Mini Pickleball Training Techniques: Jared Chero, Director of Rackets at Royal HS Country Club in Dallas, Texas, is teaching a new way to train with mini pickleball drills. In a recent session for Cellar TV, Chero demonstrated how players can create pressure-filled point scenarios to improve during real games.
Chero says that as players get better, they rarely get to practice with people who are more skilled. To keep improving, players must create their own challenges. One way to do that is by playing mini pickleball with a purpose—not to win quickly, but to build long, thoughtful points.
Training That Feels Like a Real Match
Mini pickleball is not just a casual warm-up. Chero explained that it’s about learning how to construct points. “Mini pickle ball is about building a point,” he said. “It’s not about winning the point, it’s about building the point.”
Players must focus on keeping the ball low and long while dinking. This helps them hold their ground and prepare to attack when the time is right. “You build the point by knowing where the defensive zone is, where the offensive zone is,” Chero said.
How to Build a Better Point
Chero guided players through a live example. “You feed it in and then the point starts. I’m trying to push that ball deep, keeping it low, resetting, looking for the opportunity to attack,” he explained. If an opponent attacks too soon, the right response is to reset and keep the rally going.
“Any pickleball point should be long,” he added. “If there’re short points, you’re not doing it right. Build the points.”
Chero also encourages players to make their opponents move more while they move less. “I like to think how do I take the fewest amount of steps while making my opponent take the most amount of steps,” he said.
Focus on Footwork and Control
One key to success in mini pickleball is posture. “We’re trying to build the point, paddles in front, keeping our posture, pushing our opponent back,” Chero said.
The goal is to attack when in a strong position, especially inside the kitchen zone. “The offensive part of the kitchen, which in my opinion is 6 in inside the kitchen line to 6 in behind the kitchen line,” he said. Hitting into that zone breaks an opponent’s posture, giving the attacker an advantage.
Chero finished by repeating a key idea: “If I can take every ball out of the air that I can, I can move less, make my opponent move more and always keep the pressure on my opponent.”
Why It Matters
Chero’s drill shows players how to train smarter, not just harder. It teaches them how to handle pressure during real matches by creating those same tough moments in practice. His method may help players of all levels grow faster, especially when they don’t have stronger opponents to push them.
News in Brief: Mini Pickleball Training Techniques
Jared Chero of Royal HS Country Club shared a mini pickleball drill on Cellar TV that helps players practice building points under pressure. By focusing on long rallies and smart movement, players can improve without needing stronger opponents. Chero stresses posture, patience, and point construction for real-game success.
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