Pickleball: Could a private, indoor play venue be coming to the Coachella Valley?
I’ve been reading, with some envy, about privately run pickleball venues opening up around the county. Public courts are a must-have, to be sure, but our city parks and rec departments are never going to be able to fund courts that give a Top Golf-like experience to the pickleball crowd.
What kind of places am I talking about?
Chicken N Pickle is a chain of restaurants, that you guessed right, also has pickleball courts. Depending on the location, they have indoor, outdoor and covered outdoor courts. They offer private bookings for pickleball parties, and some locations have pop-up Tiki Bars. Chicken N Pickles are currently located in Kansas City, Missouri; Wichita, Kansas; Overland Park, Kansas; Grand Prairie, Texas; Oklahoma City and San Antonio. More are in the works in St. Charles, Missouri; Grapevine Texas; and Glendale, Arizona.
The company is apparently scouting for more locations because their website asks if you have suggestions for their next site. You can fill out their survey at bit.ly/3NTNdeD.
Smash Park is another Midwest mini-chain that combines pickleball play with a sports bar concept. They have outlets in West Des Moines and Pella, Iowa, and are planning to expand to Omaha and Minneapolis soon. Besides pickleball, they offer arcade games, corn hole, darts, shuffleboard, foosball and ping pong.
Grand Island, New York, is home to Pickleball Island. It’s not a restaurant concept like Chicken N Pickle, but the price is right: you can join open play for $7 per session, no membership required, or rent a court for $50 per hour. Ball machines are $15 an hour. They also offer group and private lessons. They have seven indoor courts plus a pro shop and a lounge.
Another model for a pickleball complex that is really intriguing is the PicklePlex in Punta Gorda, Florida, at Florida Southwestern State College. PicklePlex is actually a 501 (c ) 3 that leases land from the college. The nonprofit built and maintains the courts. They have 16 lighted outdoor courts, lessons, public open play and more. A summer pass there costs $100.
At least one developer seems to be scouting around the Coachella Valley, gauging interest in a private indoor pickleball club. The prospective developer has hired a market research firm to survey pickleball players about their appetite for joining such a facility.
Details on who’s involved are scant but the research firm, Marra Market Intelligence, says the facility would allow for year-round indoor play in a “comfortable and inviting environment.” Members would be guaranteed court time. The courts would be of standard dimensions “on a concrete floor with a SportMaster cushioned surface.”
The survey — which you can fill out at www.surveymonkey.com/r/cvpickleball — asks players how often they play, where they typically play, and what obstacles prevent them from playing as much as they might like (weather, crowded courts, etc.).
The questionnaire is also probing for how much you’d pay — and how far you’d drive — to go to a private indoor pickleball club.
Bob Marra, head of Marra Market Intelligence, said more than 500 people have filled out the survey so far. He said the prospective developers "want to take the pulse of the pickleball community and give them what they want."
From the multiple-choice questions, it seems that the prospective developers are considering anything from $50 a month to over $200. Of course, your price tolerance probably depends on the amenities — which may include food and beverage service on-site, locker rooms, and tournaments or leagues.
The survey is open to full-time and part-time residents, as well as visitors.
Marra, who has been playing pickleball himself for 12 years, wouldn't divulge the name of his client, but said they are people who have residences both in the Coachella Valley and elsewhere in Southern California.
Coach Mary’s tip of the week: Forehand slice from the backcourt
When I played high school and college tennis, I could hit slice on my backhand, but did not use it on my forehand. I am adding the forehand slice to my pickleball tool chest. Just a note: forehand slice is much more difficult to create than backhand slice, so you will need to drill, drill, drill. The beauty of pickleball is that there is always something new to learn!
We are going to zero in on creating slice, or sidespin, on the forehand side from the baseline, which would most likely occur when you are returning a serve. Things to think about:
First, it is important that you use your non-dominant hand to help pull your shoulders through. This helps you to push all the way through the ball.
Lay your paddle back to open the paddle face. This creates a spin that will dive down and curve away from your opponent when it lands.
Your footwork needs to get you sideways early enough so that you can step into the shot, with your paddle moving from high to low, without being too choppy.
Big follow-through, as you move forward toward the net.
The resulting shot is a deep return, which can make it difficult for the serving team to execute a good third-shot drop or drive.
Both Sarah Ansboury and Jordan Briones have good videos on how to do a forehand slice. Sarah’s is available at youtu.be/siuvcL5cWfg and Justin’s can be found at youtu.be/8YUm-cUJhdY.
Sarah explains that the forehand slice is a good weapon to use when you are facing a deep lob serve. It also can be employed when you must reach for a ball to the side, and you do not have time to get your feet there.
In Sarah’s video, she demonstrates how to practice this shot off a self-toss, using a high bounce, out in front of her. Jordan demonstrates a good way to drill with a partner on this skill, with cones laid out to emphasize hitting the shot deep. After you watch these short clips a few times, grab a basket of balls and get out on the court!
Next indoor round robin: Saturday, July 16, at the air-conditioned Desert Sports Center in Palm Desert. Email Mary to enter: mgbarsaleau@gmail.com
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Pickleball: A private, indoor complex may be coming to Palm Springs
