Train with Purpose: Pickleball Drills That Build Champions

Drills are practice routines that isolate and improve specific parts of your game: footwork, shot precision, spin, reaction time, strategy, and much more. They are vital for building consistency and confidence in actually executing what you’ve worked on, in the same way we line up shots in the same order before a competition. Nothing we’ve worked on in drills is unrecognizable or surprising to us when we’re playing under pressure. Whether practicing in a group, with a partner, or doing solitary drills, quality drills help us establish leads and finish strong in the game.

• Use repetition to form the mental pathways necessary for performing well in a match.
• Use the practice to develop a higher level of mental function during real match conditions, including being ready to make the correct decision under the duress of a match.
• Identify your weak spots in practice so that you can strengthen them, i.e., make backhands, drops, and other shots more reliable.
• Use drills and other forms of focused practice to increase your speed of movement and your ability to make quick adjustments.
• Build up your confidence so that you feel good about making shots in match conditions.

• Dinking Drills: Focus on control, consistency, and patience at the kitchen.
• Third Shot Drop Drills: Develop accuracy from baseline to kitchen.
• Volley Drills: Train hand speed and punch control at the net.
• Serve & Return Drills: Improve placement, depth, and return anticipation.
• Footwork Drills: Reinforce proper movement and balance.
• Transition Zone Drills: Practice resets and forward movement.
• Spin Drills: Learn how to apply and defend against topspin and slice.
• Game Simulation Drills: Mimic live scenarios with situational pressure.

• Choose one skill to isolate (e.g., backhand dink).
• Set a clear goal (e.g., 10 consecutive dinks without an error).
• Keep reps short and focused, quality over quantity.
• Practice at game speed once you’ve built consistency.
• Mix in targets, timing, or countdowns to increase intensity.
• Always finish with realistic, pressure based reps (simulate a match).

• Warm-Up (5–10 mins): Basic dinks, volleys, footwork.
• Skill-Focused Drills (20–30 mins): Isolate 1–2 areas.
• Situational Drills (15 mins): Game-like scenarios with a partner.
• Mini-Games or Point Play (10–15 mins): Apply what you drilled under pressure.

An effective practice routine manages the three elements of repetition, movement, and realism.

• Crosscourt Dinking: Build up not only consistency and accuracy but also the kind of sound you want to hear when your paddle contacts the ball.
• Third Shot Drop Ladder: Soften your touch and get your drop shot to work from various spots on the court.
• Fast Hands Volley Battle: Increase hand speed and punch control so that you are as effective with your slaps at the net as you are when playing soft shots.
• Serve & Target Drill: Get 10 serves in, aiming for a cone or corner, and of course, doing it as if you are in a match.
• Reset Drill: Concentrate on resetting the point on each shot. Be prepared to miss some resets as this is a hard shot to master.
• Footwork Box Drill: Imagine an actual box but with more than just four sides; now move through it and do all the things you should be doing in a match.

Whether you’re a novice clamoring for the basics, a middle-of-the-road player battling for better control, or a top-tier athlete trying to out pace your opponents, you need these drills if you want to improve.