Pickleball Drill Strategy For Improvement: Many pickleball players feel stuck in their progress despite putting in effort. A new instructional guide says that the main issue is not lack of effort—but lack of smart training. It highlights how regular drilling, done with purpose and pickleball strategy, can unlock major improvements in performance.
Why Playing Alone Isn’t Enough
The video guide explains that just playing games doesn’t lead to real improvement. Casual games feel useful but are too random. Players may only repeat the same shot a few times in a long session. Drilling, on the other hand, allows players to focus and repeat the same movement hundreds or even thousands of times.
“You can’t improve what you don’t repeat,” the instructor says. Instead of playing mindlessly, players should understand why they are drilling each shot and what goal they’re working toward.
Start with Hand-Eye Coordination
To make the paddle feel like part of your hand, the guide begins with three basic drills:
Alternating Downs: Bounce the ball down, switching from forehand to backhand. Stay still while doing it.
Alternating Ups: Hit the ball up without bouncing around, aiming for the paddle’s true sweet spot, slightly above the center.
Alternating Catches: Use your paddle to catch the ball like a hand. Try to make it quiet and still without bouncing.
“You’re obviously not going to be catching the ball when you’re actually playing in a match,” the instructor says, “but what this is doing is it’s giving you that hand-eye coordination.”
Building Dink Skills at the Net
One of the best drills for net play is called “The Dink Game.” In this drill, two players start at the kitchen line. They must each hit three dinks before the point becomes live. Games are played to 11 in four court positions. The key strategy? Target the backhand foot.
“Aim small, miss small,” the instructor adds. “Aim for your opponent’s shoelaces.”
Players are also advised to wait before speeding up a point. Hit low dinks until a ball pops up—then attack.
Don’t Skip the Baseline Practice
Another drill focuses on drops and drives. Using a ball machine, players hit balls alternating to each side. They are encouraged to hit 100 balls per round. Practicing both shots in a row is critical because most points begin with a drive followed by a drop.
“If you’re aiming for the right side of the court and it’s going to the left,” the instructor says, “start aiming for the right side fence.”
Train in Both Ways: Cooperative and Competitive
The video emphasizes balancing two styles of drills:
Cooperative Drills: Improve consistency. Players work together, like setting a timer and hitting as many drops as possible.
Competitive Drills: Add pressure. These simulate real matches and help players handle stress in tournaments.
“Players will get into a match and all they’ve done is cooperative drills,” the instructor warns. “They’ll completely choke under pressure.”
Master the Transition Zone
The drill “Stuck in Transition” helps players handle midcourt struggles. One player stays midcourt, the other at the kitchen. The midcourt player scores points only when stuck there. Learning to reset shots is key for getting closer to the net.
“You don’t need a perfect drop if you have a perfect reset,” the instructor shares.
Tie It All Together with a Full-Court Drill
The full-court half-court game drill pulls everything together. Two players play a regular game to 11 but only use one side of the court. All balls come back, giving players more reps and helping them make quick decisions under pressure.
To calm nerves, players are advised to dink at least five times before speeding up a shot. “Chances are your opponent’s going to pop up the ball before you hit those five dinks.”
What to Do Next
The instructor encourages players to prioritize time for drilling, even if they still enjoy casual games. Drilling helps build muscle memory, confidence, and better decisions.
“If it doesn’t bug you to lose, then you probably don’t have to get out and drill that much,” the instructor says. “But if it does bug you to lose, I promise you that you’re going to love the fact that you got out and drilled that week.”
Resources like the Pickleball Drills App and a free 10-day mindset course are recommended to help players advance. Thousands have used them to reach a 4.0 level and beyond.
News in Brief: Pickleball Drill Strategy For Improvement
A new video guide stresses the power of focused drilling in pickleball. It teaches hand drills, dinking strategy, reset techniques, and full-court simulations. By mixing smart training with cooperative and competitive practice, players can break past skill plateaus and improve faster than by only playing casual matches.
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