Junior Development Training @ Serangoon

The first step in the Singapore Team Junior Pickleball pathway

Junior Development Training consists of weekly classes where young players begin their pickleball journey with Play! Pickle.

Held at Play! Pickle Serangoon, this programme helps kids build strong fundamentals, movement, confidence, court awareness, and match-play habits in a structured, encouraging environment.

For players who show potential, commitment, and coachability, Junior Development Training may also become the first step towards the Junior Elite Team and, eventually, the Junior Touring Team.

Junior Development

Ages 8–12 | Sat or Sun 3-4 PM

Teaching style: more technique detail, tactical thinking, consistency goals, structured drills + games.

  • Focus: clean technique, consistency, and directional control.

    • Safety, scoring overview, and key rules

    • Grip, ready position, contact point, and simple footwork (split step/shuffle)

    • Forehand/backhand drives: swing path + follow-through

    • Drills: rally to a target zone, cross-court control, “10-ball challenge”

    • Outcome: players can rally with purpose (not just “hit it back”)

  • Focus: reliable serve/return and building the point.

    • Underhand serve mechanics: depth + placement (wide/body/center)

    • Return of serve: height control + depth (keep opponents back)

    • Transition footwork after return (move up with control)

    • Drills: serve accuracy ladder, return deep to targets, “serve + 3 shots”

    • Outcome: players can start points confidently and sustain longer rallies

  • Focus: the non-volley zone game (soft play, patience, control).

    • Kitchen rule + why it matters tactically

    • Dinking technique: soft hands, controlled lift, staying balanced

    • Volleys: block vs punch, reset volleys

    • Drills: dink cross-court, dink straight, volley-to-reset progression

    • Outcome: players can hold a dink rally and understand when to volley vs reset

  • Focus: applying skills in real games with simple tactics.

    • Review + quick corrections: serve/return, drives, dinks, volleys

    • Doubles positioning: side-by-side, moving up together, covering the middle

    • Simple strategy: hit to space, target weaker side, keep the ball low, communicate

    • Play format: coached match play with rotations + “game scenarios” (e.g., 7–7, serve/return pressure)

    • Outcome: players can play proper doubles points with basic strategy and teamwork

What parents can expect by the end of the course

Ages 8–12: stronger consistency, reliable serve/return, improved rally control, basic dink/volley skills, and real doubles movement + simple tactics.

Junior Elite Training

Ages 10–14 | Wednesdays 3-4 PM

Junior Elite Development Training is a structured progression programme for junior players who have developed the basic skills of pickleball and are ready to train with greater purpose.

Sessions combine technical development, movement training, tactical decision-making and coached match play. Players will be challenged to improve their consistency, court positioning, shot selection and ability to compete under pressure.

Admission is subject to the coaches’ assessment of each player’s current ability, commitment and readiness for the programme.

What Parents Can Expect

By the end of the programme, players should demonstrate stronger technical consistency, more efficient court movement, improved tactical awareness and greater confidence during competitive play.

Players who consistently demonstrate the required ability, attitude and commitment may be considered for progression into the Junior Elite Team and, subsequently, the Junior Touring Team.