Most people want a quick fix. Even I want that sometimes! As pickleball coaches our job is a bit different from what many players want. You see pickleball coaches are not a cure.
My Role as a Pickleball coach
I love teaching! I really enjoy
- Diagnosing a problem…its true root cause;
- Helping my students understand what is going on;
- Explaining and demonstrating the correct technique;
- Working with them to achieve the correct position or movement; and
- Giving the student ways to practice after they leave me.
Often times it takes a bit of convincing because a student arrives believing they know what they are doing wrong and expects me to instantly change them.
My Job…Your Job
I truly believe my job is to identify what the student needs to change and to be able to explain the what and why to them in such a way as they are able to make the change. I can’t just tell them what I want them to do and expect it to happen. Often time the what actually has two or more causes…and as a coach, I need to diagnosis everything that is causing the issue. But the student has a job too. They have to be the cure by going out and practicing deliberately to develop new skills.The Cure
I wish I could do this for my students. I really do. But I can’t. Changing your mechanics can be very difficult…you have repeated the incorrect movement hundreds or thousands of times. These sort of changes can also be frustrating or scary, as we often get worse before we get better.
Going home and practicing over and over again a new movement is difficult. But it is essential to make the move feel natural for you. It requires deliberate, purposeful practice. Yes, it is hard…but it all comes down to how much that player really wants to improve their game.
Taking lessons can be fun…but it’s what you do between each lesson that is most important.
