Your Game Is More Than a Skill Level
At Better Pickleball Camps, the instruction is built around you as an individual, not around whatever the level of the group happens to be. That's a meaningful difference.
Most camps divide players into beginner, intermediate, and advanced groups and then teach the group as a unit. The risk is that you spend the camp adapting to what the group needs rather than working on what your game needs.
The Framework of the game is the same for every player, from beginners to the best pros in the world. We use that Framework and the Three Pillars of Pickleball to teach you the shots, strategies, and mind-body connection you need to play your best pickleball.
The advantage is real. You'll practice with players at a similar level, with players more advanced, and with players less advanced. You learn to improve your own game, and then adapt to whoever you happen to be playing with. That's what prepares you to go home and play the best pickleball you've played.
You're probably like most pickleball players: you've watched some videos, collected a few tips at the courts, and perhaps taken a lesson or two.
And some days the game comes together. But most days you're just reacting, quietly second-guessing yourself, and hoping the game goes your way instead of knowing it will.
It's not you. It's the way pickleball is usually taught.
Most instruction hands you a stack of tips and leaves you to piece them together. CJ gives you the framework that the whole game is built on, so instead of juggling tips, you start to see how it connects.
And when it begins to click, the game looks different. You're not reacting anymore. The game slows down. You're anticipating.
And underneath all of that, something quieter shifts.
You stop wondering if you belong out there. You know you do.
How Better Pickleball Creates an Experience Tailored For You!
Three things make this experience different from any other camp out there.
Our Exclusive Camp Format & Resources
You arrive prepared, get coached on what your game actually needs, and leave with a plan you can use.
Ongoing Community Support
(Before, During, and Post-Camp) — You walk in knowing other players, feel supported on the court, and stay connected after you leave.
Our Unconditional Better Pickleball Money-Back Guarantee
You can set aside any doubt and fully immerse yourself in the experience.
Our Exclusive Camp Curriculum & Resources
Showing up somewhere unfamiliar, not knowing anyone, and learning something new can feel a little intimidating. Better Pickleball Camps are built so you arrive feeling comfortable and ready to learn.
About a month before camp, you'll join a Zoom session with CJ and your fellow campers. By the time you arrive, you'll already know who's there. You walk in knowing faces, not meeting them.
Pre-camp videos from The Pickleball System™ are sent to you in advance, along with a digital copy of your Camp Workbook. By the time you arrive, the foundational concepts are already familiar, so you won't spend your first hours trying to catch up.
On the court, the student-to-coach ratio stays below 8:1. CJ and the Better Pickleball coaching team watch your game closely, notice your specific tendencies, and give you feedback relevant to what your game actually needs. Lunch is provided each day, so your focus stays where it belongs.
Before you leave, you'll build a Personalized Action Plan across all Three Pillars of Pickleball— Something specific enough to work on Monday morning after camp, not just a notebook full of general ideas.
Ongoing Community Support
Here's something most camps don't talk about because most camps don't have an answer for it: Once you leave, you're on your own.
When you go home, your playing partners won't share your new framework. The banger in your open play group will still be banging, and that is where most camp learning fades.
Not here. Better Pickleball Camps are IMMERSIVE.
You'll join CJ for a post-camp Zoom to ask questions and keep the momentum going. The experience you started building before camp continues in an online community of fellow campers and Pickleball System members who speak the same language.
And when you're ready to go deeper, The Pickleball System™ and a range of other online and in-person learning opportunities are there.
What you'll learn
Better Pickleball Camp
You know you’re capable of playing better.
You catch glimpses of it. A perfectly executed point, a confident decision, a game where everything clicks. Then, just as quickly, it’s gone.
You’ve watched videos, listened to well-meaning advice, and tried to piece it all together, yet you still can’t seem to become the player you know you can be.
The problem isn’t a lack of effort. It’s a lack of clarity.
Coach CJ has helped thousands of players break through that confusion. What makes her coaching different isn’t simply what she teaches. It’s how she helps the game finally make sense.
Through The Pickleball System™, she connects mechanics, strategy, and the mind-body connection into one clear, practical approach you can trust.
She doesn’t simply tell you what to change. She helps you understand why it matters and how to make it happen more consistently.
You’ll leave seeing the game differently, making smarter decisions with greater confidence, and understanding what produces your best games—and how to find that level more often.
This is where breakthroughs begin.
Women's Camp
There’s a player inside you who’s been waiting for you to trust her. Let’s unleash her.
Have you ever walked off the court knowing you’re capable of more? Maybe you’ve had flashes of brilliance, then wondered where that player disappeared the very next game.
Coach CJ believes your best pickleball isn’t something you have to become. It’s something you can uncover. What sets her apart isn’t simply what she teaches. It’s what she sees. She recognizes each woman’s strengths, identifies what is holding her back, and helps her trust the player she’s becoming.
A women-only registration list does not make a women-only camp. If a male head coach is leading it, the players may all be women, but the coaching experience is not. Here, you can take risks, make mistakes, ask the questions you might otherwise hold back, and find your own way of competing without feeling that you first have to explain yourself.
Through her caring, personal coaching and The Pickleball System™, CJ helps you simplify your game, trust your instincts, and stop trying to play like everyone else.
Imagine stepping onto the court with greater clarity, communicating naturally with your partner, and playing with intention instead of tension. You’ll sharpen your skills, build meaningful connections with other women, and leave with practical tools you can use immediately.
But the greatest takeaway won’t be a new shot or strategy. It will be discovering a game that feels more natural, more authentic, and more like you.
Confidence Camp
Confidence isn't something you're born with, and it doesn't appear because someone tells you to "just believe in yourself."
Real confidence is built by removing the interference that gets in the way of your potential. Maybe that interference is the fear of letting your partner down. Maybe it's worrying that people won't want to play with you if you make mistakes. Maybe it's second-guessing every decision when the score gets tight.
Many players don't struggle because they lack ability. They struggle because fear changes the way they play. Coach CJ helps players replace uncertainty with understanding, so confidence becomes something you experience, not something you hope for.
Through Coach CJ's caring, hands-on coaching and The Pickleball System™, you'll learn how to eliminate the interference that shows up when the game speeds up.
You'll make smarter decisions when every point matters, trust your instincts instead of second-guessing yourself, and recover quickly from mistakes without losing your focus. You'll stop playing not to lose and start playing your game. You'll leave with practical tools you can use immediately, a calmer mindset under pressure, and the confidence to play your game when it matters most.
Momentum Camp
Your first Better Pickleball Camp or The Pickleball System™ changed the way you see the game. Momentum gives you the opportunity to deepen that understanding, experience more success on the court, and build the kind of consistency that stays with you long after you return home.
Created exclusively for Better Pickleball alumni, this three-day experience builds on the foundation you've already established. Because Coach CJ already knows your game, every session builds on the progress you've already made. She helps you refine your habits, strengthen your decision-making, and accelerate your growth.
Momentum is where breakthroughs become habits and great shots become consistent patterns. Over three days, you'll refine the habits that matter most, learn alongside fellow Better Pickleball alumni who share your commitment to continual growth, and build the consistency that keeps showing up every time you step onto the court. You'll leave making sharper decisions, playing with greater consistency, and knowing how to keep that progress going long after camp ends. Because the goal isn't simply to improve your game. It's to become the player you're capable of being.
By Invitation Only
You can set aside any doubt and fully immerse yourself in the Better Pickleball Camp experience. If you attend a Better Pickleball Camp and don't believe your experience was worth it, tell us. We will refund your tuition. Unconditionally.
What other instructors are so confident that they offer the same guarantee?
We make that promise because we know what the framework at the core of our immersive camps delivers. Every time.
If you're looking at these dates and locations and wondering whether it's worth the trip, keep reading. Then decide.
Lake Tahoe, NV
Dates: September 21-22 2026
Head Coach: CJ Johnson
Start Time: 12:00 PM
Location:
Incline Village Tennis & Pickleball Center
964 Incline Way
Incline Village, NV 89451
Minneapolis, MN
Dates: October 6-7, 2026
Head Coach: CJ Johnson
Start Time: 10:00 am
Location:
Minneapolis Pickleball Club
1200 Washington Ave S
Minneapolis, MN 55415
Wayne, NJ
Dates: October 13-14 2026
Head Coach: CJ Johnson
Start Time: 10:00 AM
Location:
Sportime Pickleball
77 Willowbrook Blvd.
Wayne, NJ 07470
Kingston, Ontario, Canada
Dates: October 20-21 2026
Head Coach: CJ Johnson
Start Time: 10:00 AM
Location:
Fairgrounds Kingston
945 Gardiners Road
(lower level of the Cataraqui Town Centre),
Kingston, ON K7M 7H4
Canadian Residents - please reach out to [email protected] prior to purchasing.
Chandler, AZ Momentum Camp
Dates: Nov 16-18, 2026
Head Coach: CJ Johnson
Start Time: 12:00 PM
Location:
Private Courts
22318 S. 132nd St.
Chandler, AZ 85249
*Max 12 players - Student-to-Coach Ratio: 6:1
**Players must have attended a previous BP camp or be a member of The Pickleball System
Chandler, AZ
Dates: November 19-20, 2026
Head Coach: CJ Johnson
Start Time: 9:00 AM
Location:
Private Courts
22318 S. 132nd St.
Chandler, AZ 85249
*Max 12 players - Student-to-Coach Ratio: 6:1
Women’s Camp Chandler, AZ
Dates: February 25-26, 2027
Head Coach: CJ Johnson
Start Time: 9:00 AM
Location:
Private Courts
22318 S. 132nd St.
Chandler, AZ 85249
*Max 12 players - Student-to-Coach Ratio: 6:1
Chandler, AZ
Dates: March 1-2, 2027
Head Coach: CJ Johnson
Start Time: 9:00 AM
Location:
Private Courts
22318 S. 132nd St.
Chandler, AZ 85249
*Max 12 players - Student-to-Coach Ratio: 6:1
The 3 Biggest
Mistakes Players Make When
Choosing a Camp
Before you choose any camp, ours or someone else’s, make sure you’re asking the right questions.
Get the free guide and learn how to choose a camp that helps you improve your game, to avoid wasting time, money, or momentum.
The Advice Most Camp-Goers Never Get
Jill P.
“It is obvious that a tremendous amount of time and energy went into developing their content because it is not a recycling of the usual internet information.”
Merri W.
“The 3 Pillar Framework that was taught at camp gave me tools to continue improving my game at my pace.”
Gary L.
“I wasn’t just out there banging balls for three days. This really made me a thinking pickleball player.”
Dave S.
“They did a really good job of meeting every player where they were and giving instructions that were specific to that person.”
Denise M.
Being at camp added so much clarification to my game, and yes, I am talking about ALL three pillars.
Vicky S.
“This camp encompassed more aspects of pickleball than the others I have gone to. Highly recommend this camp.”
Margee L.
“The experience of going to this pickleball camp greatly exceeded all my expectations”
Howard L.
“I have attended camps for other sports and hobbies, and this one was one of the best! The knowledge and takeaway improvement was by far the best.”
Mike E.
“I have achieved my goal, and I am playing at a 4.0 level. I’ve also qualified for Nationals in two events!”
Meet Your Head Coach CJ Johnson
"My commitment is to see students not as they are, but as what they can become."
For more than 30 years, I've helped people build skills, confidence, and a deeper understanding of the sports they love. Today, my passion is helping pickleball players improve their game in a way that feels encouraging, practical, and achievable.
Whether you're looking to gain confidence on the court, understand strategy at a deeper level, improve consistency, or simply enjoy the game more, my goal is to help you make meaningful progress while having fun along the way.
At Better Pickleball Camps, you'll receive personalized coaching, practical instruction, and a clear framework for improvement. I believe every player—regardless of age, experience, or skill level—can continue to learn, grow, and enjoy the game at a higher level.
My coaching background includes more than three decades of experience as a PGA Golf Professional, PSIA Ski Instructor, and ISSA Personal Trainer. Those experiences helped shape the coaching philosophy I bring to every Better Pickleball Camp today.
In 2016, I launched the Better Pickleball YouTube channel to provide clear, practical pickleball instruction to players who were tired of conflicting advice and information overload. Since then, I've had the opportunity to help thousands of players through Better Pickleball Camps, The Pickleball System, The Pickleball Academy, and our growing community of players around the country.
If you're ready to become a more confident player and enjoy pickleball in a whole new way, I'd love to welcome you to camp.