Welcome back to The Pickleball Clinic Newsletter!

Are some pickleball "coaches" actually beginners? Today, we'll dive into the pickleball coach certification crisis, find out about the first-ever California town to ban pickleball, hear some NBA pickleball news, share an exciting announcement, and so much more.

Let’s go! 👇

“Hey pickleballers, I'm Adam Forziati. You may have seen my work if you followed other pickleball brands over the last few years. Now, I've teamed up with The Pickleball Clinic to create a new voice in pickleball media, focused on bringing you the most impactful pickleball stories from around the world.

It’s a weekly newsletter that treats pickleball like a real, global sport, not just an American trend. Think:

If you’ve ever wondered what pickleball looks like beyond your local courts, this one’s for you. Keep an eye on your inbox Monday.”

Since Global Pickleball Report is a publication by us (The Pickleball Clinic), you’re already set up to receive it. If you’d prefer not to receive Global Pickleball Report (but would still like to receive The Pickleball Clinic), click here.

If you are receiving a service, like getting your car repaired or having your bathroom remodeled, you probably expect that the person providing that service is an expert in the field.

That seems like a fair expectation, right? Certain professions, such as medicine or law even require years of training in order to practice that service legally.

But in many fields, the barrier to entry can be quite low, which means customer beware — you have to do your own due diligence to determine whether the professional you are hiring is actually a professional.

One such field is pickleball instruction. Now we're not saying that coaches have to study for 3 years at Yale Pickleball School. 😄 But we do expect that people who call themselves pickleball instructors at least know what they're talking about.

Now there actually is an organization that attempts to regulate pickleball instruction. It's called the Professional Pickleball Registry (PPR), and it offers certifications to pickleball players who want to coach.

In theory, this is a great idea. But in practice, it has not been working. How do we know? Because while the PPR claims that players should have a minimum DUPR rating of 3.5, we have found certified coaches with ratings of: 3.35, 3.17, 3.15, and wait for it... 2.70! 

We're not asking that every coach out there be as good as Ben Johns. Of course not, but a 3.5 player is a middle-of-the-road intermediate. Below that is at the low intermediate level, and below 3.0 is a beginner.

So unless you want to be taught by coaches who are barely intermediate players themselves, then you owe it to yourself to vet potential instructors by researching their coaching and tournament experience along with their DUPR rating and customer reviews.  

Stop Before You Hit!

Stopping before you hit is especially important, and it’s a step that’s often overlooked in the transition zone. After hitting the third shot, many players make the mistake of charging toward the net too quickly, sometimes even moving through the next shot as it’s being hit. Be sure to pause as your opponent returns your third shot so your body stays balanced and stable. And remember — you don’t have to reach the kitchen in just one move. Sometimes it takes two or three shots, and that’s perfectly fine!

Now THIS is how you start a pickleball match. 👇

We are beyond excited to announce our partnership with VORZANI, not just because they are the newest and hottest apparel brand in pickleball, but because they are so much more than that. VORZANI isn’t just a brand, it’s a tribe — dedicated to innovation, wellness, and maintaining a strong and healthy planet.

That's why they incorporate sustainable design principles, eco-friendly packaging, and material choices to minimize their environmental footprint. It all combines to produce a truly one-of-a-kind experience. When you wear VORZANI, you look good and you feel good, not just about yourself, but about what you and VORZANI are doing for the world around you. To celebrate our partnership, we’re giving our readers 30% off their first order with code PBC30.

Welcome back to Ask Jilly B, a monthly thought-stream from coach + top pro player, Jill Braverman.

The day before my partner and I won Nationals last week she asked me, “How do you feel?” I responded, “I need a hug and I feel like I may cry.” I laughed as I said it but I was definitely feeling more down than my normal ebullient self. Megan and I always check in with each other before every tournament, because why not?

How often are you asking your partner, “What do you need from me today? How are you feeling?” It makes a huge difference, trust me. And it’s not always tears and hug requests. The week before when we won APP Mesa I asked her, “How are you feeling today?” And she said, “I’m having trouble seeing the ball. I feel slow. Can we do the drill where I speed up at you and then murder the second as hard as I can?” I said, “Sure,” and let her punish me for ten minutes until she felt like herself again.

Communication is KEY. It’s easy and free but rarely do I see my students exercising their right to free speech on the pickleball court! Check in with your partner, listen to them, because I promise something as small as a check-in can matter in a big way.

_{Be sure to follow Jill for more insights and instruction on Instagram and YouTube.}

Noise complaints about the sound of pickleball — it's a tale as old as time. Well, maybe not as old as "time," but at least as old as 2021. 😉

However, this latest conflict is a bit different because of its severity. Carmel-by-the-Sea, a wealthy beach town in California, is the first town in the state to ban public pickleball.

The Carmel City Council voted on the ban after years of noise complaints at the Forest Hill Park location, which is the only space with public courts in the town.

While the ruling is currently temporary, the council is drafting legislation to create a permanent stoppage. But opponents of the ban will have two more hearings to appeal it.

Listen up, Carmel-by-the-Sea, you just messed with the wrong sport! No, we're just kidding, as we realize that the noise associated with pickleball can be difficult to take if you live right next door.

We also understand that the town has tried to come up with other solutions to the problem, such as using different paddles to mitigate the noise. Plus, there are public and private pickleball courts in nearby towns.

Nonetheless, it is a bad look to be the first California town to ban pickleball, especially since it’s located right next to Pebble Beach Golf Links, the most prestigious public golf course in America, albeit the most expensive.

Guess how much one round of golf is at Pebble Beach? $675! Hey, if people are willing to pay that much, then we don't have a problem with that. However, we do have a problem with banning the best sport in the world!

Maybe it means moving the courts to another location in town, or building better fencing, or restricting the times when pickleball can be played. But a permanent pickleball ban just doesn’t seem reasonable.

We don’t wish this kind of suffering on anyone. 😂👇

How many of you know about electrolytes? For those of you who don’t, they are electrically charged minerals that keep our bodies hydrated and functioning. They are extremely important, especially for pickleball players because we lose electrolytes through sweat!

That’s why we partnered with Holey Performance, an electrolyte and hydration brand specifically designed for pickleball players and their needs. Holey Performance created a three-pronged program of pre-game (for pick-me-up energy), in-game (for hydration), and post-game (for recovery and muscle health). We’ve added Holey Performance to our pickleball routines, and the increase in energy and focus has been incredible. Grab some for yourself and use code (clinic20) for 20% off.

We're sure you've heard the advice that you should use your speedups sparingly. Do you know why? Because at the higher levels, people have very good counters. In fact, that's why you might see pros dinking for 30, 40, or 50 shots — because if they don’t speed up at exactly the right spot and time, their attack will be countered. Well, it's about time you learned how to counter. And may as well learn from one of the top 5 pickleball players on earth, Andrei Daescu. 👇

When people think of the Los Angeles Lakers, they think of basketball greatness. At least that’s what people should be thinking... until recently when members of the team faced off against each other in a pickleball tournament!

NBA stars, including LeBron James and Luka Doncic, played in the tournament with other teammates and staff members. In fact, Luka made it to the finals of the tournament (listen to Luka talking about it here), where he lost to the winners, forward Jake LaRavia and assistant coach Beau Levesque. LaRavia was asked what the trash talk was like, to which he replied, "We were dominating so much that there wasn’t even the ability for the opposing team to trash talk."

Sorry, but saying that you whooped a team so much that there was no time for trash talk is actually some of the best trash talk we've ever heard! 😂

Hope you enjoyed the read. See you next week!

- Your Friends at The Pickleball Clinic

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