New Pickleball Center in Santa Monica!
The Santa Monica Pickleball Center is the newest addition to the Santa Monica Tennis Center, a renowned tennis operation in Southern California. The Pickleball Center has quickly become the premier location for the sport in Los Angeles County, boasting top-of-the-line facilities, coaches and equipment.
The center, located at 2505 Wilshire Blvd. in Santa Monica, features four new lighted outdoor pickleball courts with C&D nets, which were installed at a cost of over $250,000. In addition, the center offers two thousand square feet of retail space, which has the largest and most diverse selection of pickleball equipment in all of Los Angeles. The center is open seven days a week, from 8 am to 9 pm, with extended hours during special events.
Whether you need a new pickleball paddle, bag, or accessory, the Santa Monica Pickleball Center Pro Shop is your one-stop. The center has both a full-sized outdoor demo court and an in-store demo area for you to test paddles on. If you can’t find what you’re looking for in stock, the center’s extensive inventory and knowledgeable staff will help you find what you need. The center also has a demo program that allows you to take paddles home to practice with for up to three days.
The center’s expert staff, including owner and pro Jon Neeter, a former NCAA Division I tennis player and coach, provides personalized instruction, training, and practice tailored to your needs. Neeter is certified by the USTA High-Performance Coaching Program and is a member of PTR (Professional Tennis Registry). He founded the Santa Monica Tennis Center in 2010 and has played with and assisted several celebrities, including Britney Spears, Matt Damon, Owen Wilson, Michael Keaton, Dustin Hoffman, Christian Bale, Blake Griffin, and Sidney Crosby.
Julio Rivera, the director of pickleball at the center, assisted Neeter in opening the first dedicated pickleball facility in Los Angeles in 2022. Rivera is a former tennis coach who became passionate about pickleball in 2018. He is widely considered one of the top coaches in all of pickleball and is currently the Head Coach of the Orlando Squeeze Major League Pickleball team. Rivera’s unique teaching style, which he calls “Tai Chi Pickleball,” focuses on building muscle memory and developing control and composure to consistently play effective pickleball.
Ho Nguyen, the president of the Santa Monica Pickleball Club, oversees the club’s 1,000+ members and coordinates all of their activities. Nguyen is a PPR Certified Pickleball instructor who has helped hundreds of students develop and improve their skills. His teaching style focuses on meeting each student where they are and tailoring instruction to their needs and goals. His students say that he has a unique way of teaching pickleball, which helps them “feel” the game in their bodies.
Overall, the Santa Monica Pickleball Center is a top-notch facility with experienced staff and an extensive selection of equipment. Whether you’re a seasoned pickleball player or a beginner looking to learn the game, the center has everything you need to improve your skills and enjoy the sport.
