Introduction
As always, I will review “The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly” when it comes to a pickleball camp.
The Good (Trip Planning and Instruction)
Organizing our trip seamlessly was Elizabeth Higginbottom from Straightaway Travel, who organized out “Pickleball in Paradise” camp, and who deserves commendation for her excellent communication and adept management of any last-minute adjustments, which, thankfully, were minimal. Our instructors, Marion, Berta, and Chris brought a wealth of experience and expertise to the camp, and kept us all upbeat no matter how much we messed up (I, of course, never messed up).
The Good (Other Attendees)
We had a great group of people in our camp, all of whom were seasoned players and very friendly. We had a great time with everyone, especially during one big ran storm when we hung around the beachside bar.
The Good (Sandals Staff)
The resort is very focused on making sure everything is right. A few times I would ask someone who was working, let’s say on landscaping, where a building was. Every time that person would stop what they were doing and actually lead us to the place. That is great service.
There were some occasions, though, when everything was not perfect. For example, our residence building had a coffee machine in the lobby, which (because we are very early risers) was a necessity for us. On a couple of occasions, the machine was not functioning, a situation that caused some consternation for us. Here is a picture of Donna at the elevator when I told her the machine was not working.
BUT, all you had to do was tell a worker, no matter what the person was doing, and no matter what time of day it was (like 5:30 AM), that worker would make a call and the situation would be resolved in just a few minutes).
The Good (Housekeeping)
Our room was meticulously maintained. No need to say anything other than that! Also, because Sandals is “adult only,” we did not have little kids running up and down the hallways (as we did at another unnamed resort). Also, we did not have construction going on next to us (as we did at another unnamed resort), and the air conditioning worked great (as it did not…you get the picture). Also, the room fridge was kept stocked with soda, water, beer and two bottles of wine. All in all, very comfortable, neat and clean.
The Good (The Swimming Pools)
There were a couple of huge pools and one, smaller “quiet pool.” That’s where Donna and I hung out, making use of the hot tub. Interestingly, we kept running into the same people at the hot tub every afternoon, and, again, at the beachside bar. It was nice to get away from the crowds.
The Good (Pickleball Courts)
The courts were in excellent shape. There could have been more room between courts, but I understand that the resort is going to add new courts in the future. Marion, the Sandals PB pro, made sure that everything was ready for us, and had water, towels and cold towels available for us when we needed them.
The Bad
The only bad thing was this – I ate as much during the one week we were at the camp as I do during a normal two weeks. I have some weight to lose!
Day One of the Trip
Two hours to the airport (if you know Atlanta, you know what I mean), getting in hours before the flight (never know what you will encounter on the way). Then the flight (mercifully short), then the shuttle to Sandals (much, much better than another unnamed resort), and check-in. We were early, so we could not get to our room right away. A person from the front office took us to one of the restaurants where we had lunch. This was much better than another resort where we were told that we were on our own and where they left our bags in front of our room in a rain storm.
In the evening, we had a get together with everyone. A pretty relaxing first day.
First Day of the Camp
This was the first of our wind/rain delays. We did not get started until 2 in the afternoon. Donna and I had breakfast, after which we worked out in the gym for a while. The gym, by the way, is one of the most impressive I have seen at a resort. Below is a picture I took which shows only a small portion of the equipment.
We finally got started at 2. After we all warmed up, we worked on dinking, with the pros providing feedback. Then we played a game of “dink, dink, dink – game on.” So, after three dinks (four people on the court) you could try to win the point.
Then we had a round robin, playing (I think) games to 7 so we could all mix around. After that, we go to play with and against the pros. During those games, we received excellent coaching from the pros.
Second Day of the Camp
Rain delay (again), so we started at 10. We all worked on third shot drops, then we played “dink, dink, dink – game on” again, then we played a round robin, then we played with/against the pros, and then Donna and I hit the quiet pool hot tub with drinks in hand.
Third Day of the Camp
Rain delay (again), so we started at 10 (again). We worked on third shot drops again, and then played a game called “7-11.” You have two people at the net, who feed balls to two people at the base line. Then you play the point out. The people at the net, because they have an advantage, have to win 11 points, and the people at the base line only have to win 7 points. It got very competitive. Then the hot tub (again), and a group dinner at the hibachi restaurant on the resort.
Fourth Day of the Camp
Rain delay (again), so we started at 10 (again). We practiced resetting from the transition zone, something that Donna and I practice at home. Then we played 7-11 again, but instead of being at the baseline, two people were in the transition zone. The focus of each of the 7-11 games was not only getting the ball back into the NVZ, but knowing when to go from the baseline toward the net, or from the transition zone to the net. After that it was practicing lob off the dink. The pros emphasized keeping your head down so you don’t overhit the lob, and making sure you don’t give away the fact that you are going to lob. Then a little bit of open play and, of course, hot tub again. We had dinner at a restaurant called soy, which I highly recommend. We had the hottest, freshest tempura we have ever had in a restaurant.
Fifth Day of the Camp
This was going to be our round robin championship. Unfortunately, because of rain delays, we were only able to get in 6 out of the 15 games we were supposed to play (all to 7 points).
Donna decided not to play in the round robin, and instead went to Sandals Island, aka Sandals Barefoot Cay. When the storm hit, I wasn’t sure when she was going to be able to make it back. That’s how rough the seas were. While I waited, I had a (few) margaritas. When Donna finally arrived, I met her on the dock with an umbrella and we walked to the beach-side bar where we had a (few) drinks. The staff at the bar was great. One led us through a game of “ad slogans”, something that provided a lot of hilarity. The other workers were Lindero and Giovanni.
Then some of us started playing ping pong. Berta, the pickleball pro, joined us and played against a few of us. She was nice to most people, but not me! I mean, she aced me on her serve a few times. My goal was to get 5 points, which I did, but I think a couple of them were pity points.
Here is a link to a YouTube video that I shot of the ping pong:
What I learned
I think I’m a decent player (IMHO), but need help with some shots and strategies.
When I played against Berta, she passed me down the line on my forehand side (these were laser shots) at least three times. I said that I had to get over to cover the line sooner, but she said that if I moved too soon, she would go to the middle. Her advice was to see if I could determine what my opponent was goin to do, and then make the appropriate move.
When we played “dink, dink, dink – game on,” I hit some pretty good topspin drives between my opponents. Berta agreed that they were good shots, but I took a bit too much of a back turn. She told me to keep my paddle more in front of me. I worked on that for the rest of the week.
Since Berta had passed me so many times down the line, I was going to take an opportunity to try to pass her. I got a shot around the transition line and debated – hit down the line or drop shot. I decided to go down the line and almost took her head off. I was so upset because I hate hitting the ball high at someone. Berta said that the reason I hit the ball high was that I was late on the shot so, therefore, the paddle was a bit further back than it should have been. I think that moment of indecision cost me so, lesson learned, make up your mind what you are going to do and stick with the plan.
At one point I went to hit an underspin drop shot and netted it. I was told that I had my arm against my body and that I should have had my paddle out in front of me. That is something I will work on.
Conclusion
This was a great camp. If you ever have the opportunity to participate in a “Pickleball in Paradise” camp, take advantage of that opportunity.
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