Play Great Pickleball Camp in Zihuantanejo, Mexico. New Professional Courts

By now you've heard all the "right" ways to play: Hit a deep serve, hit a deep return, drop or drive the 3rd and come to net. You’ve maybe even watched a few videos on Youtube. Maybe it's helped, and maybe you still see room for improvement.

What makes a training like this useful is, having eyes on you--your game, your choices and what's holding you back.:

As with any endeavor, having expert attention can accelerate progress like very little else can.

In this training, we will explore each shot of the game, the winning theories, the healthy movements, and the foundation that is underneath each satisfying contact off your paddle.

What separates it from most other trainings is the view we'll take into the underbelly of things.

The difference between a 3.0 player and a 4.5 player is in a dozen small to medium things. Some you may know about, some you may be unknowingly repeating to your detriment.

Matthew Blom: Having come from collegiate tennis, tournament level table tennis and high level badminton, this blend took me to the top of the Pickleball world. I then retired and turned my focus on teaching. It is with these eyes that I look at each player to identify the stuck spots, the faulty concepts, and often things that can bring or worsen pain. My goal is to work with you to remove the ceiling off of everything in your game, external and internal to help you find your best play and greatest enjoyment.

Here’s some specifics of what the training will entail:

• The 5 sweet spots--the one on your paddle is just one (and a very important one)
• How do you hold this thing?
• Natural, ergonomic power which transfers into:
• Serve depth, “weight,” power, spin, placement, and variety to force easier 3rd shots.
• Return depth and accuracy
• Drives that sting. Powerful, consistent, and with ergonomic power.

• Drops—a consistent repeatable stroke (and follow through), and knowing when off the bounce to hit them.
• 3rd shots—when you drive, and when to drop—and where
• 4th shots--one of the most overlooked but important shots in the game.
• Dinking with a solid foundation that leads to options, consistency, and offensive strategies so you can watch your opponents run around.
• Overheads—safe, powerful, and directional
• Lobs—how, where, and deceptively fun. How to respond to being lobbed.
• Backhands and forehands. How to generate power and spin. Slice on both sides (forehand side is one of my specialties), 2 handed backhand options.
• Volleys—crisp, quick and accurate--defensive, and take over.
• Bang well, soften well. The more you can do both at opportune moments, the higher your level goes. True for more than just pickleball.
• Advanced shots: Roll volleys, drop shots, around-the-post attack and defend. Erne attack and defend
• Speed ups. When, why, and how.
• How to S L O W down how the ball appears to you.
• Great partnering--court coverage, communication, and tactics.
• The Inner Game: Performance = Potential - Interference. We’ll talk about the theory, and address it as it happens to you on court.
• Natural body movements to prevent injury and maximize the physics of power.
• Turning your paddle into an artists brush.
• Learning where you need "mas tortillas" in your game.

Music, beach play, fun, laughter, fiesta, and coconuts will all be extra parts of your training.

We will be exploring pickleball through multiple angles–drills, hammer and nails, metaphors, music, soccer, games, training on the sands of some of the best beaches in the world,

thinking outside the taco…

I give a very high level guarantee you will get things from our camp you would be hard pressed to find anywhere else.

A local to Zihuatenjo, and formerly a elementary physical education teacher, professional soccer goalie, and fishing and surfing aficionado, Emanuel has now become one of the most experienced pickleball instructors on the planet. Having worked for two years at Tres Palapas pickleball resort as their full time pro, and taken a non-exsistant pickleball scene in Zihautanejo 10 years ago into an overflowing celebration, he has coached every level of pickleball player and worked alongside numerous other teaching pros from Scott Moore to Morgan Evans to Tyson McGuffin.

In addition to the instruction and on the court play with him, you will most likely walk away with a very contagious Mexican virus--the charisma, smile, and heart opening feeling that almost everyone catches when they are around Emanuel. He will be a fierce competitor across the net, have you laughing on the court as an instructor, and then offer you the cure to your newly contracted virus by sharing a beer with you after the day's training.

And he will be our guide to the special sites, tastes and experiences of Zihuatanejo that only a local could know.

COST: The Camp will be 8 days in total, with 15-20 hours of instructional time.

The price listed on the registration page is the deposit to secure your spot.

Once we communicate and find it's a good fit for you to attend, then the rest of the payment is: $ 950 for a single (plus the $100 deposit) and $1800 for a Camp for Two (plus the $150 deposit)

Meals: Included in your camp will be the welcome meal the night of the 27th, a Mexican lunch each of the training days, and a finale meal at a special resturant that opens and throws one hell of a party on Thursdays only (for us, March 6th). Alcohol will be on your own as not everyone partakes (although we'll certainly be getting the house made mescal for those who wish at the final party).

Housing: There are numerous options for lodging, up and down the price range from budget to luxury desires. We will send recommendations to for you in addition to your own investigation. The address of the courts is listed above. If you which to stay in the Zihuatanejo beach front area--such as the stunning Playa La Ropa area, plan for a 15 min. taxi ride to the courts.

Emanuel also provides an all inclusive package with airport pickup and accomodation for those interested.

Plane Tickets: The airport is Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo (ZIH). There are many direct flights, and when searching for tickets you can look for flights all the way through, or to Mexico City or Guadalajara with a separate ticket to Zihautanejo from within Mexico, as this is sometimes a cheaper option. There are many cities with direct flights, including: San Francisco, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Dallas, Minneapolis, Chicago, Toronto, Vancouver, Houston, Calgary, Montreal...

The courts of dreams--Emanuel's project over the course of many years is finally complete and had it's grand opening Nov. 2024. Fully lighted with professional surface and nets, this tournament ready facility has a full kitchen and restaurant, bathrooms, showers, full bar, covered seating area with handmade chairs and tables, accessible for clinic members any time of day, and sunsets that can take your breath away.
Short video of Grand Opening:

In addition to the 6 days of pickleball, there will be 2 days off during the 8 days of camp. There will be opportunities, all optional, to get out and explore that which interests you in this rich area. Some will be group adventures you can join in, and some will be adventures of your chosing.

Here’s some possibilities for those days:

--A boat trip through Zihutanejo bay at out to the Pacific Ocean and great swimming snokeling spots.
--A trip to a pristine, tucked away lagoon with paddleboarding or kayaking options

--A meal of fresh grilled fish caught from your own (or Emanuel's) fishing adventure

--A hiking and naturalist exploration

--A guided visit to the cultural museum

--Surfing

--E-bike rentals and tours of the area

--The best, fresh restaurants and bars in the area

--Live Music, dancing, and Open Air Markets.

--for the music lovers the once a year International Guitar Festival will be overlapping with our clinic, March 1st-8th. https://www.zihuafest.com/

``**Play it Forward

There is one more optional element for the camp. We will be lining up a service component for the second of the days off. Play it Forward, I like to call it. May involve pickleball with some of the local youth, or may involve giving back in some way to the underprivileged in the area. Some report it as among their most meaningful epxeriences during the clinic. An optional event for those interested.

Below: Painting at the "dump school" where kids work after school sifting through the town dump for valuables. Making volleyball net posts for the school playground.

"Zihuatanejo feels like a healthy mix of romance and adrenaline. There are beaches for hours in both directions, each one dreamier than the next."

"Zihuatanejo, Mexico stays with you. The seaside town has a history of attracting minds like Sir Francis Drake, Timothy Leary, and Andy Warhol, and while the glamorous stars of Hollywood were partying in Acapulco, the beloved rock and rollers of the 1960s were hiding out in Zihua, as it’s called by locals. Today, it is no different, and many of the same free-thinkers are still tucked into the jungled cliffs of La Ropa, living the life. There is a realness that can’t be ignored, and to foreigners, perhaps that is the best part of the place."

"The beaches are stunning and the food is fresh, but it is the people who make Zihuatanejo what it is. The town exists in the Mexican state of Guerrero, which translates to “warrior,” and is a very fitting name for those born and raised, which are affectionately known as Guerreros. The people are warm and welcoming, always smiling with genuine pride: They’re always there to help you when you need it most. To fully appreciate this, one should spend an extended amount of time with the Guerreros of Zihuatanejo because, as with all cultures, there are subtleties that can be easily overlooked by an outsider. The humor and traditions, for example, are meant to be learned over a little mezcal and spoken in Spanish, then practiced while dancing to Salsa, Cumbia, and Merengue."

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Zihuatanejo, MCF3+XQ, Ixtapa Zihuatanejo, Mexico