A new pickleball drill called “Figure 8 + 1” is helping players improve control, shot variety, and movement on the court. Introduced by Selkirk TV, the drill was demonstrated by an instructor and a player named John during a training session on positioning and direction.
New Twist on a Classic Drill
The Figure 8 + 1 drill is based on a traditional Figure 8 pattern. In that version, one player hits diagonally while the other returns straight down the line. This updated version adds one more shot, which slightly reduces movement while increasing shot repetition.
“Here’s a drill I like to call Figure 8 + 1. One player is going to hit one diagonal shot followed by one shot down the line. The other player is going to simply hit two shots diagonally or crosscourt.” – (instructor)
This adjustment creates a three-shot rhythm. One player alternates diagonal and straight shots, while the other sticks with diagonal shots.
Drill Demonstration With John
In the demonstration, the instructor guided John through the steps.
“John, if I feed it to you and you hit your first shot diagonally, I’m going to return to you on that same side diagonally. You then will hit your next shot straight ahead.” – (instructor)
“Let’s give this a go and see how this works. Have you ever done anything like this before, John?” the instructor asked.
“No, never,” John replied.
“I will start the feed. You hit your ball diagonally. I will return to you. You then hit it straight ahead. At that point in time, I’m going to hit diagonally to the other half.” – (instructor)
John responded well to the new pattern. “Good, that’s it… well done. Now you’re straight ahead,” the instructor said during the drill. “That’s a pretty good rally, John. For never having done this before, that’s a pretty good job.”
Focus on Direction and Depth
The instructor explained how the pattern promotes deeper shots and smoother transitions.
“The goal here is to be able to control the ball diagonally crosscourt or straight ahead down the line. We add in the plus one so we don’t have to run that much.” – (instructor)
He also explained how court markers helped guide their shots.
“The blue lines are set up on the court as guides. We would really like to hit this ball deeper. This is very similar to a serve return.” – (instructor)
They emphasized that the drill mimics real-game situations.
“We’re continually hitting serve returns over and over if you want to look at it that way.” – (instructor)
Switching Roles for Better Practice
In the second part of the drill, the roles were reversed.
“John, let’s start again but let’s change roles. Essentially all you need to do now is hit two balls diagonally. I will be the player who changes the pattern.” – (instructor)
“All you really need to do is two balls in a row diagonally. I will do one diagonal and then one straight ahead.” – (instructor)
“I will return diagonally and now I’m going to hit straight ahead… Let’s try again. One diagonal from me, one straight ahead.” – (instructor)
“You got the pattern, John. Well done.” – (instructor)
Why This Drill Matters
The instructor pointed out a key benefit: the wide range of forehands and backhands involved.
“One of the other benefits to this exercise is a lot of backhands, a lot of forehands. Even if we’re diagonally, I may hit the occasional forehand, but largely it’s going to be a backhand.” – (instructor)
“Similarly on this half, most shots are going to be a forehand. May get the occasional backhand from in here, but John, well done.” – (instructor)
The Figure 8 + 1 drill is meant to help players improve aim, movement, and decision-making without overwhelming footwork. It’s a simple but smart upgrade to a classic training pattern.
News in Brief: New Pickleball Drill
Selkirk TV introduced a new drill called Figure 8 + 1 to help players improve shot direction and court movement. The exercise adds one shot to a traditional figure 8 pattern and encourages consistency. With benefits for forehands and backhands, the drill targets better angles and depth.
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