My name is Michael de Groot (I'm Dutch) and I discovered Pickleball in May 2022 whilst interviewing Clinton Young (Pickleball Pro Commentator and Player), a guest on my Podcast.  With the assistance from pickleballEngland, we ran Pickleball tasters for our local u3a members and started regular sessions from Augst 2022 and now we have 80+ people playing weekly at our local leisure centre, Wyre Forest Leisure, who very kindly supported us by purchasing paddles, Pickleball nets and balls.

My Pickleball Timeline:

• May 2022, learnt about Pickleball

• July 2022, ran tasters with the help of Pickleball England

• November 2022, became a qualified IPTPA Level 1 Instructor

• February 2023, became the Worcestershire County Rep for Pickleball England (volunteer)

• February 2024, became the West Midlands Regional Director for Pickleball England (volunteer)

I deliver beginner introductory sessions Pickleball Coach and Play regularly throughout the month in Kidderminster, Worcestershire and Stourbridge, West Midlands. It probably takes at least 2 Coach and Play sessions to master Pickleball. These session are £15.00 per hour and it includes equipment, court hire costs and my coaching time.

I am a member of Pickleball England, the official non-profit Pickleball governing body in England and hopefully when you stay with this sport, please register for free on their website to assist them to keep track of Pickleball player numbers and the growth of the sport.

Pickleball is a fun sport that combines elements of badminton, tennis, and table tennis. Played both indoors or outdoors on a badminton-sized court with a slightly modified tennis net. Two or four players use solid paddles made of wood or composite materials to hit a perforated polymer ball, over a net. All players are welcome, from those who have only recently started playing to those with a bit of experience.  Watch a UK TV report. Below are some video resources (on the left) for you to familiarise yourself with how to play Pickleball and I have also included (on the right), a pro mixed doubles match with the world no. 1 female and male players, Anna-Leigh Waters and Ben Johns at the USA Nationals in 2023. As mixed doubles partners they are ranked no. 1 and they are playing against the no. 2 ranked couple, an interesting match. It's more important for your learning to see how a proper pro-match is played. The watch the videos full screen, click on 'Watch on YouTube'. Enjoy!