The 22nd Day of My Pickleball Journey

Observing and Coaching at City Park

Playing pickleball is not just about getting on the court and hitting the ball around. It’s also about observing, analyzing, and providing feedback to improve gameplay. On my 22nd day of playing pickleball, I rose early to get some work done before heading to city park to watch my son AJ and some of our friends play.

A Fun Day Watching Matches at City Park

The wind always seems to be blowing at city park, but that didn’t stop us from enjoying some exciting pickleball matches. While nursing a sore achilles, I took on the role of observer and coach. Watching the six players take turns playing doubles and changing partners each match, I found myself analyzing the games and breaking down the strengths and weaknesses of each player.

Providing Coaching Insights

As a coach for most of my life, I couldn’t resist sharing my observations with some of the players. Talking to Jenn during her break, I pointed out that she was attempting to hit the ball on the move in transition. She was unaware of this mistake and planned on fixing it in her next match. I was glad that I remembered the Red Light Green Light drill that AJ had taught me, which helped her fix the transition issue and play better.

Talking to Tuna and Mark, I pointed out that Tuna popped the ball up too much and needed to focus on keeping her paddle up when at the net – two weaknesses that I also struggle with. In her next game, Tuna adjusted her game and played extremely well, keeping her paddle up 90% of the time and hitting all her shots barely above the net. While I am far from a pickleball coach or expert, providing insight from an onlooker can be a new way to pinpoint what needs to be worked on.

After playing for about three hours, everyone had a great time. It was a fun day of watching matches and providing coaching insights to some of my friends. Even though I was just an observer, I felt like I had contributed to improving gameplay, and my friends were genuinely thankful for the feedback.

Playing pickleball is not just about hitting the ball around, it’s also about observing, analyzing, and providing feedback to improve gameplay. As an observer, I found myself breaking down the strengths and weaknesses of each player and providing coaching insights to some of my friends. Even though I am far from an expert, my observations helped my friends improve their game and enjoy the day more. Pickleball is a game of strategy and skill, and even an observer can make a difference. Tune in tomorrow for more updates on my pickleball journey!