Beginner training plan
Your first lesson
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Beginner Pickleball Class – Lesson 1 (60 minutes)
1. Welcome & Introduction (5 min)
• Quick intro about me.
• Main goal of the game: rallying, scoring, and having fun.
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2. Warm-Up (5–10 min)
• Arm circles, wrist rolls, leg swings.
• Light cardio: jogging in place or side steps.
• Simple paddle drills: bounce ball on paddle or on the ground.
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3. Equipment Basics (5 min)
• How to properly hold the paddle (continental grip).
• Types of balls (indoor vs. outdoor).
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4. Basic Shots & Practice (20 min)
• Dinks: soft shots near the net.
• Drives: faster, deeper shots.
• Serve: underhand, behind the baseline.
• Volley: hitting the ball out of the air before it bounces.
5. Basic Rules & Court Awareness (10 min)
• The “kitchen” (non-volley zone) – what it is and when you can step in.
• Double bounce rule: ball must bounce once on each side after the serve.
• How to keep score in doubles (optional for first class).
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6. Mini Game or Rally Practice (5–10 min)
• Let them try short rallies with guidance.
• Encourage movement and communication.
Lesson 11+
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1. Dynamic Warm-Up (5–10 min)
• Footwork drills with paddle in hand (side steps, forward/back).
• Quick volleys at the net with a partner.
• 1–2 minutes of cross-court dinks.
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2. Advanced Serve & Return (10 min)
• Practice deep, consistent serves with spin or placement variation.
• Return strategy: aim deep to backhand, position yourself to move forward.
• Drill: serve > return > third shot drop or drive > play out point.
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3. Attack vs. Reset Drill (10–12 min)
• One team at net, one team at baseline.
• Baseline team practices resets/drops under pressure.
• Net team practices controlled attacks—not smashing every ball, but choosing wisely.
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4. Transition Zone Awareness (10 min)
• Train the “No Man’s Land” zone between baseline and kitchen.
• Drill: rally from transition zone—players must reset and move in slowly.
• Add variation: toss fast balls or dinks to make them adjust.
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5. Doubles Strategy & Shot Selection (10 min)
• Teach:
• Stacking positions (left/right-handed pair strategy).
• Poaching technique and signals.
• Targeting the weaker opponent.
• Run point simulations: start with serve and freeze to discuss decisions.
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6. Competitive Point Play (10–15 min)
• Mini tournament-style games: best of 7 points or rally scoring to 11.
• Focus on teamwork, communication, and shot selection.
• Assign a goal (e.g., “only attack third shot if it’s high,” or “use dinks to set up attack”).
