
Advanced training plan
Your first lessonAssessment: My advanced training plan requires you to be a 3.5 rated player, looking to improve up to a 4.5 rating. prior to our first lesson, we'll chat on the phone to discuss your background, goals, and any injuries so that I can create a focused lesson around your needs. We'll spend the first half of our first lesson doing an assessment of your skills so I can get a clear understanding of where improvements can be made. We'll discuss my observations and spend the remainder of the lesson working on one or two skills that can translate improvements in gameplay immediately.
Lesson 11+Competitive Practice and Play: This is where things really get fun. We'll continue to identify areas to improve or enhance and drill on those skills. But now we'll also add competitive practice into the mix where we will play drilling games for points where our objective is to beat the other person. I won't hold back so that you can feel what it's like to play under pressure. We'll also play competitive recreational games as a team and as opponents so I can continue to provide feedback and propose skills/strategy in which to continue to drill and practice.
Lesson 4-10Build the Toolkit and Advanced Strategy: In these lessons, we will work to expand your toolkit of shots and strategy. This means working on turning weaknesses into strengths, using spin as a weapon, varying shot location and selection, and adding a little flare to your game with lobs, Ernes, and my personal favorite, ATPs. In our lessons, we'll focus on one or two topics and spend the majority of the time drilling. You'll take what you've learned into your rec play and continue your practice there.
Lesson 2-3Refine Foundational Techniques: A lot of players struggle to improve their game because they've been using improper technique that is limiting their game. Based on the first lesson's assessment, I'll propose lesson topics that are intended to refine your foundational techniques. This often means having to try new things that aren't a part of your gameplay today, or even unlearning improper techniques that are blocking progress. Based on my experience, the most refining needed is in footwork and swing technique. We'll drill a lot in order to build comfort around any changes.
What you need to bringYou should wear court appropriate shoes, athletic clothes appropriate for the weather (including a hat and glasses for the sun), and bring plenty of water.
What I can bringI will provide the pickleballs needed for the lesson. I can also provide a paddle for you to use.
Frequently asked questions
Cancellation Policy
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If you need to cancel your lesson, no worries! You can get a full refund if you cancel within 24 hours of making your booking. We want to make the process as hassle-free as possible for you.
And if you simply want to reschedule your lesson, change the date and time, or adjust the number of students joining, we've got you covered there too. You can easily make these changes within 24 hours of booking, and up to 72 hours before your lesson starts.
Our goal is to make your experience smooth, enjoyable, and worry-free. So go ahead and book with confidence, knowing that we're here to accommodate your needs every step of the way!
If you need to cancel your lesson, no worries! You can get a full refund if you cancel within 24 hours of making your booking. We want to make the process as hassle-free as possible for you.
And if you simply want to reschedule your lesson, change the date and time, or adjust the number of students joining, we've got you covered there too. You can easily make these changes within 24 hours of booking, and up to 72 hours before your lesson starts.
Our goal is to make your experience smooth, enjoyable, and worry-free. So go ahead and book with confidence, knowing that we're here to accommodate your needs every step of the way!
AI
Pickleball with Alan Ibrahim⭑ 5.0 (17 reviews)