Improve your skills with these lesson plans. Whether you are a coach, teacher, or player these easy-to-follow lesson plans are based on the ISD model of instructional design. Provide a structured enjoyable experience to increase skill levels progressively reinforcing concrete learning in your students or for yourself. Designed by a certified coach and educated program planner, these simple and easy to follow lessons will help you improve quickly.

The Ultimate Lessons For Improvement

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Pro Tips from a certified coach

Designed specifically for the Pickleball Addict! This additional toolkit helps players and coaches keep track of recreational games, drilling sessions, lessons, clinics, tournaments and more. Keep motivated, organized, and manage time better on and off the court. Armed with 34 pages of weekly and monthly trackers to objectively chart progress and improvement. Easily track relevant information, complete with a resource page, to keep with you while you improve your game.

Pickleball Planner Toolkit

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What’s Inside?

LESSON PLANS

Visual diagram instruction

NEW DESIGN LESSON PLANS

Evaluation checklist for knowledgeable and qualitative feedback

Other resources include important key concepts in coaching and strategy development.

Warm Up Exercises before you begin

Get into the right mindset before you being a practice. Use these Dynamic Warm-Up cards with easy to read instructions and coaching tips.

2.0 Novice Skill Level

A 2.0 pickleball player is a beginner and is able to maintain short rallies before making a mistake due to poor contact with the ball or missing the ball completely. 2.0 players find the backhand shot somewhat challenging but can connect with a forehand shot with some efficiency. The volley seems to be the predominant shot and a 2.0 pickleball rating player can serve the ball with 50% accuracy and they have a pretty good idea of where they need to be on the court and can grasp some basic strategy.

The main focus for a 2.0 player is skill development and learning the biomechanics of movement when it comes to execution of basic movements and shot production in order to perform well. The Successful Pickleball Skill Development eBook provides a number of opportunities to learn the most important basic biomechanical movement for the most basic shots in pickleball. Not only are you learning the skills but the correct movement in how to obtain the maximum effort when performing those skills. The 2.0 Successful Pickleball Lesson Plans covers the basic skills to quickly level up, learn net volley, serves, returns, dinking, 3rd soft shot, Footwork court skills, Lobs, and blocking for beginners

According to the USA Pickleball Association the following are 2.0 common skill abilities:

Moves in a balanced and safe manner.
Getting at least 50% of serves in the service court and returning 50% of serves.
Are learning where to stand on court during serves, returns and point play but are still not comfortable with some positions.
Knows the 2 bounce rule and applies it during games. Can keep score comfortably.
Will have basic ground strokes with a very limited use of backhand, overhead, and volley.
Capable of keeping ball in play for a couple of shots.

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2.0 Lesson Plans

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2.5 Beginner Skill Level

A 2.5 rating in pickleball means players enjoy longer rallies before faulting. Volley shots and rules are becoming easier to understand with regard to strategy, court positioning, and partnerships. 2.5 players may not be fast yet but find improvements come fast and the more they improve the more they want to learn.

The Successful Pickleball has been updated and now includes 9 lessons! The eBook provides 38+ pages of increased knowledge of the 2.5 lessons to master basic skills which covers lob serves, return of serves, 3rd soft shots, dinking foundation, net volley, and offensive lobs. and blocking.

According to the USA Pickleball Association the following are 2.5 common skill abilities:

Knows the basic rules including two bounce rule, scoring and player position relative to scoring.
Demonstrates basic pendulum swing on the forehand & backhand side.
Working on consistency while dinking down the line forehand & backhand.
Working on consistency while dinking cross court forehand & backhand.
Demonstrates proper side step movement while staying balanced at NVZ line.
Demonstrates a punch volley.
Is developing 3rd shot drop by dinking from the transition area.
Attempting to hit 3rd shot drop from baseline during match play.
Moving forward to approach NVZ for dinks & volleys.
Demonstrates an overhead with the proper sideways turn, arm positioning and backward movement.
Has good mobility and can move forward in a safe and balanced manner.
Has good eye-hand coordination.
Beginning to demonstrate control on forehand groundstrokes (direction, depth, height).
Uses a backhand ground stroke.
Keeps ball in play during short rallies.

2.5 Skill Level

What skill areas do 2.5 players need to work on?

Keeping ball in play with short rallies

Proper Side Step Movement

Basic Ground strokes

Hand-eye Coordination

Serves where player can get at least 50% in

Returns where player can get at least 50% of return serves back to the opponent

Understand the 2-Bounce Rule

Perform a Punch Volley

Pro Tips from a certified coach

Subscribe to get access to Exclusive 3 Lessons

For a one-time fee that is less than the cost of a lesson, access 3 pickleball lessons that will help you use your presence on the court as a weapon! These organized, cohesive pickleball lessons will build on every aspect of your pickleball game and have you serving and earning more points in no time. Learn the lob serve, block lesson, and an attack lesson.

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What skill areas do 2.5 players need to work on?

Learn what technical skills you will need to improve your level of play.

Pro Tips from a certified coach in the Lesson Plan Bundle

Want to know How to Rate Yourself?

USA Pickleball Skill Assessment for 3.0 players

3.0 Beginner Plus Skill Level

Skill ratings are a way of measuring pickleball ability. When players are considered a 3.0 level, they are able to hit a medium-paced shot with some consistency, execute basic shots with accuracy, and know proper positions on the court. Most 3.0 players have a decent forehand but struggle with shots like the 3rd shot and dink rallies. The key focus areas for 3.0 players should be on serves & returns, lobs, drops, volleys, overheads and court positioning.

According to the USA Pickleball Association the following are 3.0 common skill abilities:

Punches volley to the back ½ of opponent court.
Attempting to consistently dink while changing directions from cross court to down the line forehand & backhand.
Sustains a short volley exchange at the net
Can perform 3rd shot drop by dinking from the transition area.
Attempting to hit 3rd shot drop from baseline during match play.
Moving forward as a team to approach NVZ for dinks & volleys.
Can perform an overhead with better control while maintaining proper position.
Has good mobility & quickness.
Demonstrates improved control on forehand groundstrokes (direction, depth, height).
Better control on backhand groundstrokes.
Keeps ball in play during short rallies.
Attempts offensive lobs during play.
Demonstrates placement & depth on serves.
Demonstrates placement & depth on return of serves.
Attempting to adjust to different ball speeds (serves, groundstrokes, volleys).

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Resource: USAPA player skill rating definitions.

Create a Vision Board

In the Digital Toolkit , players can create a vision to where they want to go in their pickleball game. Keep a Journal, identify the skills you want to work on and create relevant goals for a steady progression of skills.

3.5 Intermediate Skill Level

A 3.5 pickleball player has become a decent player. All the biomechanical lessons have really paid off. 3.5 players now have a greater control over the ball and have sped up their game to the point that fast-paced balls are no longer a problem. They have some room for improvement to advance to the next level but ground strokes and backhand shots are becoming more apart of their game on a consistent level.

The 3.5 player’s serve is finally in the “consistent” area, which means most of the serves are landing where they’re supposed to, but some improvement on the depth of the shot is needed.

Someone with a 3.5 pickleball rating has enough experience to predict where their opponents might try to hit the ball and works well with doubles partners in developing strategies together. Due to a better understanding of strategy, a player at this level is capable of sustaining short rallies.

According to the USA Pickleball Association the following are 3.5 common skill abilities:

Can consistently dink while changing directions from cross court to down the line forehand & backhand.
Punches volley to the back ½ of opponent court, to keep opponents at the baseline.
Sustains a controlled volley exchange at the net.
Can perform 3rd shot drop from the baseline.
Attempting to hit 3rd shot drop from baseline during match play with greater success.
Moving forward as a team to approach NVZ for dinks & volleys.
Developing directional control while performing an overhead.
Demonstrates control on forehand groundstrokes (direction, speed, depth, height).
Demonstrates control on backhand groundstrokes (direction, depth, height).
Keeps ball in play during rallies and is aware of minimizing errors.
Able to communicate effectively with partner & utilize different strategies to expose opponent weaknesses.
Using deeper and higher returns to approach the net quicker.
Uses offensive lobs effectively.
Demonstrates better placement and depth on serves.
Demonstrates better placement and depth on return of serves.
Improved control when adjusting to different ball speeds (serves, groundstrokes, volleys).

Attack Lesson Plan

Create a Weekly Routine

The importance of creating a weekly routine is to increase control over performances and focus on areas that need improvement. Routines create accountability and eliminate distractions. If you create a weekly routine, you have taken a big step toward creating a flawless game plan where your investment in energy can go toward improvement.

Year at a Glance

Organizing your play over the course of a year is a great way to see how your progress is elevated.

Designed specifically for the Pickleball Addict! Helps players and coaches keep track of recreational games, drilling sessions, lessons, clinics, tournaments and more. Keep motivated, organized, and manage time better on and off the court. Armed with 64 pages of weekly and monthly trackers to objectively chart progress and improvement. Easily track relevant information, complete with a resource page, to keep with you while you improve your game. Make 2024 your best year yet!

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4.0 Intermediate Plus Skill Level

A 4.0 pickleball player is someone who has dedicated a lot of time and energy to the game and is really close to “mastering” it. Shot control, forcing opponent errors, and getting the hang of spin techniques, the 4.0 pickleball player can effectively use dinking strategies to win points, easily spot weaknesses in their opponents and work seamlessly with doubles partners. The 4.0 pickleball player can use “stacking” techniques effectively, time forehand shots consistently with depth, and hit targets with accuracy. The backhand is no longer a problem, and the vast majority of serves can be controlled with speed and depth. There is still room for 3rd shot strategies, and instinctively knowing when to attack and when to lay back and reset the point.

According to the USA Pickleball Association the following are 4.0 common skill abilities:

Sustains a volley exchange at the net and beginning to use directional control.
Can demonstrate a block volley.
Able to hit winning volley when a ball is popped up.
Better consistency when performing 3rd shot drop from the baseline.
Can hit 3rd shot drop from baseline during match play with greater success.
Moves effectively with partner, easily switching sides, and communicates when required.
Controls play at the NVZ line, by keeping their opponent back if they’re at the baseline.
Initiates & maintains a dink exchange to elicit a put away shot.
Can demonstrate an effective poach, and understands when it’s appropriate.
Able to change a fast paced strategy to a slow one and vice versa.
Can consistently perform an overhead and beginning to place the shot for winners.
Demonstrates control on forehand groundstrokes (direction, depth, height, spin).
Demonstrates control on backhand groundstrokes (direction, depth, height).
Keeps ball in play during rallies, minimizing errors.
Able to adjust to differing ball speeds consistently.
Uses offensive lobs effectively.
Beginning to use spin effectively on a variety of shots.
Maintains greater patience in dinks & rallies.
Beginning to anticipate shots more frequently (watching opponents paddle face).

Coming Soon

Plan Your Tournaments

Now that your skills have improved significantly, think about tournament play more seriously. In the Pickleball Toolkit, you will find great planners to assist in organizing your tournament play.

4.5 Skill Level Skill Level

A 4.5 pickleball rating is assigned to a player that is nearly at the pinnacle and is solid on the fundamentals of the game. 4.5’s know where they need to be on the court, how to hit every type of shot and barely have to think about their footwork. Backhand shots are part of a growing arsenal of shots that are interchangeable during play and can be utilized based on the play. The forehand is used in various strategies and the 4.5 serve is now considered a weapon to throw off opponents with speed or pace variations along with spin. The area that is lacking for a 4.5 player is the dink.

If you would like to see more content on the more advanced levels of pickleball, please subscribe today! Place your email in the space below and hit the subscribe button. We will let you know when more content is added. Thank you for your support.

Game Planner

Keep organized, motivated and easily track your progress while playing games in recreational play or club play. Scrutinize partnerships, try out new strategies, and track relevant information.

5.0 Advanced Plus Skill Level

Every conceivable pickleball shot is pretty much mastered at the 5.0 pickleball rating. This extends to shots coming your way, too, as this player identifies it and knows how to react. The long struggle to effectively control the depth of a shot is finally a non-issue with a 5.0 pickleball player.

What is a 5.0 pickleball player? It’s someone who’s unforced errors have been reduced to nearly zero. It’s also someone who has spent a lot of time on the court and focused on specific parts of the game so they can improve to this level. This player often comes from an athletic background with extensive experience in other racquet sports, but has also devoted enough time to figure out the intricacies of pickleball.