Everything students ask

No. The court is a quarter the size of a tennis court and most points are won by putting the ball somewhere awkward rather than by outrunning anyone. If you can walk for an hour you can play, and a first lesson moves at that pace.

Everyone is, for about twenty minutes. A first lesson is built to get you rallying rather than drilling technique on your own, because rallying badly is how you stop being bad. Nobody on the next court is watching as closely as you think.

No, and I would not bother trying to learn them from a video beforehand. The kitchen rule and the serving sequence take about five minutes to understand on a court and considerably longer to understand reading about them. Your first lesson covers both.

No. I bring spares to every lesson and you are welcome to use one for as long as you like. Try a few before you spend anything - a lesson is a good place to work out what weight suits you.

You get a paddle, we stand a few feet apart and hit the ball back and forth, and you find out it moves slower than you expected. There is no fitness test and no drill you can fail. You will have played real points before the hour is up.

Pick a lesson type, choose a court near you and select an open time. It shows up in your account right away and I confirm by text or email. I usually reply within a few hours, and always within one working day. If you would rather talk it through first, text or call 707-540-1336 and we will sort it out in five minutes.

Most students book a week or two out. Evening and weekend slots go first, especially in spring and fall. You can book up to 60 days ahead.

Yes, and you can do both yourself from your account. Moving a lesson is the better option nine times out of ten: open the lesson, press "Move this lesson", and pick any other day and time on the calendar. It keeps the same reference and the same price, and I get a message right away. Cancelling more than 24 hours before is free; inside that window the lesson is charged, though genuine emergencies are always handled sensibly.

If the courts are unplayable we reschedule at no cost, and you will hear from me by 7am on the day. In winter I also keep indoor time at Callinan in Rohnert Park as a backup.

Use the "Forgotten it?" link on the sign-in page. It tells me, and I text you a link that lets you set a new password without needing the old one. If you booked as a guest you may never have had a password at all - the same link sorts that out. In a hurry, just text or call 707-540-1336.

Yes. A lot of people want their first session one-on-one before they play in front of anyone, and it is a good way to start. If you would rather not be the only one learning, bring a friend and book a group lesson instead.

Court shoes with a non-marking sole, water, and a paddle if you own one. If you do not, I bring spares to every lesson. Wear something you can move in and bring a hat for summer mornings.

Yes, from about age eight. Junior sessions run at the standard private rate and work best in 45 to 60 minute blocks. Parents are welcome to watch or join in.

Most players feel something click in the first session and see it hold up in games after three or four. Real level change - a 3.0 becoming a solid 3.5 - usually takes eight to twelve lessons alongside regular play.

Yes. Private and group lessons both come in three lengths: an hour, 90 minutes or two hours. Pick the one you want on the lesson page before you book. An hour suits most people. Ninety minutes gives room to work on two things and then play them out. Two hours is a full training block with a breather in the middle.

Yes, online. Send me footage of a game I was not at, from $45, and I send back a video of myself talking over your own play, every key moment timestamped, drills, and a thread to ask follow-up questions in. I do not film you at lessons; the footage is yours.

Any of the venues on the Courts page - currently 60 miles around Santa Rosa, covering Sonoma, Napa, Marin, Solano, Mendocino and Lake counties. If you have a home court not on the list, ask and I will usually come to it.

Mostly there is nothing to reserve. The public courts I teach on are first come, first served, and several towns do not take bookings at all. What you are paying for is that I know which courts are quiet at which times, so we go somewhere we can actually get on. If a venue does charge a drop-in fee, that is included in the lesson.

Anywhere within about 60 miles of Santa Rosa: all of Sonoma County, the Napa Valley from American Canyon up to Calistoga, and Marin down to Mill Valley. Most of those towns have their own lessons page under Pickleball Lessons Near You.

Yes. Calistoga, St. Helena, Napa and American Canyon all have public courts I teach at, and there is no travel charge for any of them. The price you see is the price you pay, wherever we play.

At the lesson - card, Venmo or cash, whichever suits. Nothing is charged when you book. Packages are paid up front and drawn down lesson by lesson.

The 4-lesson pack runs for six months and the 8 and 12-lesson packs for a year. If something happens - injury, travel - tell me and we will extend it.

Then you do not pay for it. Your first lesson is covered in full: if you finish it and do not think it was worth the money, tell me on the court or claim it on the site, and you pay nothing. There is nothing to argue and nothing to prove. The claim window and the full terms are on the guarantee page.

A private lesson is $85 for an hour, $120 for 90 minutes or $150 for two hours. A group lesson, for two to eight of you, is $45 a player for an hour, $65 for 90 minutes or $80 for two hours. Online video analysis starts at $45. Court fees are included in all of it.

Yes. A gift card can cover a lesson, a few lessons, a lesson for two or any amount, at the normal price with nothing added. Order one on the Gift cards page and I email you the card. It never expires.

Yes, from your profile - there is a "Close my account" link, and the page shows you exactly what will be deleted before you confirm anything. You can download a copy of everything first: your lessons, the coaching notes and every skill rating. Lessons you have already taken stay in my books as a date and an amount with your name taken off, because those are my takings records.

Yes. I am a PPR Certified Instructor through the Professional Pickleball Registry and I play at a 5.0+ tournament level. The certification covers teaching method and safety; the playing level means what I teach holds up against strong players.