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  1. Pickleball
  2. North Carolina
  3. Kinston
πŸ’™

Get a free trial lesson with Ray

Pickleball lessons with

Coach Ray Thigpen

From$56.70 per lesson
β€’
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Pickleball lessons with

Coach Ray Thigpen

From$56.70 per lesson
β€’
95
Happy Student Score
Great
β€’
This coach is reliable and responsive. Students are happy and often return for more lessons.
Coach Rating
5.0β€’14 reviews
95
Happy Student Score
Great
β€’
This coach is reliable and responsive. Students are happy and often return for more lessons.
Coach Rating
5.0β€’14 reviews

About your pickleball coach

With over four years of immersive pickleball playing experience and sixteen months as an IPTPA Certified Teaching Professional, pickleball has become my ultimate passion. I find immense joy in sharing my knowledge and love for the game with others through coaching. The fact that most of my current students are repeat students speaks volumes about the value they find in my instruction. I cherish the opportunity to continue guiding them on their pickleball journey.

πŸ‘‹
Teaches: Kids, Teenagers, Adults, Seniors
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Levels: Beginners, Intermediates
πŸ“
Lives in: Kinston, North Carolina
πŸŽ“
Years Playing: 4 years
πŸ”₯
Given: 20 lessons

Ray's availability

Find a location and time that works for you

Ray's availability

Find a location and time that works for you

Fairfield Recreation Center

Free
438.8 miles away

Kinston Country Club

Free
438.5 miles away

Kinston Community Center

Free
438.2 miles away

Availability on all locations

Near Kinston, North Carolina

No availability for this date

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Certifications & Badges

πŸ“IPTPA Certified

Reputation

95
Happy Student Score
Great
Reliability
Always reliable ⭐ Shows up on time and ready to teach every lesson. You can count on them.
Average rating
5.0
15 ratingsβ€’14 reviews
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Trevor B.Verified βœ“
Level: Beginnerβ€’Lessons taken: 2β€’Verified βœ“
Amazing! Coach Ray broke down everything for us and answered all questions that me and my wife asked. I had a great 1st lesson! We highly recommend and can't wait until our next lesson.
Eileen B.Verified βœ“
Level: Beginnerβ€’Lessons taken: 1β€’Verified βœ“
Coach is ideal for a beginnerβ€”his patience and encouragement is over the top
Jackie H.
Coach Ray stimulates discussion and learning of pickleball skills, rules, and etiquette. I definitely learn something new every time I work with him, and slowly but surely my game is improving.
Amy B.
Coach Ray is an excellent pickleball coach. He identified the skills I needed to work on, then used lessons to work through those skills at just the right pace.
Shelby H.
I had a few things I wanted to work on and Coach Ray tailored my lesson specifically for me! Coach Ray's instruction helped me to elevate my pickleball game!
Mark K.
Ray's coaching style is fantastic for intermediates like me; he breaks down advanced techniques into manageable steps, boosting my confidence on the court.

Beginner training plan
Your first lessonLesson 1 will introduce you to the very basics from how to properly hold a paddle to swing basics, starting with the short game (dinking) to enforce those swing mechanics.
Lesson 11+Lessons 11+ will be dedicated to building on individual skills and strengthening shots and strategies on an individual basis.
Lesson 4-10Lessons 4-10 will progress through different shot types, including lobs, lob return, punch volley and block volley, shot selection and pace of play.
Lesson 2-3In lessons 2&3, we will progress through serve types, return of serve, ground strokes and volleys, and the basics of keeping score.

What you need to bringAlways wear court shoes when playing pickleball! Also, wear comfortable, loose fitting clothes. Take into consideration the weather; you may need layers! If this is your very first experience with pickleball, you may not have a paddle. That's ok, I will let you use one of mine! I will provide everything else needed for your lesson.

What I can bringI will provide everything needed for your lesson, including a paddle if you don't already own one!

Frequently asked questions

Cancellation Policy

We totally understand that life can be unpredictable and plans might change. That's why we've got your back with our flexible cancellation policy, designed to give you peace of mind when booking private sports lessons with our awesome local instructors!

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!
  1. Pickleball
  2. North Carolina
  3. Kinston
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RT
Pickleball with Ray T.β­‘ 5.0 (15 reviews)
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