How a Large Pickleball Club Created Consistency Across 8 Coaches
By Jorge Capestany, RSPA Master Professional & PTR International Master Professional
Running a large pickleball club sounds great on paper…
Multiple pros / Full schedules / Programs for every level.
But for one large private facility, growth had created a new problem:
Inconsistency.
Despite having 8 pickleball coaches on staff, the pickleball director felt they were operating 8 separate mini-programs rather than a unified system.
That changed after they implemented TennisDrills.tv.
The Challenge: Too Many Good Coaches… Doing Their Own Thing
Each pro was experienced and capable. But:
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Everyone had their own favorite drills.
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Terminology varied from court to court.
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Junior pathways weren’t clearly connected.
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Parents compared notes… and noticed differences
The director explained it like this:
“Every coach was good. But we didn’t feel like one program, we felt like 12 independent contractors.”
That led to:
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Mixed player development results
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Confusion when players moved up groups
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Difficulty mentoring newer staff
The Turning Point: Building a Shared Drill Library
Instead of telling coaches how to coach, the director gave them a shared resource.
They introduced Pickleball Drills HQ as the club’s central hub for drills and practice planning.
Now, before each training block, the staff:
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Selected weekly themes (serve + first ball, transition, doubles patterns)
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Downloaded the Lesson Plan template for each specific class type
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Agreed on the drills and games to be used
This didn’t remove creativity… It gave the staff a common framework.
What Changed on Court
Consistent Language
Players began hearing the same cues across all courts:
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“Stand in zone 3, instead of backing up further.”
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“Use a 3-3 swing size, instead of don’t swing so big.”
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“Take it in strike zone 3, instead of don’t let it get too high on you.”
Instead of relearning terminology with every coach, players built a deeper understanding faster.
Smoother Player Progression
Before: Players moving from one level to the next often felt lost.
After: Because drills, scoring systems, and terminology were aligned, players transitioned smoothly.
“It finally feels like we have a pathway, not just programs.”
Faster Staff Development
Newer coaches were onboarded quickly because there was a teaching system (methodology) in place.
Instead of: “Just run some drills.”
They now had:
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Clear practice structures
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Game-based formats
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Competitive scoring ideas
Senior pros started mentoring by sharing specific drill ideas instead of just giving advice.
The Business Impact
Within a year, the director noticed measurable improvements:
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Higher junior retention
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Better parent feedback about “clear development.”
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More confidence from assistant pros
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Easier marketing (“We have a structured development pathway”)
And perhaps most importantly…
“If a coach is sick or leaves, the program doesn’t fall apart anymore.”
The system is bigger than any one coach.
Check out our blog post for clubs on the How Smart Club Owners Are Using Pickleball Drills HQ to Elevate Their Coaching Staff.
Culture Shift: From “My Players” to “Our Program”
Before, coaches often felt ownership over their groups.
Now, the conversation sounds more like:
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“Where does this player fit best?”
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“What phase of development are they in?”
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“Which progression should they be working on?”
That shift: from isolated groups to a unified pathway, is what turned a busy club into a development system.
Final Takeaway…
Large clubs don’t struggle because of a lack of talent.
They struggle because talent without structure leads to inconsistency.
By using Pickleball Drills HQ as a shared coaching framework, this club:
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Aligned its staff
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Standardized its language
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Elevated practice quality
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Strengthened long-term player development