Houdini

About this event

Houdini

Some points look lost until you refuse to lose them. This clinic is the art of staying alive: resetting a hard ball from deep in the court, digging out drives and speed-ups, and using the defensive lob to escape when you're out of position. You'll learn to extend rallies, frustrate bangers, and flip defense back to neutral. Four players, 90 minutes. Make them beat you three times, because the ball you get back wins more points than you think.

90-Minute Session Outline (max 4 players)

Warm-up (10 min)

Soft-hands rallies and a few driven balls to start absorbing pace. Coach frames the goal: defense isn't losing, it's buying time to get even.

Block 1: Resets Under Pressure (22 min)

Taking the speed off a hard ball from the transition zone and the baseline and floating it back into the kitchen. Get low, quiet paddle, give with the ball, no swing. Cue: you don't have to win this ball, just neutralize it. Reps of coach-driven balls players must reset while retreating or holding.

Block 2: Digs and Defensive Blocks (22 min)

Getting the paddle on the banger: compact, quick defensive hands, blocking the speed-up back low instead of swinging. Paddle up and out front, react don't reach. Live speed-up reps where the defender's only job is to survive the first ball and keep it low.

Block 3: Defensive Lobs and Scrambling (23 min)

The escape lob when you're pushed back or stretched wide, hit high and deep to buy time to recover.

Event details

Houdini is a program hosted by PACE Pickleball Club in Katy, Texas. It is listed as Pathway To Performance. The venue is at 830 Katy Ft. Bend Rd, Katy, Texas 77494. It starts on Wednesday, November 4, 2026 at 10:00 AM and ends at 11:30 AM, local time at the club. Registration costs $45 USD. 3 of 4 spots are open. Players can register online as guests, without a PACE Pickleball Club account. PACE Pickleball Club has 9 courts for pickleball.

Location

PACE Pickleball Club