Get a free trial lesson with Charley

Learn Pickleball with Charley

⭑5.0 (11)

😊96

💰$119 weekly lessons

Coming from a background in ping pong, Charley quickly became fond of pickleball during the tail end of COVID, gathering people from his church to play. Years later, as a World Pickleball Tour National Champion (January 2025) with a 4.5+ DUPR rating, Charley has reached the pinnacle of amateur competitive pickleball. With a Massachusetts teaching license and two years of coaching experience, he is passionate about helping players of all skill levels and age groups refine their techniques and develop a deeper love for the game. Additionally, he leads a weekly group and provides extra repetition with a ball-serving machine to maximize practice and improvement. Let’s take your pickleball game to the next level—let me know when you’re ready to get started!

Background checked

Levels taught: Beginners, Intermediates, Experts

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Teaches: Kids, Teenagers, Adults, Seniors

😊96 Happy student score

🏅National Medalist

🎓2 years coaching

🔥33 Lessons

⭐️4.0+ National Champion (World Pickleball Tour January 2025)

As a player, I'm rated:

🏓 4.51DUPR

Reviews

Total reviews11

Average rating

5.0

Kelsey F.Verified ✓

Level: Beginner•Lessons taken: 5

Verified ✓

Charley was incredibly helpful, patient, and a pleasure to work with! Wonderful teacher. Made it a very enjoyable lesson and I learned a lot.

Siqi W.Verified ✓

Level: Beginner•Lessons taken: 2

Verified ✓

Charley is a wonderful teacher! He quickly identified the things I need to work on and the session felt very helpful and productive.

Josh Punnoose

Level: Expert•Lessons taken: 15

Charley is a great coach. He helped me improve my DUPR to a 4.8. His focus on mastering third-shot drops and providing customized feedback for my game has been a game-changer. I couldn’t recommend him more to anyone serious about improving their skills.

Caleb Salo

Level: Intermediate•Lessons taken: 14

After a summer of lessons with Charley, I played my first tournament and reached a 3.6 DUPR. He gave me detailed tips on refining my serve placement and helped me anticipate opponents’ shots better. I highly recommend him!

Hannah Shin

Level: Intermediate•Lessons taken: 12

After Charles noticed me in rec play, and I’ve grown into a 4.35 in women’s doubles. His coaching on speeding up dead dinks and drive placement has completely transformed my game, making me a much more strategic player.

Availability

These are the times I've set as being available for lessons.

sundays

8 AM - 8 PM

mondays

7 AM - 8 PM

fridays

7 AM - 5:30 PM

saturdays

8 AM - 8 PM

Beginner training plan

Your first lessonBeginner Pickleball Lesson Plans Lesson 1: Introduction to Pickleball • Overview: Introduce the court layout, rules, basic strokes and equipment. • Skills: Teach forehand groundstrokes with proper stance and grip. • Drills: Practice forehand shots with a partner, focusing on consistency. • Wrap-Up: Recap key concepts and encourage at-home practice.

Lesson 11+Lesson 11+: Intermediate and Advanced Development Refining Technique • Third-Shot Drop and Drive: Perfect execution of both the third-shot drop and third-shot drive, focusing on when to use each based on opponent positioning. • Dinking Precision: Improve dink placement to control rallies and move opponents out of position. • Volley Control: Develop faster reflexes and control at the net, focusing on punch volleys and blocking hard shots. Building Strategy • Court Positioning: Teach optimal positioning during doubles, including stacking and proper movement with a partner. • Offensive and Defensive Transitions: Focus on transitioning effectively from baseline to net and vice versa during rallies. • Shot Selection: Learn to recognize opponent weaknesses and choose the right shots to exploit them. Advanced Drills • Targeted Drills: Use a ball-serving machine for repetition in specific areas, like returning hard drives or practicing drop shots. • Game Simulation: Play structured points and games

Lesson 4-10Lesson 4-10: Building Strategy and Refining Skills Lesson 4-5: • Focus: Introduce dinking and net play. • Drills: Practice controlled dinks and volleys near the net. Lesson 6-7: • Focus: Teach third-shot drops and transitioning to the net. • Drills: Practice third-shot drops and moving into position for net play. Lesson 8-9: • Focus: Develop court positioning, communication, and doubles strategy. • Drills: Simulate game situations, focusing on teamwork and tactics. Lesson 10: • Wrap-Up: Play full games to apply all skills learned, with real-time feedback. • Next Steps: Encourage continued practice and set goals for improvement.

Lesson 2-3Lesson 2-3: Developing Consistency Lesson 2: • Review: Reinforce forehand technique. • New Skill: Introduce backhand strokes and practice with partner drills. • Drills: Alternate forehand and backhand in cross-court rallies. Lesson 3: • New Skill: Teach serve mechanics and practice target accuracy. • Drills: Practice serves and returns with a partner in a game-like format. • Wrap-Up: Highlight the importance of consistent serves and returns.

Advanced training plan

Your first lessonLesson 1: Assessing and Refining Advanced Fundamentals Objective: Assess player skills and refine key advanced techniques. 1. Warm-Up • Partner rally focusing on consistency, control, and shot variation. • Include forehand, backhand, and volleys as part of the warm-up. 2. Skill Assessment • Evaluate players’ proficiency with third-shot drops, drives, dinks, volleys, and serves. • Provide personalized feedback on mechanics, footwork, and strategy. 3. Skill: Advanced Dinking • Practice dinking with depth and spin to create opportunities for attack. • Introduce offensive dinking to set up aggressive shots. 4. Activity: Dink-to-Attack Transition • Run drills where players alternate between soft dinks and aggressive shots based on ball height and placement. 5. Wrap-Up • Summarize individual focus areas for improvement. • Encourage practice of dinks and third-shot techniques under pressure.

Lesson 11+Lessons 11 onwards: Video analysis: Focus on getting to the kitchen from transition zone, consistent and attacking dinks at the kitchen, and trick shots

Lesson 4-10Lessons 4-10: Refining Skills and Advanced Strategy Lesson 4-5: Net Play and Volleys • Focus on punch volleys, resetting hard shots, and maintaining control at the net. • Introduce strategy for maintaining dominance at the kitchen line. • Run drills for quick exchanges and volley-to-volley battles. Lesson 6-7: Court Positioning and Team Dynamics • Teach doubles communication and stacking strategies. • Practice shot placement to exploit gaps in opponents’ positioning. • Simulate fast-paced doubles rallies to build teamwork. Lesson 8-9: Advanced Shot Selection • Focus on executing lobs, drop volleys, and offensive spins effectively. • Practice situational drills to improve decision-making during points. Lesson 10: Competitive Play and Feedback • Play full games to apply all skills and strategies. • Provide real-time feedback during games, emphasizing positioning, shot selection, and teamwork. • Identify focus areas for continued development. These lessons are designed to progressively build skills and strategies while allowing flexibility to adapt to each player’s needs.

Lesson 2-3Lessons 2-3: Offensive and Defensive Strategies Objective: Develop strategic play through advanced shot placement and tactical drills. Lesson 2 1. Warm-Up • Serve and return drills focusing on shot depth, spin, and placement. 2. Skill: Third-Shot Drop and Drive Mix • Teach players how to vary between a third-shot drop and a drive to keep opponents guessing. • Practice hitting consistent drops and well-placed drives. 3. Activity: Third-Shot Scenarios • Simulate game situations where one player hits a serve, and the returner alternates between drops and drives to take control of the rally. 4. Skill: Blocking and Resetting Hard Shots • Focus on defensive techniques to handle fast-paced shots at the kitchen line. • Practice soft resets and controlled blocks to neutralize aggressive opponents. Lesson 3 1. Warm-Up • Cross-court dinking drills to refine accuracy and control. 2. Skill: Transitioning to the Net • Teach efficient movement from baseline to kitchen, focusing on footwork and split-stepping. • Practice transitioning with third-shot drops and drives. 3. Activity: Defensive to Offensive Transition • Simulate defensive scenarios where players must move forward while maintaining control

Youth players

Working with kidsWhen teaching kids, I adapt my lessons to be fun and engaging, using games and activities that make learning enjoyable. I focus on building a strong foundation in the basics while incorporating age-appropriate drills and exercises that keep their interest and energy levels high. Patience and encouragement are key, as I strive to create a positive and supportive environment where young players feel confident and excited to learn.

Working with teenagers When teaching teenagers, I adapt my lessons to balance skill development with the social and competitive aspects that appeal to this age group. l incorporate advanced drills and techniques while fostering a supportive and collaborative environment that encourages teamwork and peer learning. By focusing on both physical fitness and strategic thinking, I help teens develop their skills and confidence, preparing them for competitive play and personal growth in the sport.

What you need to bringStudents who are serious will preferably bring their own paddle.

What I can bringI have all the necessary equipment. I will bring a ball serving machine and plenty of pickleballs. I can also supply paddles if the student doesn’t have any.

Frequently asked questions

Cancellation Policy

We totally understand that life can be unpredictable and plans might change. That's why we've got your back with our flexible cancellation policy, designed to give you peace of mind when booking private sports lessons with our awesome local instructors!

If you need to cancel your lesson, no worries! You can get a full refund if you cancel within 24 hours of making your booking. We want to make the process as hassle-free as possible for you.

And if you simply want to reschedule your lesson, change the date and time, or adjust the number of students joining, we've got you covered there too. You can easily make these changes within 24 hours of booking, and up to 72 hours before your lesson starts.

Our goal is to make your experience smooth, enjoyable, and worry-free. So go ahead and book with confidence, knowing that we're here to accommodate your needs every step of the way!

Pickleball with Charley Lei⭑ 5.0 (11 reviews)

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Cancellation Policy