4 and a Pro Pickleball Lessons
4 and a Pro Pickleball Lessons
Expert coaching in a small-group setting to elevate your game and see fast results!
Have a questions?
Your First Lesson For $99
Just $99 for 2 Hours of Expert Coaching!
Experience a high level 2-hour pickleball lesson for only $99—an unbeatable value compared to lower-level coaches charging $70–$90 for just one hour!
Your Instructors
Joshua Mackens
A former basketball junky turned pickleball player, Josh has tackled going professional in pickleball with an unmatched ferocity. Having improved from 3.5 to 5.0 in less than a year, his approach to getting better at the game speaks for itself. So much so that he started getting asked to give lessons, which led him to start The Pickleball Lab, seeing a deep need locally for professional coaching that helps players actually get better.
Now, he’s taking that same skillset into online courses, setting the standard for what online pickleball courses should be.
- DUPR: 4.9
- Years playing: 2.5
- Started coaching: in 2023
- Tournament results: medals in 3.5/4.0/4.5/5.0
Josh feels like he knows how to help players get better, no matter the level, no matter the type of player. He attacks getting better at the game with high level methods for improvement and he brings those same methods to the court for his students, helping them progress in their pickleball game at an uncommon rates.
Josh is also an accomplished pickleball tournament player having won multiple gold medals in 3.5, 4.0 and 4.5 divisions. He has taken a step up recently to 5.0+ level tournaments where he continues to improve his standings each tournament, and recently medaled in a 5.0+ cash tournament.
“Hi, I’m Josh Mackens.
And I help players at all levels get measurably better at pickleball — through The Pickleball Lab Community.
I went from 3.5 to 5.0 in a year by drilling hard, studying the game relentlessly, and targeting the exact weaknesses that were holding me back. I now coach with the same mindset — strategic, intentional, and focused on results.
I’ve medaled at numerous tournaments, previously coached professionally at a pickleball club in Indianapolis, and now run my own full-time pickleball coaching business — with a local waitlist in Phoenix and a growing online program.
I’m also training to go pro, and everything I teach comes from experience at the edge of performance and the grind of progress. If you’re serious about getting better, I know what it takes. You’re in the right place.”
Tim Ahlersmeyer
Tim has been playing pickleball competitively and teaching for nearly three years. His tournament experience includes multiple gold medals and he has won multiple tournaments at the 5.0 level. His journey in pickleball has fueled his aspiration for a professional career in the sport.
- DUPR: 5.2
- Years playing: nearly 3
- Started coaching: in 2022
- Tournament results: multiple golds in 3.5/4.0/4.5/5.0
Tim is a passionate pickleball instructor, making it his mission to combine the joy of playing pickleball with skill enhancement and community growth. He loves coaching players of all skill levels, ages, and aspirations. Whether through personalized private lessons for individuals, couples, or small groups, he adapt his lessons, instruction, and drills to accommodate each player’s unique needs and preferences. His approach is highly adaptable, ensuring that every player leaves his lesson as a better player than when they started.
4 and a Pro Lessons
Our 4 and a Pro lessons offer the perfect blend of:
- High-level pickleball instruction
- Real game play to apply and implement that instruction
- Ongoing guidance from a top-tier pickleball coach throughout
With some of the best players and coaches in Phoenix leading the way, you’re guaranteed to receive top-quality instruction in every session. With this combination, there’s no doubt you’ll improve your pickleball game!
Here’s what you can expect in your 4 and a Pro both on court (in lesson) and off court (post lesson)
On-Court/In Lesson
Two Hour Lesson
In your 4 and a Pro Lesson you will get a 2 hour lesson. We will switch between instruction, drilling, and actual games so you can implement what you learned into your game immediately.
5 Minute Warm Up
The first 5 minutes of your lesson will focus on a warm-up with dinks, drops, and other foundational shots. This helps get your blood flowing and ensures you’re fully prepared to dive into the lesson.
15 Minute Game Play
After analyzing your gameplay, we focus on the one key adjustment that will make the biggest impact on your game that day. With so much to improve, it’s about prioritizing what matters most—so you see real progress, faster.
30 Minute On-Court Instruction
After analyzing your gameplay, we focus on the one key adjustment that will make the biggest impact on your game that day. With so much to improve, it’s about prioritizing what matters most—so you see real progress, faster.
30 Minute Focused Drilling
After your 30-minute on-court instruction, you’ll jump into a high-energy 30-minute drill session designed to reinforce what you just learned. This repetition-based training helps solidify new techniques, improve consistency, and build muscle memory—so you see results faster.
30 Minute Game Play
After 30 minutes of on-court instruction, you’ll finish the lesson with 30 minutes of game play with coaching between points, reinforcing what you’ve learned and ensuring you’re ready to apply it immediately in matches.
Off-Court/Out of Lesson
Improvement doesn’t stop when you step off the court. After each lesson we provide in-depth film review, personalized lesson summaries, structured drill schedules, step-by-step drill tutorials, and recorded lessons—giving you everything you need to keep improving between sessions.
Our App: Your Training Hub
All your off-court resources are in one place. Our app is where you’ll find your drill schedules, lesson summaries, analysis, recorded lessons, and more. Plus, it’s the easiest way to communicate directly with your coach, keeping you on track and engaged between sessions.
15 Minute Film Analysis
After your lesson, your coach posts a detailed film analysis on the app, breaking down key moments from one of your matches to reinforce your on-court lessons. This helps you identify areas for improvement, accelerating your progress and ensuring lasting results. Many students say it’s the best part of the lesson!
Recorded Lessons
Rewatch your session anytime, anywhere to reinforce what you learned and even analyze your play. Having access to your recorded lessons helps you retain key coaching points and make continuous improvements between sessions.
Lesson Summaries
Reinforce what you learned with a detailed recap of your session. These summaries help you retain key principles, so nothing gets forgotten, allowing you to ingrain new skills and apply them with confidence in your next game.
Drill Schedules
To truly improve, focused drilling is essential—but it’s not just about practicing; it’s about practicing the right things. At the end of the lesson you will get a personalized drill schedule that targets the specific areas for growth we went over in the lesson, so you’re always working on what will make the biggest impact, without wasting time.
Drill Tutorials
It’s not enough to just do the drills; you need to do them correctly. If you practice the wrong way, you could reinforce bad habits or waste valuable time. Not only do we give you a drill schedule, we show you how to do the drill with our drill tutorials, ensuring you’re improving efficiently and effectively.
4 and a Pro FAQ
Do I take 4 and a Pro lessons with others my skill level?
Absolutely! That’s the beauty of our 4 and a Pro system. All players are in the same skill range.
What level should I sign up for?
That’s a great question. A good rule of thumb is if you are a beginner you should sign up for 2.5. If you’re a beginner with a little bit of skill (experience in tennis or other racquet sports for example) or you’ve been playing for a little bit of time then sign up for 3.0. If you’re thinking about signing up for 3.5 – 4.5 then you probably know what skill range you belong in. But if you’re going between two levels, choose the lower of the two, just to be safe. If you get stuck with this, just give us a call at (317) 674-3162.
What if I have a group of 3 or 4 already?
That’s great! We have plenty of people who don’t need us to mix and match them with other players of their skill level. They just sign up their entire group and we give the lesson to just that group. Just fill out the form at the top of the page with your info as the point of contact and we’ll schedule you guys. Or you can call us right now at (317) 674-3162 to schedule immediately!