Pickleball is the easiest racquet sport in the world to start and one of the most fun to keep playing. If you live in Davie, Weston, Cooper City, or anywhere in southwest Broward, you can go from "never held a paddle" to playing actual games within a week. This guide will show you exactly how.
I'm Steve Kennedy. I coach pickleball at Bamford Park in Davie, and I've taught hundreds of complete beginners, from teenagers to players in their eighties. Here's everything I tell someone starting from zero.
Why pickleball is the right sport to pick up
The court is small, the ball is slow, and the rules are simple. Most beginners are rallying within twenty minutes of their first session. If you've ever played tennis, ping pong, or racquetball, some of it will transfer. If you haven't, it genuinely doesn't matter.
It's also social in a way most sports aren't. Games are doubles, they're short, and courts rotate players constantly, so you'll meet people every single time you show up. In South Florida, where you can play outdoors year-round, it's become the default way a lot of people exercise, make friends, and compete a little without wrecking their bodies.
Where to play pickleball in Davie and Weston
Bamford Park (Davie): free public courts
Bamford Park, on Pine Island Road in Davie, has free public pickleball courts and a steady group of regulars at most skill levels. Mornings are the busiest and friendliest time. Show up with a paddle and you'll get pulled into a game. It's an easy drive from Weston, Cooper City, Plantation, and Southwest Ranches, and it's where I teach my lessons and clinics.
Other nearby options
Broward County parks and city recreation centers around Weston, Cooper City, and Plantation have been adding lines and dedicated courts steadily, and several private communities in Weston have courts for residents. But if you want the simplest answer to "where do I start": Bamford Park, in the morning, for free.
What gear you actually need (and what you don't)
Beginners consistently overspend. Here's the honest list:
- A paddle. A $50–90 paddle from a reputable brand is all you need for your first year. Skip the $250 paddles. At the beginner level they make no difference you can feel.
- Court shoes. This is the one place not to cheap out. Running shoes are built for straight lines; pickleball is side-to-side. A pair of tennis or court shoes protects your ankles and knees.
- Outdoor balls, water, a hat. This is South Florida. Play early, hydrate, wear sunscreen.
That's it. No membership, no reservation apps, no special clothes.
The five things to learn first
When I teach a first lesson, we cover these in order:
1. The serve and the two-bounce rule
The serve is underhand and just needs to land in the correct box. After the serve, each side must let the ball bounce once before anyone can volley. This one rule shapes the entire game, and beginners who understand it early stop giving away free points.
2. Scoring
Games go to 11, win by 2, and only the serving team scores. Calling the score out loud before every serve (there are three numbers in doubles) confuses everyone at first. Give it two sessions and it becomes automatic.
3. The kitchen
The seven-foot zone on each side of the net is the non-volley zone. Everyone calls it the kitchen. You can't hit the ball out of the air while standing in it. Learning to play at the kitchen line, rather than hanging back at the baseline, is the single biggest difference between beginners and everyone else.
4. The dink
A dink is a soft shot that lands in your opponent's kitchen, too low to attack. New players want to smash everything; good players win with patience. If you learn to dink early, you'll pass players who've been going for winners for years. In my teaching, the soft game gets the majority of practice time at every level, because that's where pickleball is actually won.
5. Getting to the net
After the return of serve, your job is to move up to the kitchen line with your partner. Beginners who learn this habit in week one look like six-month players by week three.
Should a beginner take lessons?
You can absolutely learn pickleball for free at open play, and plenty of people do. Here's the trade-off nobody mentions: open play teaches you habits at random. Some are good. Some will cap your game for years, and unlearning a bad habit takes ten times longer than learning the right one first.
A lesson or two at the very start is the highest-leverage money you'll ever spend on this sport. In one hour, a good coach gives you a correct grip, a reliable serve, sound positioning, and the two-bounce and kitchen rules working automatically. Those are the exact things that make open play welcoming instead of overwhelming. I've had brand-new players holding their own in games within a week.
I teach beginners at Bamford Park with private lessons at $100 an hour, semi-private for two people from $75 each, and small-group clinics for three or four players from $85 per person. Couples and pairs of friends starting together is my favorite lesson to teach. You get a built-in practice partner forever.
Your first-week plan
- Day 1: Get a paddle and court shoes.
- Day 2 or 3: Take an intro lesson, or watch a rules video and hit with a friend at Bamford Park.
- This week: Show up to morning open play and tell people you're new. Pickleball players love beginners. Everyone remembers being one.
- Every session: Spend ten minutes dinking before you play games. This one habit will carry you further than anything else on this page.
Ready to start? Text Steve at (954) 461-9946 and we'll get you playing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where can I play pickleball for free in Davie or Weston?
Bamford Park in Davie has free public pickleball courts with regular open play, especially on weekday mornings. It's a short drive from Weston, Cooper City, and Plantation. Broward County and city parks in the area have been adding courts as well.
Is pickleball hard to learn?
No. It's widely considered the easiest racquet sport to pick up. Most beginners are rallying within their first session and playing real games within a week. The scoring system takes a couple of sessions to get comfortable with.
What equipment do I need to start playing pickleball?
A basic paddle ($50–90) and proper court shoes. Balls are usually shared at open play. Skip expensive paddles until you've played for a while. At the beginner level they don't change anything.
Should beginners take pickleball lessons?
One or two lessons at the start prevents the bad habits that open play tends to create, and gets you game-ready much faster. Beginners who start with a lesson typically hold their own at open play within a week.
How do I book a beginner pickleball lesson near Weston or Davie?
Text Steve Kennedy at (954) 461-9946. Lessons run at Bamford Park in Davie: private, semi-private, or small groups of up to four.