WYRE FOREST PICKLEBALL

INTRODUCTION
My name is Michael de Groot (it’s Dutch) and I discovered Pickleball in May 2022, whilst interviewing Clinton Young (Pickleball Pro Commentator and Player), a guest on my weekly Podcast. I had just joined, in January 2022, my local u3a in the Wyre Forest region in Worcestershire and started playing Badminton weekly.

Cut a long story short, we ran some Pickleball tasters for our u3a members and now we have around 40 people playing weekly at our local leisure centre, Wyre Forest Leisure, who I managed to convince to purchase paddles, proper Pickleball nets, now 9 in total, as well as the special lightweight plastic balls with circular holes.

BBC Hereford and Worcester Radio came to visit us in January 2023. Have a listen to the full interview and the reporter having a go at Pickleball. 👇

WHAT IS PICKLEBALL?
Pickleball is a fun sport that combines elements of badminton, tennis, and table tennis. Played both indoors or outdoors on a badminton-sized court and 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. Informal coaching is available, but please contact me in advance of attending so I can connect with you and take you through some initial coaching. I’ve included at the end of this page a couple of tutorial videos to give you some initial insight into the sport. Click the button to jump to the videos. Watch a UK TV report.

WHERE AND BOOK TO PLAY
I organise u3a Pickleball on Mondays and Wednesdays each week at Wyre Forest Leisure Centre in Kidderminster, Worcestershire and we’re continuously looking to expand and add more daytime slots.

If you would like to come and play or try Pickleball we use a booking system in order to manage the numbers. You can book a place by going to the booking calendar by following this link: https://zoom.as.me/pickleball. Slots get booked up really fast and the cost is £2.00 per hour. Beginners are welcome.

Equipment will be provided free of charge, however if you wish to play regularly, please plan to purchase your own equipment. I can supply affordable paddles, see lower down on this web page.

Once you’ve tried it a couple of times, you will need to become a member of Wyre Forest & District u3a at £12.50 per year. It’s the cheapest club membership you will find anywhere. There are a large number of Interest Groups in our u3a and members are making the most of life by continuing their creative, educational or social interests in a friendly, encouraging and inclusive atmosphere.

Learn more and sign up for membership via wyreforestu3a.org.uk/index.php/membership

I look forward to meeting you on court very soon!

Coaching Pricing per 60 minutes
- One player: £30
- Two Players: £40
- Three Players: £60
- Four Players: £80

Please register and pay using the form below, I will then be in touch with you to organise a convenient date and time for your coaching session. Payment is required upfront, after completing the form you will be redirected to a payment page, where you can enter the correct payment amount for the relevant coaching session. I really look forward to coaching you or your group very soon! Download Pickleball warmup advice.

PICKLEBALL ENGLAND

PICKLEBALL PADDLES

Diadem

If you are playing locally with me, you can order a high quality Pickleball paddle from me, which is perfect if your are beginner/intermediate player. Prices as follows:

• Diadem Hero Paddle £35 (Retail £40)

• Diadem Icon Paddle £125 (Retail £130)

• Diadem Warrior Paddle £155 (Retail £160)

• Diadem Paddle Cover £15 (Only with Paddle order)

Complete the order form below and once you click submit, you will be taken to a payment page, where you will need to change the £ amount depending on which Paddle you are ordering. I will liaise with you separately about getting the paddle to you. Prices excludes shipping costs, but if you are local to me, hopefully I will hand it to you on court.

PICKLEBALL TUTORIAL VIDEOS