Ray Puttick has played and coached virtually the whole repertoire of racket sports during a varied and eventful career – but in later life it is pickleball that has captured his heart.
Ray’s circuitous journey to becoming an English Open 65-70 age gold medallist and the only Level 2 pickleball coach in the south west of England (and one of only 16 in the UK) started as a strong junior table tennis player in the Taunton and Exeter leagues and for his university.
“I was also a casual tennis and badminton player at school, though received no coaching in either sport,” he recalls. “After university, work and family took over and I played no sport until my early 40s.
“Then, with a group of seven other keen players, we started Ottery Table Tennis club and I learned to be a coach, eventually reaching Level 3 ETTA (UKCC Level 2), thus able to coach to regional level. On a voluntary basis we grew the club to the largest in East Devon, with several teams in the Exeter league.”
Ray’s daughters showed an interest in badminton and when he took them to lessons, the coach roped him in to help. He qualified as a Level 2 badminton coach in 2005. The coach then retired and he took over, coaching juniors and adults. He became Devon Under-15 assistant coach as the team reached the National Finals. He only left the junior role last year and still works with adult groups.
During the summer of 2008 he joined Ottery St Mary Tennis club, and was again asked to coach the juniors. He worked his way up through the LTA coaching levels then in 2022 applied to work as a coach for Mark Warner Holidays. He enjoyed a six-week spell at Kamari Beach Resort, Rhodes coaching nine hours a day, six days a week in 30°C heat!
On his return to Blighty in November 2022, the poor weather was a huge anti-climax. Every tennis coaching session was cancelled. “ I knew I had to find an activity to keep the racket skills of my trainees in shape,” he says. “Searching the internet, I came across pickleball, and a new sporting adventure started.”
The Pickleball Story
Ray helped start Leisure East Devon (LED) Ottery Pickleball club in January 2023. He explains: “I coached the initial sessions using the internet as a technical source but needed a formal qualification, so went to London to gain the level 1 IPTPA qualification and remained as the only coach from Sherborne to Lands End for many months. During this time, I provided many of the local centres with development coaching including Exeter, Exmouth and Honiton.”
Ray entered the 2023 English Open in Telford for the experience of an international tournament held on 40 dedicated courts with over 1,000 players. In his age bracket (65-70) and skill level (3.0 singles, 3.5 doubles) Ray gained a singles gold medal, a mixed doubles gold and a men’s doubles bronze medal with a Canadian partner.
“At my age you do not expect to become a champion in any sport and this has boosted my confidence,” he summarised.
Boosted by these achievements, Ray contacted the Manor House Resort Hotel and Sports complex offering his services for pickleball coaching breaks. The first of these three-day courses was attended by 15 players in January at intermediate level and was extremely well received. Then an equally successful development course secured a future booking for many development and intermediate courses through to February 2025.
Ray is hoping to develop an Intermediate Plus course for higher-level players focusing on more challenging drills and practices later in the year. “I always provide course notes for players attending so they have a record of the techniques and drills to take back to their own clubs,” he states.
In February 2024, Ray passed the Level 2 IPTPA coaching qualification to become only one of 16 Level 2 coaches in the UK, and the only one at present between Southampton and Lands End.
Ray now offers one-to-one and two-to-one coaching and the Ottery Sports Centre is usually fully booked. “With a very reasonable charging structure the demand for my services is high,” he explains. “Player development is important and at Ottery we now have an extremely strong group of players, regularly competing in the south west league events.”
The future – April and beyond
Later this month, Ray will join a strong British contingent at the US Open Pickleball Championships in Naples, Florida, held on 60 courts with over 3,000 players entered. The event is billed as the biggest pickleball party in the world and a de facto World Championships.
“The event will test my skills to the highest level, with singles and doubles all at the 3.5 rating, reflecting the reduction placed on overseas players by the US pickleball fraternity. Once again playing with partners whom I have not played before the doubles should be the most interesting, with the outdoor courts in warm temperatures and wind, providing a new experience for me.”
Ray will not be resting on his return from the States. He has been head-hunted to lead pickleball holidays in the Mediterranean and is hosting three clinics later in the year in Bristol. If there is sufficient demand the company will be offering three- or four-day tours in May and October of 2025 which he will host alongside other coaches. He will also enter the English Open in August and English Nationals in October.
Ray politely closes with a nod to his greatest off-court partner. “I must thank my ever-present supporter and long-suffering spouse, Alison, who accepts my many absences through coaching and playing this amazing sport. Without that support I know I could not have achieved the results over the past 15 months and will be forever grateful.”
