I am a certified pickleball coach. Helping others has always brought me joy, that includes teaching. It wasn’t long after I started playing pickleball in January of 2017 that I was turning around and helping others learn the game. I’m analytical and a perfectionist by nature and that helps in tournaments and instruction. I’m upbeat and delight in making friends easily. Pupil success is my success!

Some comments from some of my students over the years…

“Andrew, you are so thorough in your explanations. I enjoyed your class very much especially the technical exercises to keep practicing and improving. You are certainly a great teacher.”
— Susana Arias

“I’ve had the pleasure of taking two of Andrew’s rec pickleball classes, and I can’t recommend him highly enough. He’s a fantastic coach—patient, encouraging, and incredibly knowledgeable. Andrew has a great way of making the class fun and lighthearted while still teaching the essential rules, strategy, and court etiquette. Whether you’re brand new to the game or have played a few times and want to build your skills, Andrew creates an environment that’s welcoming, supportive, and skill-focused. I’ve gained confidence, improved my game, and even made a few friends from class who I now play with “in the wild.” If you’re looking to take your pickleball game to the next level, this is the coach to learn from!”
— Michelle Menchaca

“Your class has been the most fun I’ve had in a long time, and you are a wonderful teacher—thanks for all your effort!”
— Inge J.

“I just completed Andrew’s beginning pickleball class, and I feel I now have the basics to get out there playing with other newbies. The class size was perfect, only 8 people.

The drills were well thought out, with a good mix of time spent on actual play vs. instruction. Andrew also emailed various videos, links with helpful tips, and provided various information on where to play locally, along with proper etiquette. I highly recommend his class. And if your next hobby is painting or art, check out Lenz Arts.”
— Carol K.

“I wanted to say give you heartfelt and well deserved ‘Thank You’ for introducing me to the exciting game of pickleball with the beginners class I recently completed. Really appreciate your level of detailed approaches to the drills you introduced to us, and your ability to critique yet inspire us all at the same time! Super excited to keep playing this newfound sport and adding even more skill to my game on your next level class!”
— Glenn P.

“As a part time visitor to Santa Cruz, and recovering from a late summer fractured shoulder, I was happy to see there was space available in Coach Andrew’s Advanced Beginner class. I found him to be informative, personable and passionate about the sport he loves. Andrew is a great coach with individual attention to detail and is very helpful with comments and suggestions to make one’s playing experience addicting! I have found the Santa Cruz Pickleball Club to be a group of friendly welcoming players and have enjoyed my experiences playing with the group immensely. Thank you Coach Andrew!”
— Lisa B,  Victoria, BC.  Canada

“Thank you very much for your excellent class.”
— Larry M.

“I was nervous to sign up for the Advance Beginner Pickleball class with Andrew Lenz because I’m new at the sport of Pickleball (took a beginner class a month earlier with a different instructor), and I’m an older gal so I wasn’t sure if I could physically and mentally keep up with the class. I didn’t want to let others down in the class due to my limited skill level. This let down did not happen!

In fact, I never even mentioned my trepidations because Andrew teaches his class that well. I completely forgot I was a newbie and I just had fun! I gained new skills and confidence and friends, and I even stopped some habits that just weren’t working.

Andrew walked around to each participant during the class and was quick to spend time with us on anything he noticed. I truly felt like I was just where I needed to be, and I felt like I was on the inside taking this class because Andrew knows so much and has been teaching in our community for quite a while. For example, I use a drop serve. He was fine with that – in fact, he encouraged it and that made me feel legitimate!

Andrew is also a kind person and a direct person, which is incredibly refreshing that someone can be both. At one point in a drill, he grabbed a ball and whacked it with the paddle aimed right at me. In the drill, I was acting afraid of getting hit by the ball and it was impeding my ability to keep my eyes focused on the ball. The ball hit me square on and it did not hurt. Helpful communication, don’t you think? LOL

Andrew spoke about each drill before we did them; explaining fully where we would stand, what the opponent would be trying to do, what we are attempting to do, what things we might focus on, and what additional skills we’d be developing, i.e., fast hands, quicker reaction time, better paddle timing and placement, etc. When I was unable to successfully complete the maneuver, he kindly stepped in and demonstrated so we could get a feel of what was to happen, and what would happen next. Love that!

What I would say I liked most from his class (besides his real-life examples of skills used in tournaments):
He teaches class conventionally – with a clipboard of drills and an attendance list. I like this for the obvious reason that drills make us better players. And use of the attendance list was so he could provide a substitute player if someone was going to be absent in the following class. I can’t thank him enough for this because I don’t want to lose the instructor’s attention while he takes the place of an absent classmate. (Thank you Andrew’s son, a very competent substitute player!)
And finally, Andrew was always willing and ready to answer our questions. Even questions outside the scope of this class he would take a few minutes to answer.
With the internet full of pickleball training videos, his taking the time for answering questions was so helpful to me! I would sometimes not be clear on a strategy or concept and I could ask Andrew and he would always be willing to clarify and offer answers. (Thank you so very much, Andrew!)

I look forward to taking an intermediate class with Andrew Lenz in the very near future!”
— K. A.

“It was fun getting to learn a new sport and you made it fun with your stories and hands-on approach. Thanks.”
— Karla M.

“Thank you for your time, kind patience, and invaluable instructions. No wonder you have high ratings. You inspire us to become better and excited to join the pickleball community. It’s exactly what we need to re-energized our old bones and young hearts.”
— A & H

“Andrew did an excellent job instructing the class, he clearly described the rules of the game, the serve and return techniques, the social norms, and answered any other questions we had. And he also did great walking around during practice and giving each person feedback. Really fun class 10/10 Highly recommend!”
— Jonathan A.

“Andrew is a great teacher. He really understands the mechanics of the game and got us started hitting the ball quickly. Has lots of good advice and nice way of explaining things.

He provided good explanations without being overwhelming – along with helpful feedback. I feel I got a nice foundation in the game and it gave me confidence to start playing with others at my local court.”
— Lucia O.

“The lesson was great. Andrew is friendly and efficient. The class was very well organized.”
— John E.

“He’s very clear and concise in giving instructions. He was patient and gave his time if you needed a little extra help.“
— Joanie R.

“He has really good drills. And he never says anything negative to a player like me. He is always encouraging.“
—Helene P.

“Andrew was very patient and great in explaining the game. He made the class fun and his suggestions/tips were very helpful. We are looking forward to the advance class.“
—Akemi C.

“I especially appreciated that we started on time and that Coach Andrew gave us individual feedback as we practiced.“
—Kate B.

“Thank you SO much! The class was fun! I tried to soak up all the information you gave us. The drills were great! I also appreciate all the info and links provided in your emails.”
—Allison M.

“I took the Beginner Pickleball class at Scotts Valley Skypark this spring – a great 4-class session if you want to come up to speed with pickleball quickly. The class was paced well, and it was a lot of fun, which takes the pressure off! He is very knowledgeable about the game, and it shows that he loves it as well. I’m a fan of pickleball already, and I highly recommend this class. I’m planning to take the next level, or even the beginner class for round two!”
—Shawna Belardi