If you’re anything like me, you spend a lot of time at your go-to neighborhood court and play with the same people. And while that can be great to socialize and build community, it can be great to step outside your comfort zone and try different courts, different groups, and take a clinic. 

The fun thing about pickleball is that there’s always room for improvement or something to work on to take your game to the next level. Which is why I took a trip to the Crush Yard in Orlando to take a clinic and level up my gameplay.

If you want to invest in your pickleball, I highly recommend a lesson or a clinic, no matter your skill level. Even for the most seasoned veteran players, a lesson can be so valuable in getting you back to the basics and working on fundamentals. Or it can be helpful to have another set of eyes watching your game and helping identify small tweaks or strategies. 

The first half of this intermediate clinic, we worked on various shots between our group, all the classics like forehand cross court dinking, resets, etc. But there was a bit of extra flavor in this class. Maybe it was because we signed up for intermediate, but we ran through some shots and drills that truly made me feel like I could compete alongside the pros. 

At first, we did some wall drills and I really felt like old school Chrisian Alshon. And I was pretty impressed with my ability to not send the ball ricocheting after every other ball. Maybe I really do belong in the intermediate class. 

But then we did ATP drilling. Which did make me wonder, do players at other rec courts hit ATPs? I’ve never seen anyone hit or attempt to hit an ATP at my court – ever. Maybe it’s a Crush Yard thing. But I certainly loved trying to hit them. And honestly, I was a bit impressed by how my group and I were able to hit some beautiful ATPs that would’ve impressed the SportsCenter Top Ten guys. 

But after the shot specific drills, we played some games for the coach to give us in-game tips and advice. But that was also when all the beautiful soft game and elegant drops into the kitchen we’d worked on went completely out the window and everyone was just driving the ball and attempting to body bag because it was officially competition time. I did get some solid reset tips because of it. 

What I appreciated about this is that it gave me ideas for drills to do with my doubles partner. Just a few fast hands drills or cross-court dinking drills that I’ll use next time I hit the court. 

I only wish Crush Yard wasn’t so far away because I truly understand the hype around these pickleball facilities. When you can easily reserve a court, you never have to worry about weather because it’s all indoors, and with a variety of clinics, clubs, and open play, it’s an ideal spot for pickleball players. 

I highly recommend taking a trip out to a nearby Crush Yard and taking a lesson. 

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