10 Drills to Level Up Your Pickleball Game
Feeling a little stuck in your pickleball game? Like you've hit a plateau and can't quite reach that next level of consistency or confidence? We've all been there. The secret to breaking through isn't just playing more games—it's practicing with a purpose.
Drilling is where the real magic happens. It builds muscle memory, sharpens your technique, and gives you the confidence to pull off the right shot when the pressure is on. Here are ten of our favorite drills, perfect for taking your game from good to great.
1. The Un-Attackable Dink Drill
- Why It Matters: Let's start with the most important shot in pickleball! Great dinking is the key to controlling the pace of the game, moving your opponents around, and setting yourself up for a winning shot. The goal is to hit a soft, un-attackable ball that forces your opponent to hit up to you.
- How to Do It: Stand at the kitchen line directly across from a partner. Your goal is to have a dink rally, trying to get 10, 20, or even 50 shots in a row without a mistake. Keep the ball low over the net and landing softly in your opponent's kitchen.
- Pro Tip: Bend your knees! A good dink comes from lifting with your legs and using a firm but soft grip, not from a big arm swing.
2. The Third Shot Drop Zen
- Why It Matters: The third shot is arguably the most crucial in pickleball. A successful drop allows your team to transition from the baseline to the net, neutralizing your opponents' advantage. Mastering this will change everything.
- How to Do It: Have a partner stand at the net. You start at the baseline. Have them feed you a medium-paced ball, and practice hitting a soft, arcing drop shot that lands gently in their kitchen. Hit one, then take a step forward. Hit another, take another step. Repeat until you arrive at the kitchen line.
- Pro Tip: Aim for the peak of your shot to be on your side of the net. This ensures the ball is descending as it crosses, making it much harder to attack.
3. Rapid Fire Net Volleys
- Why It Matters: Firefights at the net are fast and furious! This drill improves your reaction time, hand-eye coordination, and ability to stay calm when the pace gets quick.
- How to Do It: You and a partner stand at the kitchen line, about a foot away. Start a rapid volley exchange without letting the ball bounce. Focus on short, punchy blocks, not big swings. See how many you can get in a row.
- Pro Tip: Keep your paddle up and in front of you at all times. The less your paddle has to travel, the faster you'll be.
4. Cross-Court Dinking for Angles
- Why It Matters: Dinking straight ahead is one thing, but hitting effective angles is how you move your opponents and create openings.
- How to Do It: You and your partner stand diagonally from each other at the kitchen line. Practice a cross-court dink rally, aiming for the outside corners of the kitchen. This drill builds immense precision and patience.
5. Lob & Overhead Smash Combo
- Why It Matters: This drill works both your best defense against bangers (the lob) and your best offense to finish a point (the smash).
- How to Do It: One player is at the net, the other is at the baseline. The baseline player hits a deep, high lob over the net player's head. The net player runs it down and hits a return lob. Switch roles after a few shots so you both get to practice hitting—and chasing down—lobs and finishing with an overhead smash when the opportunity arises.
6. Pinpoint Accurate Serves
- Why It Matters: A strategic serve can start the point in your favor immediately. Instead of just getting the ball in, focus on serving with intention.
- How to Do It: Place cones (or water bottles) in the back corners and center of the service boxes. Practice your serve, aiming for these specific targets. This helps you target your opponent's weaker side (often their backhand).
7. The Aggressive Return of Serve
- Why It Matters: A deep, powerful return of serve can steal the advantage from the serving team and keep them pinned to the baseline.
- How to Do It: Have a partner practice serving to you. Your only goal is to hit your return as deep into their court as possible, ideally forcing them to hit a defensive third shot.
8. "Wall Off" Blocking Drill
- Why It Matters: When an opponent is hitting a hard drive right at you, you don't have time to swing. You need to block.
- How to Do It: Have your partner stand at the baseline with a bucket of balls. You stand at the kitchen line. Have them hit hard drives directly at you. Your job is not to swing, but simply to get your paddle in front of the ball and use its pace to block it back into their kitchen.
9. Purposeful Footwork
- Why It Matters: Great pickleball is played with your feet first. Being in the right position is more than half the battle.
- How to Do It: Place a line of cones or a speed ladder on the court. Practice side-shuffling, karaoke steps, and split-stepping. The key is to stay on the balls of your feet, always ready to move in any direction.
10. Target Practice for Winners
- Why It Matters: This drill sharpens your overall accuracy for every shot in the game.
- How to Do It: Place targets on the court—in the deep corners, along the sidelines, and in the kitchen. Practice hitting these targets with all kinds of shots: dinks, drives, drops, and volleys. Make a game of it and see how many you can hit!
Remember, consistency is key. Even 15-20 minutes of focused drilling before you start playing games can make a massive difference. Now grab a partner, a hopper of balls, and go build the game you deserve to play!
