How to Run Pickleball Clinics at Your Club

Why Clinics Matter for Your Club

Clinics serve a dual purpose at any pickleball club. They help newer players develop skills faster, and they give experienced players a structured way to refine technique. Both outcomes lead to higher member satisfaction and stronger retention over time.

Beyond player development, clinics generate predictable revenue. Unlike drop-in play that fluctuates with weather and schedules, a well-promoted clinic series can fill weeks in advance. Many clubs report that clinic programs account for 20 to 30 percent of their total non-dues revenue.

Types of Pickleball Clinics

Beginner clinics focus on the fundamentals: grip, serve, dink, and basic court positioning. These sessions typically run 60 to 90 minutes and work best with groups of 8 to 12 players. Keeping the ratio of participants to instructors at roughly 4:1 ensures everyone gets individual feedback.

Intermediate clinics target players who already understand the basics but want to improve their third-shot drop, transition game, and strategic positioning. Drill-based formats work especially well here, with players rotating through stations that isolate specific skills.

Advanced drill sessions and specialty clinics round out the program. Consider offering targeted workshops on topics like singles strategy, lobbing and overhead defense, or competitive match play. These niche offerings attract dedicated players willing to pay a premium.

• Beginner clinics: fundamentals, 60 to 90 minutes, groups of 8 to 12
• Intermediate clinics: drills and strategy, station-based rotation format
• Advanced drill sessions: specialty topics like singles play or net game
• Mixed-level social clinics: fun format to build community across skill levels

Finding Qualified Instructors

The quality of your clinics depends heavily on your instructors. Look for coaches certified through organizations like the Professional Pickleball Registry (PPR) or the International Pickleball Teaching Professional Association (IPTPA). Certification signals a baseline of teaching competence and professionalism.

Local competitive players can also make excellent instructors if they have strong communication skills and patience. Offer them a trial session before committing to a full series. Pay structures vary, but most clubs either pay instructors a flat rate per session or a percentage of registration fees, typically 40 to 60 percent.

Pricing Your Clinics

Clinic pricing depends on your market, instructor costs, and group size. A common model charges $15 to $30 per player for a 90-minute group clinic with 8 to 12 participants. Private and semi-private lessons command higher rates, often $50 to $80 per hour.

Offering multi-session packages encourages commitment and improves attendance consistency. A four-session package at a 10 to 15 percent discount gives players an incentive to sign up for the full series while giving your club predictable income. Members should receive a discounted rate compared to non-members to reinforce the value of membership.

Equipment and Court Needs

At minimum, your clinic program needs a supply of loaner paddles for beginners, a ball hopper with plenty of practice balls, portable nets if your courts are shared, and cones or markers for drill stations. Budget roughly $300 to $500 for initial equipment if you are starting from scratch.

Court availability is the other critical factor. Clinics require dedicated court time, so coordinate with your open play and reservation schedules to avoid conflicts. Most clubs designate one or two courts for clinics during off-peak hours, typically weekday mornings or early afternoons.

Scheduling for Maximum Attendance

Survey your members before setting clinic times. Retirees often prefer weekday mornings, while working professionals lean toward evenings and weekends. Running clinics at two or three different time slots per week helps you capture both groups.

Consistency matters more than frequency. A clinic that runs every Tuesday at 9 AM becomes a habit for participants. Changing times week to week confuses players and hurts attendance. Post your clinic schedule at least four weeks in advance so players can plan around it.

Marketing Your Clinics

Start with your existing members. Email newsletters, social media posts, and flyers at the courts are the easiest channels. Include testimonials or short video clips from past clinics to show what participants can expect.

Reach beyond your membership by partnering with local recreation departments, community centers, and sporting goods stores. Offer a free introductory clinic once per quarter as a lead generation tool. Many clubs find that 30 to 40 percent of free clinic attendees convert to paying participants or new members within 60 days.

• Email your member list with clinic dates, times, and registration links
• Post short video highlights from past clinics on social media
• Partner with local rec departments to reach new players
• Offer a quarterly free intro clinic as a membership funnel

Measuring Success

Track three key metrics for every clinic series: attendance rate, repeat participation rate, and net revenue after instructor costs. Attendance rate tells you whether your marketing and scheduling are effective. Repeat participation shows whether the content and instruction quality keep players coming back.

Collect brief feedback surveys after each session. Ask participants to rate the instructor, the content relevance, and the overall experience on a simple 1 to 5 scale. Use this data to refine your offerings each quarter. Clubs that actively iterate on feedback typically see clinic revenue grow 15 to 25 percent year over year.