Pickleball Drills to Become a Better Player
When I first started playing pickleball, I just wanted to play as many recreational games as possible because it was fun. But I quickly realized that I wasn’t improving. My pickleball buddy at the time invited me to try drilling, and I thought, “Okay, I’ll give it a shot.”
You get so much more repetition in your shots through drilling than you do by just playing games.
You could hit 100 dinks in 20 minutes, while in an hour of open play, you might hit only 40 dinks.
Mastering pickleball requires more than just playing games; it’s about purposeful practice.
In this guide, I’ll cover the best pickleball drills for two people to sharpen your dinks, drops, serves, and transition game so you can dominate the court.
Dinking Drills – Straight
The first pickleball dinking drill you should focus on is dinking straight. Take it a step further by dinking straight and focusing only on each other’s forehands until failure.
Then switch to dinking straight, but focus on backhand-to-backhand. After that, alternate between both sides.
Don’t rush the ball—only hit pressurized dinks if your opponents pop the ball up.
Dinking Cross Court (Forehand and Backhand)
After mastering straight dinks, work on cross-court dinks. Start with both players on their respective right-hand sides, hitting forehand dinks back and forth.
This feels easier than dinking straight because there’s more space going cross court.
Focus on moving your partner around: dink out wide, then come back to the middle, aiming for their left foot—this is a great spot to force an error.
When you push them out wide, pinch the middle of the court, extend your arm, and take the ball out of the air.
Conversely, when you’re pushed wide, aim for the middle as it’s a safer target. There’s more margin for error when you hit a wide ball—unless you’re as skilled as Anna-Leigh Waters!
Volley Drills
Next, work on your hand speed. The soft game is essential in pickleball, but as the game has evolved with new paddles from brands like Paddletek, Joola, and Gearbox, pro play has seen faster drives and hand battles.
That’s why improving your hand speed is crucial.
Start by standing just behind the kitchen line and take 1-2 steps forward with your partner to practice volleying back and forth at a slow pace.
Once you get the hang of it, gradually increase the speed. To build reaction time, step back to the non-volley zone and continue practicing volleys.
You can also try a James Inganowitich drill: hit a dead dink to your partner, who then speeds it up off the bounce, and you must counter it.
People often counter with a backhand, so make sure your paddle is in the ready position with a slight 30-degree angle. This is a great drill for improving your hand speed.
Third Shot Drop
The next drill to focus on is the third shot drop. Even though pickleball doubles games are shifting toward a more aggressive game with shake-and-bake tactics, I still want you to practice drops. A drop is a soft shot from the baseline to the kitchen, almost like an extended dink.
Practicing this shot is vital because if you execute a good one, it’s the safest way for you and your partner to move up to the kitchen.
For this drill, have one person at the kitchen and the other at the baseline. The person at the kitchen should avoid hitting high-pressure rolls or flicks.
Instead, focus on practicing with high balls. Work on both forehand and backhand drops.
The forehand drop is easier for most people, but many players in the 3.0-4.0 range struggle with backhand drops.
Don’t worry if yours aren’t perfect! Switch sides with your partner to practice both cross-court and straight drops.
Serve and Return Drill
The serve and return drill is one of the most overlooked but essential drills in pickleball.
A weak serve gives your opponent a huge advantage, allowing them to dictate the pace of their return. Similarly, a poor return gives them the opportunity to hit a threatening third-shot drive.
For serves, use an open stance, utilizing your legs and hips to turn your body and snap your wrist for maximum power.
For returns, focus on making solid contact with the ball and practice moving forward as you swing to get to the non-volley zone faster.
Mid-Court Resets
Next, practice mid-court resets. Let’s say you hit a third-shot drop, but it’s not perfect. This signals you should take a step forward.
In this drill, have one person at the kitchen and the other in the transition zone.
The goal is to keep resetting balls—cover your backhand, as it’s a shot that beginners often struggle with.
To execute a reset, bend your knees and keep both hands on the paddle.
Play a Game: 7/11 Pickleball drill
Now that you’ve completed all the drills, this is the point where drilling can get a little boring. To mix it up, play a mini-game called “7/11,” like the convenience store.
One person stands at the kitchen, and the other at the baseline. The person at the kitchen feeds the ball to the baseline player, who must drop it as their first touch. Anything goes after that.
The goal is to get to the kitchen line and reach a neutral position to play out the point.
The player at the kitchen needs 11 points to win, while the baseline player needs 7.
The purpose of this drill is to combine everything you’ve learned—drops, resets, attacking high balls, dinks, counters—simulating a real rally. This is one of my favorite drills.
Lob & Overhead Smash Drill
Have you ever hit a lob that goes high, but you miss the smash because it’s shoulder height? I used to struggle with this too.
If you haven’t played a racket sport like tennis or badminton, these can be tricky shots to develop. In this drill, have one person at the kitchen feeding lobs to the person at the baseline.
The feeder can either reset the ball or keep feeding lobs. Do this for 10-15 reps, then switch roles.
Focus on footwork, with your dominant foot behind you, your non-dominant hand pointing at the sky, and executing the full kinetic motion.
Pickleball Drills at Home – When You Don’t Have a Partner
Many of the best pickleball drills require a partner, but courts are often busy after work, so you might not always have someone to practice with. You can still work on your game solo by doing pickle ball drills by yourself. One method is to find a wall to practice against.
Christian Alshon suggests that wall drills are highly effective because you can get a lot more reps, helping you develop consistency, control, and reaction time.
Here are four main drills you can do against a wall: dinking, volleying, third-shot drop, and practicing your groundstrokes.
If you don’t want to hit against a wall and can invest in equipment, consider getting a pickleball machine. One highly recommended machine is the TitanOne Ball Machine (Get $150 off!), which comes with 12 pre-made drills.
You can practice your dinks, volleys, flicks, rolls, returns, and serves. With this, you can get hundreds of quality reps in a single session, making it an efficient tool for improvement.
Conclusion
Improving your pickleball game takes more than just playing casual matches; it requires dedication to purposeful practice. By focusing on specific drills—such as dinking, volleys, third-shot drops, and serves—you’ll build the skills necessary to elevate your game.
Consistent repetition, even when you don’t have a partner with a pickleball machine or wall, will help you refine your technique and develop muscle memory.
Whether you’re working on your hand speed, resetting from mid-court, or perfecting your overhead smash, each drill brings you closer to dominating the court.
Stick to these drills, and soon enough, you’ll see significant improvements in your play, helping you take your pickleball skills to the next level.
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