Learning Pickleball From Scratch: A Beginner’s Recap

I’ve been thinking about learning pickleball for a few months now. Everywhere I looked, people were talking about it. Friends were playing it, and it seemed like the kind of low-pressure, social sport that might fit well into my life. So I signed up for a month of beginner lessons, every Sunday afternoon, and went in as a complete beginner in every sense of the word. Here’s what that month actually looked like.

Why I Signed Up

I had been thinking about learning how to play pickleball for a few months. I checked out a few places that offer lessons, but ended up never signing up for any of them. Fast forward, and pickleball lessons were still on my mind. I had finally narrowed it down to two options, one set of lessons indoors and one set outdoors. Finally I made a decision and signed up for the indoor lessons. I figured they wouldn’t get rained out and I would be out of the sun compared to the outdoor lessons. I’m so glad I made that decision, because over the past few weeks we had everything from thunderstorms to really high temperatures during lesson times. I was so grateful to be indoors instead of outdoors! I found my lessons through Pickleball Connect, a local Calgary company that offers pickleball lessons, gear, and programs for all skill levels.

Trying something new as an adult is humbling. Really humbling. As a kid or a teen, you’re encouraged to try new things, whether that’s a new sport, an artform, or anything else. But as an adult, you’re expected to already be good at what you’re doing. There’s this unspoken pressure to be good at a new endeavour, even if you’ve never done it before.

So I definitely felt a sense of vulnerability going into pickleball. I was, and still am, not that great at it. My serves always go off to the left, further left than I intend, and my forehand and punch shots need a lot of work. The one shot that has come naturally to me is my two handed backhand.

I spent my Sunday afternoons in July learning how to play pickleball. Two hour lessons, once a week, as a complete beginner.

What I Expected vs What Actually Happened

I honestly didn’t have a lot of expectations walking into my first lesson. I hadn’t played any racket sports since high school, and I graduated in 2001, so it had been a while. While I had played tennis and squash back then, but I knew pickleball would be quite different. I knew the court is quite a bit smaller than in tennis, and that pickleball shots are underhand, whereas tennis has both overhand and underhand shots.

Before my first lesson, I had read that because pickleball courts are smaller and the shots require a lighter touch, it’s supposed to be easier on the body and less exhausting than tennis. That sounded great to me. I wanted to spend more effort getting the ball back over the net rather than running around the court chasing it down. I also learned that pickleball paddles are lighter than tennis rackets, which meant it would be easier on my injured shoulder (more on how my shoulder held up later in this post).

It had clearly been a while since I’d last tried a new sport, because my first lesson was tough. I constantly felt like I had no idea what I was doing. At a few points during the lessons, it genuinely felt like I couldn’t make my body do what I wanted it to do.

Our instructor was great and so good at giving feedback. It was incredibly helpful, and honestly, considering where I was starting from, just about any feedback was bound to help me improve. Signing up for lessons was definitely the way to go. I don’t think I would have improved much if I had just bought a paddle and some balls and tried to figure it out on my own. Having someone who knew what they were doing, and who even played competitively, teach me was a gamechanger.

The paddles and balls were all provided, so other than workout clothes and a water bottle, I didn’t need to bring anything with me. Not having to invest in equipment upfront was a definite positive, since I wasn’t sure yet if I would even enjoy pickleball.

The Hardest Part of Being a Beginner Again

Even though I knew going into my first lesson that I would be a complete beginner, it was still tough actually being one. I knew I wouldn’t be good at it right away, but only improving a little bit at a time during each lesson was hard. It was frustrating to know exactly what I wanted my body to do, but not yet have the ability to do it.

It felt awkward being so bad at something. I think I overestimated how much I would improve in just four weeks of lessons. While I had learned what I needed to do, actually learning how to do it was a different story altogether. The lessons taught me the skills I needed, and now, going forward, it’s a matter of practicing those skills and getting better at them over time.

I was surprised at how good it felt to let myself be a beginner. Not having it all figured out, and not putting expectations on myself to already be good at pickleball, felt oddly freeing. I put less pressure on myself to play well. Being able to “fail” at serving the ball, or getting it back over the net, felt good rather than discouraging. I have to admit the other students played a big part in that feeling of freedom to be bad at something. While I was definitely trying hard, I didn’t feel pressure from anyone else to be better than I actually was. It was a genuinely supportive environment for lessons.

What Surprised Me Most

I’m not a team sport person at all. I never really have been, aside from a few years of playing rec soccer. I tend to put a lot of pressure on myself to play well and not mess up. In my head, I assume my teammates will be disappointed in me if I do. Realistically, I know they’re not putting that pressure on me, I do it entirely to myself. As a result, I’ve mostly avoided team sports over the years. It ends up feeling too competitive, even when the only person I’m competing against is myself.

But these pickleball lessons surprised me. While we never played any actual games, it felt good to be doing a sport alongside other people and interacting with them. Working out at the gym, practicing yoga, group fitness classes, and at home workouts have always been things I’ve done on my own, even if I’m in a room full of other people. Playing with and against others turned out to be something I didn’t realize, or had simply forgotten, that I enjoyed. It reminded me a bit of how I felt walking Run Bowness alongside my dad, that same sense of doing something hard alongside someone else made it feel lighter. I really enjoyed the community aspect of pickleball. I wasn’t expecting that at all.

What I’d Tell Someone Starting Their First Lesson

Be prepared to be truly awful at pickleball. I knew that logically going in, but actually being terrible at it while genuinely trying hard was a bit eye opening. It takes time to build any real experience with a brand new sport, and that’s completely okay. Try not to judge yourself or put extra pressure on yourself to be good right away.

Be open to feedback. This might sound obvious, but I learned so much from my pickleball instructor. Having him give me tips and tricks, and explain why the ball wasn’t going where I wanted it to go, or point out little things to change, made all the difference for me. If I had been stubborn and closed off to his coaching, I wouldn’t have improved nearly as much as I did.

Would I Keep Playing Pickleball?

Yes, but on a limited basis. And that’s not because I didn’t enjoy it.

I’ve had a lingering rotator cuff shoulder injury. While it’s gotten so much better than it once was, it’s still not 100 percent. I picked pickleball partly because it’s supposed to be much easier on your shoulder than tennis. The paddles are lighter, the shots are softer, and there are no overhead shots. But after each lesson, my shoulder was sore, and I spent a few days afterward icing it. One big thing my instructor pointed out was that I wasn’t following through on my forehand shots, because I was subconsciously trying to protect my shoulder.

So while I was able to play pickleball for four weeks in a row, I don’t think it’ll be something I play regularly going forward. Once in a while? Absolutely. I’ll need to buy a paddle and some balls, and I’d love to play with some friends when the chance comes up. But joining a league or playing on a regular basis isn’t really in the cards for me right now, given how my shoulder is doing. Which is disappointing, honestly, because I really do enjoy pickleball. I’ve been tracking most of my movement this year on my Garmin Vivoactive 6, and it’s been interesting to see how a new sport like this shows up differently than my usual walks and workouts.

Closing Thoughts

I’m so glad I decided to sign up for pickleball lessons. It was a lot of fun, and it reminded me that it’s okay, and even expected, to be bad at something you’ve never done before. It’s okay to have fun learning, and to be able to laugh at yourself for missing an easy shot.

If there’s one thing I’m taking away from this month, it’s a good reminder to try new things every once in a while, even when it feels uncomfortable. I found out I really like playing pickleball, even if it’s not something I can play regularly right now with my shoulder the way it is. I wish I could play more often without ending up sore, but I’m still so glad I gave it a try.

It’s okay to be uncomfortable while learning something new. My instructor made everything look effortless, and then I’d go off to practice serving with a partner or run drills against the wall, and I was genuinely terrible. And that’s perfectly fine. Not everything I do, especially when it comes to a brand new sport, needs to be perfect right from the start.