Learn Pickleball with Derek
😊92
💰$63 weekly lessons
I am a Certified PPR Coach, I channel my athletic prowess and coaching experience into elevating your pickleball game. With a blend of finesse from tennis, precision from table tennis, endurance from triathlons, and team spirit from soccer and hockey, I offer a unique approach to coaching. My background in youth soccer, lacrosse, and hockey coaching equips me to guide beginners through foundational skills and help intermediates break through plateaus by shedding sub-optimal habits. Let me lead you to pickleball excellence from start to star player!
Levels taught: Beginners, Intermediates, Experts
Teaches: Adults, Seniors
😊92 Happy student score
📝PPR Certified
🔥10 Lessons
✨Tournament Competitor
Reviews
Total reviews4
Average rating
5.0
Roni M.Verified ✓
Lessons taken: 3
Great lesson.
Jayden L
Level: Beginner•Lessons taken: 8
An awesome mentor, always has the best interest for you, great person as well. Gets really creative with teaching and easy to talk to. Would 100% recommend people to Derek.
Matt B
Level: Intermediate•Lessons taken: 6
Derek was and excellent coach to work with. He was able to identify my weaknesses and areas of struggle and work on gain a better foundation of the game. Highly recommend two hour sessions as this allowed for more focus along with one-one game play to hone in on the learned skills.
Chris G
Level: Beginner•Lessons taken: 3
I am Absolutely thrilled with my experience taking pickleball lessons from Derek! From the moment we met, it was clear that he's not only skilled in the game but also incredibly friendly. His upbeat demeanor made every lesson enjoyable and provided a positive learning environment.
Scheduling was a breeze--Derek was super accommodating when it came to meeting days and times. It was so easy to fit sessions into my busy week, which is a massive plus.
Now let's talk about skills. Derek has an uncanny ability to identify the little nuances that can make or break a shot. I had been struggling with specific shots like my backhand topspin, but his tailored advice fixed those issues almost instantly. It was evident that he genuinely cared about improving my game.
My serve percentage has noticeably gone up, and I've seen significant improvements in both my dinking and third shot drops. Derek's tips and training exercises were spot-on, and the improvement I've seen speaks volumes about his expertise.
Lastly, the cost for the quality of lessons you receive is extremely fair. No doubt, you're getting a fantastic deal for what you pay per hour.
All in all, working with Derek has been a 5-star experience. Highly recommended for anyone looking to elevate their pickleball game.
Locations
These are the locations I've set as being able to provide lessons:5 courts available
Lefferson Park
2145 S Breiel Blvd, Middletown, OH 45044, USA
78.5 miles awayOutdoors
J.F. Kennedy Park
5073 Bigger Rd, Kettering, OH 45440, USA
62.8 miles awayOutdoors
Snyder Park
Snyder St, Springfield, OH 45504, United States
44.3 miles awayOutdoors
Kettering Tennis Center
4565 Gateway Circle
63 miles awayOutdoors
Fairfield Park
687 North Broad Street
55 miles awayOutdoors
Want a lesson at your home or a different location? We can help.
Availability
These are the times I've set as being available for lessons.sundays
7 AM - 11 AM
mondays
5:30 PM - 8 PM
tuesdays
5:30 PM - 8 PM
wednesdays
5:30 PM - 8 PM
thursdays
5:30 PM - 8 PM
saturdays
7 AM - 11 AM
Beginner training plan
Your first lessonGame and gear basics, grip, some specific shots.
Lesson 11+While it seems I should want to keep a student as long as possible, that isn't my goal. I do have weekly students, and there are always things to work on. However, my goal is not teach you what to do as much as how to think. That way, you figure out what to do and ways to improve that are appropriate for you. Then, I'm happy to have you back for adjustments and sticking points.
Lesson 4-10After the high frequency focus, later lessons will focus on some lower frequency shots, as well as strategy beyond the basics.
Lesson 2-3I often direct students here, but prefer this direction to be student driven through questions. Why do I have trouble keeping my serve in? Or Why is my backhand so difficult?
Advanced training plan
Your first lessonWith advanced players, we skip most of the basics, but often there is something to review. Something as simple as footwork to fix a shot, or finding the source of a third shot issue is actually the serve. We talk through those results issues, work backward to find the cause(s), and plug those leaks, so to speak.
Lesson 11+At this point, hopefully the growth mindset has taken hold. It sounds simple, but it's by no means a given. Mixing a competitive mindset with a growth mindset of patience took me getting hurt bad enough to spend the better part of a year to START figuring it out. Ironically, we are then back to the beginning. If the switch fully flips, we are no longer working on our mindset to improve at pickleball. We are working on pickleball as a test of our mindset. Then, it's a razor thin balance of perspective and performance. That performance, to be clear, is not the score. It's your decision making, behavior, and setting/hitting targets/goals. For today, and for next year.
Lesson 4-10Here I'm expecting to continue the same as above, but progressing as an advanced player means reinvention to get to the next level. For me a couple years ago, it was simply changing my grip. It was the only way to move upward, but it was painful for a while. A few months later, the improvement was dramatic.
Lesson 2-3The above continues, but as the basics are covered more fully, we transition to game scenarios. At this point, it's an iterative process. We are never really "done" working on components of our game. We level up the serve/3rd routine, 2nd/4th, 3rd/5th, and net game. That exposes new things to work on, and we hit them.
What you need to bringAthletic shoes and apparel, sun protection, a positive attitude, and some humility. Learning new things doesn't always click right away, but some struggle is part of the process. Otherwise, knowing and learning would be the same.
What I can bringPaddles to try, balls, targets, ball machine(as applicable), ears for LISTENING, a fun attitude, and flexible/creative problem solving for your concerns, OR more structured training if that's your preference.
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!
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!
DJ
Pickleball with Derek JohnsonNew to TeachMe.To