Beginner Pickleball Lesson Plans
Lesson 1: Introduction to Pickleball
• Overview: Introduce the court layout, rules, basic strokes and equipment.
• Skills: Teach forehand groundstrokes with proper stance and grip.
• Drills: Practice forehand shots with a partner, focusing on consistency.
• Wrap-Up: Recap key concepts and encourage at-home practice.
Lesson 11+: Intermediate and Advanced Development
Refining Technique
• Third-Shot Drop and Drive: Perfect execution of both the third-shot drop and third-shot drive, focusing on when to use each based on opponent positioning.
• Dinking Precision: Improve dink placement to control rallies and move opponents out of position.
• Volley Control: Develop faster reflexes and control at the net, focusing on punch volleys and blocking hard shots.
Building Strategy
• Court Positioning: Teach optimal positioning during doubles, including stacking and proper movement with a partner.
• Offensive and Defensive Transitions: Focus on transitioning effectively from baseline to net and vice versa during rallies.
• Shot Selection: Learn to recognize opponent weaknesses and choose the right shots to exploit them.
Advanced Drills
• Targeted Drills: Use a ball-serving machine for repetition in specific areas, like returning hard drives or practicing drop shots.
• Game Simulation: Play structured points and games
Lesson 4-10: Building Strategy and Refining Skills
Lesson 4-5:
• Focus: Introduce dinking and net play.
• Drills: Practice controlled dinks and volleys near the net.
Lesson 6-7:
• Focus: Teach third-shot drops and transitioning to the net.
• Drills: Practice third-shot drops and moving into position for net play.
Lesson 8-9:
• Focus: Develop court positioning, communication, and doubles strategy.
• Drills: Simulate game situations, focusing on teamwork and tactics.
Lesson 10:
• Wrap-Up: Play full games to apply all skills learned, with real-time feedback.
• Next Steps: Encourage continued practice and set goals for improvement.
Lesson 2-3: Developing Consistency
Lesson 2:
• Review: Reinforce forehand technique.
• New Skill: Introduce backhand strokes and practice with partner drills.
• Drills: Alternate forehand and backhand in cross-court rallies.
Lesson 3:
• New Skill: Teach serve mechanics and practice target accuracy.
• Drills: Practice serves and returns with a partner in a game-like format.
• Wrap-Up: Highlight the importance of consistent serves and returns.
Lesson 1: Assessing and Refining Advanced Fundamentals
Objective: Assess player skills and refine key advanced techniques.
1. Warm-Up
• Partner rally focusing on consistency, control, and shot variation.
• Include forehand, backhand, and volleys as part of the warm-up.
2. Skill Assessment
• Evaluate players’ proficiency with third-shot drops, drives, dinks, volleys, and serves.
• Provide personalized feedback on mechanics, footwork, and strategy.
3. Skill: Advanced Dinking
• Practice dinking with depth and spin to create opportunities for attack.
• Introduce offensive dinking to set up aggressive shots.
4. Activity: Dink-to-Attack Transition
• Run drills where players alternate between soft dinks and aggressive shots based on ball height and placement.
5. Wrap-Up
• Summarize individual focus areas for improvement.
• Encourage practice of dinks and third-shot techniques under pressure.
Lessons 11 onwards:
Video analysis:
Focus on getting to the kitchen from transition zone, consistent and attacking dinks at the kitchen, and trick shots
Lessons 4-10: Refining Skills and Advanced Strategy
Lesson 4-5: Net Play and Volleys
• Focus on punch volleys, resetting hard shots, and maintaining control at the net.
• Introduce strategy for maintaining dominance at the kitchen line.
• Run drills for quick exchanges and volley-to-volley battles.
Lesson 6-7: Court Positioning and Team Dynamics
• Teach doubles communication and stacking strategies.
• Practice shot placement to exploit gaps in opponents’ positioning.
• Simulate fast-paced doubles rallies to build teamwork.
Lesson 8-9: Advanced Shot Selection
• Focus on executing lobs, drop volleys, and offensive spins effectively.
• Practice situational drills to improve decision-making during points.
Lesson 10: Competitive Play and Feedback
• Play full games to apply all skills and strategies.
• Provide real-time feedback during games, emphasizing positioning, shot selection, and teamwork.
• Identify focus areas for continued development.
These lessons are designed to progressively build skills and strategies while allowing flexibility to adapt to each player’s needs.
Lessons 2-3: Offensive and Defensive Strategies
Objective: Develop strategic play through advanced shot placement and tactical drills.
Lesson 2
1. Warm-Up
• Serve and return drills focusing on shot depth, spin, and placement.
2. Skill: Third-Shot Drop and Drive Mix
• Teach players how to vary between a third-shot drop and a drive to keep opponents guessing.
• Practice hitting consistent drops and well-placed drives.
3. Activity: Third-Shot Scenarios
• Simulate game situations where one player hits a serve, and the returner alternates between drops and drives to take control of the rally.
4. Skill: Blocking and Resetting Hard Shots
• Focus on defensive techniques to handle fast-paced shots at the kitchen line.
• Practice soft resets and controlled blocks to neutralize aggressive opponents.
Lesson 3
1. Warm-Up
• Cross-court dinking drills to refine accuracy and control.
2. Skill: Transitioning to the Net
• Teach efficient movement from baseline to kitchen, focusing on footwork and split-stepping.
• Practice transitioning with third-shot drops and drives.
3. Activity: Defensive to Offensive Transition
• Simulate defensive scenarios where players must move forward while maintaining control