Ambassador’s Corner: Austin Pickle Ranch

Hello Austin Fit Fam! AFM influencer Nikki Zahka (@Fitwithnikk_) once again and this month, since Pickleball has been absolutely blowing up -and only getting more popular – I wanted to highlight a spot where you can (and should) go this summer and will not die outside from the heat! Austin Pickle Ranch has one location which I will be diving into with you today. Austin Pickle Ranch came onto the scene thriving. Their first month they had over 5,000 players, and they have only been open about two months now. I can now tell you first hand why that is.. We are officially hooked.

Before diving into more details about our personal experience at Austin Pickle Ranch, I am happy to dedicate this Ambassadors corner to I Live Here I Give here. Supporting 750+ local nonprofits organizations, I Live Here I Give Here has produced year-round programs and activities that actively engage and empower individuals, companies, nonprofits, and foundations to be more generous and contribute to a more equitable community for all.

Nikki’s chosen nonprofit: I live here I Give Here

Every contribution can make a big difference for our community! Donate Here.

To understand why this spot is so special, you need to understand the back story of co-founder and owner Tim Klitch. Klitch was a world-ranked Tennis player before starting pickleball in 2019. He is one of the original eight founding owners of Major League Pickleball and one of the owners of The Texas Ranchers, the professional pickleball team for Texas that resides in Austin.

If you have been to an indoor pickleball club before, you have probably noticed just how loud it is with all the chaos of people yelling, quick movements on the courts, paddles slamming balls, etc.  Klitch is a survivor of throat cancer, which causes him to speak in a quiet manner and inspired indoor insulation in the walls and ceiling so you can play and talk in a quieter, and honestly more tranquil, environment. There are 16 courts, and rumor has it there may be some outdoor courts being built in the leased acres right outside the building. The indoor courts are made of rubber membrane so it feels like bouncing on clouds and way more forgiving than the concrete courts you are probably used to.

We had the amazing opportunity to play and learn from Tim himself and he had us working! We started with an extensive warm-up routine that allows you to get in every type of hit you would get during a game, from dinks at the kitchen line, and volleys to longer groundstrokes. Once we were all warmed up the game began! I personally am newer to pickleball so I got to learn everything from skills, hits, strategy, and even how to keep score and announce it correctly before serving. Tim watched and gave feedback the whole time.. And it was a long game. We kept going back and forth with points and one thing I learned the hard way is you need to win by two points, and needless to say the game went above the standard 11 points. Tim would give positioning tips, where to hold your paddle based on various situations to be proactive with the return, the proper form and who should be calling the hit, tips on working with your partner, and more. It was such a rewarding experience and we honestly learned so much in just an hour with him. You can get personal lessons like that from one of the professional pickleball players at Austin Pickle Ranch too, one of the amazing offerings they have to quickly elevate your game.

There are a few different ways you too can get on the courts. You can reserve a private court with your friends; you can choose beginner, intermediate or advanced open play to just show up, meet new people and play; you can join Ranch Play which is a drop-in league for level 3+ players  and games are further allocated by skill level; you can join one of their clinics or private lessons with professional pickleball players; or join one of their tournaments!

Members get first pick, always. There are two tiers of memberships, the Wrangler which gets you free daily open play during off-peak hours (Mon-Fri before 5pm), extended booking 10 days in advance, one free guest pass a month and other benefits you can check out on their site. The top tier membership called Trailboss gets you free daily open play at any time you want to come, reservations up to 14 days in advance, two free open play guest passes, and more benefits you can check out on the site https://www.austinpickleranch.com/membership.

After playing and learning from Tim, we got hooked. We have been back for open play and booking a full court since this first time and definitely want to keep on playing and developing our skills. It is such a fun way to get movement in and meet new people!

August has a lot of fun events coming you will not want to miss out on! There is:

• Women’s Day League on Tuesdays for Beginner levels
• Women’s Day League on Thursdays for Intermediate levels
• Ladies night on Tuesdays
• Greenhorn Beginner clinics throughout the week:
  • Intro to Pickleball
  • Intro to Non-Volley Zone
  • Intro to Serve & Service Returns
  • Intro to Transition Zone
  • Managed Open Play

All of these events will be listed on their calendar on the website in August to sign up and go play. We may even be teaming up to plan a pickleball tournament to get the community involved and connected – stay tuned for updates on my page (instagram.com/fitwithnikk_) and Austin Pickle Ranch’s website!