Frank’s Coaching Corner Pickleball Clinic

Join us for the first in a series of pickleball clinics led by our very own coach Frank Palladino.

We’ll be hosting a clinic each month (usually on the third Thursday) at the Doubletree courts, starting on January 23 from 2pm to 4pm. Sign up will be via Pickleheads and there’ll be eight spots available. Clinics will be free except for the usual court cost, payable to Club Treasurer, Keating Vogel.

Frank has lined up a number of great coaching sessions.

For the first clinic, Frank will be focusing on his January tip of the month: ”Meet me in the Middle.”

Since the pickleball stays really low on almost every bounce, we should stay low so our eyes are closer to the ball, giving us a much better chance of meeting the pickleball in the “Middle” of the paddle. This will improve our accuracy, reduce pop-ups, improve power and reduce paddle tweaking and missed shots.

This session will be suitable for intermediate players (2.5 to 3.2).

The format will be as follows:

Serve & Return:

1. 4 players on each court.

2. Players take turns hitting serves and making cross-court returns.

3. Server stays low and gets in a low, ready position after the serve.

4. Returner stays low all the way through the contact point with the goal of meeting the ball in the middle of the paddle (sweet spot) and hitting an arcing shot within 4 feet of the baseline, cross-court back to the server.

5. The server stays low, tracks the return and catches the ball.

6. Repeat 5 times!

7. All four players SWITCH corners after the first two rounds.

Transition Area:

1. Player one starts with a groundstroke, similar to a serve, cross-court and stays in a low, athletic position.

2. Player two starts In the Transition Area, approximately 4 feet inside the baseline in a low, athletic stance.

3. Player two returns the ground stroke in the middle of the paddle with a deep, cross-court shot and makes their way to the kitchen line.

4. Player one stays low and tracks the return and catches the ball.

5. Repeat 5 times!

6. All 4 players switch positions and repeat the drill.

Kitchen Line:

1. Player one starts with a drive/ground stroke behind the baseline and stays low after impact.

2. Player two starts at the kitchen line in a slightly low stance with paddle in the “ready “ position.

3. Player two tracks the drive and makes contact in the middle of the paddle hits a deep return back at player one’s feet.

4. Player one tracks the return and catches the ball.

5. Repeat 5 times!

6. All 4 players switch.

These drills will be followed by Real Time Game Play with a focus of staying low in every position and meeting the ball in the middle.

Two games are played simultaneously in adjacent courts and Coach Frank will observe and evaluate skill execution and game play.

We will play games until all players have played with different partners.