Pro Tips: Coach Mary Pat Faley
Mary Pat Faley has been coaching tennis for 47 years. But, she launched the Riviera Country Club’s pickleball program in 2017, when she was their Director of Tennis, and fell in love with the sport. Especially the way it inspires connection over competition—“I just think that’s one of the best things ever,” she says. Faley recently opened Pickletown in Santa Monica, where she teaches clinics and weekend camps nearly every day. The beautiful indoor-outdoor facility is also available to rent (perfect for private events thanks to its viewing mezzanine). Here, the seasoned coach with an infectious laugh shares tips for boosting court skills and self-confidence.
What is your coaching philosophy? I have a very simple method of teaching—everything’s in three steps or less. For example, when people are at the kitchen line doing volleys, step one is where you set your wrist, two is where you straighten your elbow, and three you go back to ready position. Then I have a dot system that teaches court strategy—I put dots on the court so players visually see where to stand according to where the ball bounces on the other side. And again, there are only three dots—you’re either in spot one, two, or three.
Describe your go-to warm-up drill. Ups with a bounce. Stand still and bounce the ball down on the ground and lift it up with your paddle underneath it as you shuffle side to side. It also helps teach you to bend on the bounce, or I call it my B & B. Then flip your paddle around the other way so your knuckles are to the sky, as opposed to the palm of your hand, and shuffle side to side.
Do you have a favorite shot to teach? The ATP. When people first do it, they just think it’s the greatest thing on Earth. Every time somebody hits an ATP we ring a cowbell because I want them to know how awesome and special that is.
Can you share your most memorable pickleball experience? Two years ago, my dad was turning 90. He played tennis with me every weekend growing up, he was my inspiration, but he’d never played pickleball. So, I got him a paddle for his 90th birthday and taught him how to play. Sixty people were there for his birthday party—it was probably 35 degrees in Chicago, we were all in parkas, and everybody rotated in and played. I was like, oh my God, my seven-year-old nephew, me, and my dad are all playing pickleball. You can’t have that in any other sport.
Any tips for experienced players who want to level up their game? It has a lot to do with two things: your fitness and your focus. If your fitness level gets better, everything else gets better. Then you can sustain dinking a lot longer, because it really gets tiring in that squat position when you’re playing high level. When your fitness gets better, your focus gets better—you know you can stay there longer because you put the work in.
Is there a stamina-building exercise you recommend? Jump roping is probably the best exercise you can do if you only have 10 minutes. It gets your heart rate up; you get a shoulder workout, which in pickleball, you use your shoulder quite often; and it keeps you light on your feet so you can do all that quick shuffling side to side.
What is the biggest difference between indoor and outdoor play? Well, indoors I always like hitting the ball hard and smashing it besides dinking—you get the sound effects of an inside court, which really sound cool. [laughs]
