TIPS FROM A PRO: HONZA HROCH

Choosing a Pickleball Coach

Q: It’s the new year and I’m considering working with a coach. What’s your best advice about how to choose a coach?

A: The best way to choose a coach would be to try more than one coach, because you never know if that coach is good fit for you. You want to make sure that their personality matches yours, and they actually have the past experiences which can help you to become a better player.

You want to make sure that their intention is aligned with yours, because not everybody does it because they want to help others. Some want to just make you feel good without really helping you out.

The other important aspect is where do they teach? Some people teach on make-shift courts, which might not even have lines. You should actually train somewhere that you could actually play a match---to have at least lines and a net.

You don't want to train on a regular tennis court, because the net is not the same, and you want the lines to make sure that your brain it's getting accustomed to training on the right size court.

But also, when choosing the right coach for you, ask, what are their references? Did they help somebody get better? If it’s somebody new, ask to try them out for a little bit. Don’t get locked in for the long term, like some associations on the mainland, where you save money when you pay for a package of lessons. In the end, what if you want to leave after the first one? Ask them, can I try out one lesson?

Other questions to ask: What is your background? Did you play or teach any sports before like racket sports? It doesn't mean they are not good coaches if they didn't play tennis or racket sports. They still can be great. but that's why it's important to try to get different people, because each of us have different ways of breaking down how to teach somebody.

Q: What’s the number one thing people can do to improve their game?

A: Don't rush, because what happens is almost everybody can get fast. But slowing down everything from being more calculated, more patient, wait for the third shot versus the first one. You just have to take your time, slow down, and be patient. You don't have to rush.