Pickleball is an invigorating hybrid paddle sport of table tennis and tennis on the size of a badminton court. It is fun for all ages and exceptionally "social" in nature! The benefits of pickleball are endless. More and more people have discovered the fun and benefits that pickleball brings. In a recent study, playing pickleball has been shown to reduce blood pressure, improve cardiovascular health, Hand-eye coordination, agility, balance, and increased energy. But, most of all, it’s fun! These exciting clinics will be taught by a professional Pickleball Coach, Bill Tennant, AKA "Pickle-BILL". Bill came highly recommended to us from multiple sources to coach pickleball clinics for OCE&R. Bill has worked with over one thousand pickleball students, ranging from 7 years of age to 93 from never holding a paddle to high-level competitive pickleball athletes in Michigan, Florida, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, North Carolina, and Florida.

NOTE: ALL SESSIONS will run rain or shine and ALL EQUIPMENT will be provided. ALL classes are limited to an 8:1 student to teacher ratio so that students are provided quality hands-on instructional time.

DESCRIPTION OF PICKLEBALL LEVELS: We want to ensure that our weekly classes are run with other players of similar level to create the best learning experience for all. Please carefully read the descriptions below to see where you fit. If you are unsure, please reach out to Bill to set up a ranking session at 216-324-4856 or billtennant365@gmail.com.

Please note: that the instructor may adjust your level ranking.

Pickle 101: Introduction: An intro to pickleball. No previous experience necessary. If you have taken a workshop/clinic, and have started playing but not been playing frequently, this class works well for you. Although all equipment will be supplied, it is asked after the first class to do your best in obtaining your own paddle. Our pro “Pickleball Bill” will help provide suggestions / recommendations. You will learn and introduction to basic fundamentals including the grip, stance, footwork, basic dinking, how to serve and return, etc.

Pickle 101+: This is a building block on Pickle 101. We expand on the fundamentals to work on developing how to take consistent backhand and forehand strokes from ANYWHERE on the court, and work on types of volleys, etc. You now know how to play the game, and have about 3-4 months of playing a couple times per week (or about 20 days+ of playing). You can serve and return consistently (80% + in play) and have mastered Pickle-Bill’s first four basic solo drills on both the forehand and backhand with 100+ consistent repetitions in each of these four drills. Pickle 102: Designed for ANY students who have already taken the Pickle-Bill’s Level 101 and 101+ and have a minimum of 6 months in frequent recreation play 2x+/week. This class will only give a small recap from 101+ and will then start to focus more on playing the game while working on the 3rd and 5th shots to successfully transition to the NVZ line. It is also meant to build confidence in the basics, and by the end of this level, participants will have now learned some basic court positioning and hitting strategies, completed footwork drills, along with the concepts of “firefighting” and how to come out on top! Pickle 102 Prerequisites:

• Taken a combo of 3+ (Pickle 101/101+ series of classes) based on student’s needs.
• Have been playing 6+months of rec. play at least 2x/week.
• Consistently serve and return 80% or more in play and can keep accurate score.
• Are fully comfortable on both backhand and forehand shots from anywhere on the court.
• Mastered Pickle-Bill’s first four basic solo drills on the forehand and backhand, with 100 consistent repetitions in each of the four drills.

Pickle 201: Designed for players who have been playing consistently for a good 9+ months and have a developed backhand and forehand from anywhere on the court. This player already understand the rules and can keep accurate scoring. We will work on fundamentals of proper technique and technical parameters for developing a strong forehand, backhand, volley (hitting out of the air), developing footwork, effective blocking and absorption drills; hitting consistent serves, returns, 3rd shot drops, drives, and learning the “dink” game and how to maintain rallies and stay in the point.

Pickle 201 Prerequisites:

• Completed “intro to pickleball 101”, and “beginner plus pickleball 102”, and/or have played consistently for over 1 year, understand the rules, and can keep accurate score.
• Can move around the court in a balanced, safe manner with PROPER and consistent footwork (shuffling/hops/lunging/etc)
• Can serve off a bounce or toss and gets 90% (or close to) in.
• Can maintain a rally consistently of 10+ touches.
• Consistently employs the concept of tethering in his/her game for court coverage.
• Very comfortable with both the backhand and forehand groundstrokes from the baseline and can return serves 75% of the time in play using either backhand or forehand.

Pickle 301: Designed for the 3.5-4.0 Skill Rated Player: These players play frequently (at least 2x/week) and are looking for improvement and a deeper dive into this sport and have been playing for at least a solid 2years+ and employs basic shading concepts during play. We will discuss gameplay strategies and introduce specific shots and their proper defense/prevention, such as the “ATP, Ernie, and Lob” among others. We will review fundamentals and proper technique for forehands, backhands, volleys, blocking and absorption, serving, return of serve, and 3rd/5th shot drop/drives/resets, etc. We will also introduce a few different styles of dinking in an effort to improve your touch game!

Pickle 301 Prerequisites:

• All of the prerequisites listed for pickle 102, 201, and 202 and have been playing consistently for at least 2 full years, or with the instructor’s permission/recommendation.
• Consistently serving and returning 90% plus in and consistently RUNS to the NVZ line immediately upon the return of serve w/o hesitation.
• Can maintain a rally consistently of 25+ touches.
• Can demonstrate 2 different effective serves at 90% or higher.
• Is able to comfortably navigate through the transition zone with fluidity left and right and forward and backward as needed to be able to stay in the rally.
• SHADING: Understands and employs CONSISTENTLY
• Learning how to employ spin and counter-spin and knowing when to and NOT TO use it.