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Lifelong learning: Hall of Fame inductee Wes Gabrielsen holds an advanced coaching session in Auckland during a pro tour stop.
Where to start
Where to start
There are dedicated beginner & entry-level player sessions which have a chilled atmosphere and all equipment provided, as well as help from volunteer coaches.
Check the home page calendar for sessions marked as for beginners and go when you feel up to it.
Alternatively, you can try one of the outdoor courts that has equipment available, or call a venue to make a private booking outside of organised play times.
Below you can find a rules explainer video below from the de facto governing body, USA Pickleball. YouTube also hosts an ample range of tutorial and pro match replays, as well as live feeds of major tournaments.
Restricted v open sessions.
Restricted v open sessions.
Sessions on the calendar that are NOT MARKED as being restricted (e.g., 4.0+, tournament players, advanced only, etc.), or which are specifically marked as an "open" session, should be available for players of all ablities to drop in and attend, particularly if you have experience in other sports.
Some sessions that require registration may have filters that will block or warn players if their rating is outside of the range for that event.
What do numbers such as 3.5 and 4.0 mean?
What do numbers such as 3.5 and 4.0 mean?
The numbers refer to grades according to the USA Pickleball Player Skill Rating (PSR) System. They can be approximated thus:
Up to 3.0: beginner
3.0-3.5: undeveloped / casual player
3.5-4.0 intermediate: moderately skilled with a good understanding of the basics of technique and strategy
4.0+ advanced: well developed, consistent performer, usually with medals from 3.5+ bracket competitions
You may even see reference to "advanced intermediate, or 3.75+". This is because regular players earn ratings down to two or three decimal places.
You can ask someone's opinion to get started. DUPR (Dynamic Universal Ratings System) is one of the main platforms that anyone can join and upload scores to estimate your Player Skill Rating (PSR). USA Pickleball itself endorses platforms such as Global Pickleball Network, the sister site of Global Tennis Network, which provides its own algorthm to calculate PSRs, while also allowing DUPR-affiliated clubs to upload results directly from GPN to DUPR. While both GPN and DUPR will arrive at similar estimates from the same data, GPN has the advantage of receiving more rotating-partner data, which allows players to be analysed with a greater variety of doubles partners.
Most players have a higher doubles rating than a singles rating as they get much more experience in doubles, and/or do not require as much mobility. There is a version of singles that uses a half court, called "skinny singles", which is gaining popularity as a way for more people to participate, but there is seldom room at organised social play due to the popularity of pickleball.
This popularity is one of the reasons sessions may be segregated using these ratings as a guide.
Before you go shopping
Before you go shopping
Balls are provided at all organised sessions and most players have a spare bat in their bag sitting unused after their latest upgrade, waiting for someone to want to borrow it.
Some sellers offer demonstration models, including on a loan basis, or may visit clubs from time to time with samples to try, and can often provide expert advice on different products. Some models specifically address vibration issues (e.g., reducing "tennis elbow" aggravation), or noise which can be both loud and unpleasant.
As a general rule, a thicker paddle provides more control and a thinner paddle provides more power, trading more of one attribute for less of the other. Players aspire to develop their technique to improve their own control, consistency and eventually power rather than relying on the paddle to compensate.
Big brands you may know from other sports are not dominant in pickleball, so don't splash out purely based on logos you know or graphics you like. Some coaches may also have a vested interest in which paddle you purchase, so at the very least we suggest you avoid making a decision right off the bat.
The current state of the art in paddle development is for raw carbon fibre and/or kevlar face. These are familiar materials in racket sports, but they are used differently due to the unique surface requirements in pickleball, including a restriction on surface texture in order to modulate spin generation.
Trial service offered by Pickle Power
It is very common in pickleball to go through several paddles after trying more models, whereas investing in coaching is never a waste.
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