Pickleball drills are a fantastic way to improve your skills, whether you’re a beginner learning the basics or an advanced player fine-tuning your game. In this guide, we will cover effective drills for players at all levels.

---

1. Beginner Drills

For beginners, the focus should be on building consistency and developing control over the ball. These foundational drills help improve accuracy and reinforce good habits early on.

a. Dink Practice Drill

Dinking is one of the most crucial skills in pickleball, requiring you to keep the ball low and in control.

How to do it:

1. Stand at the kitchen line with a partner.
2. Hit soft dinks back and forth, ensuring the ball stays within the non-volley zone.
3. Focus on keeping the ball low over the net to make it hard for your opponent to attack.

Additional Tip: Gradually increase the speed and challenge by moving laterally along the kitchen line.

YouTube Video: Mastering Backhand Dinks (from Ben Johns!)

b. Two-Bounce Control Drill

This drill teaches control by focusing on shot placement and the importance of the two-bounce rule.

How to do it:

1. Stand at the baseline with a partner.
2. Your partner serves the ball, and you return it with the goal of allowing the ball to bounce once on each side.
3. The goal is to keep the rally going with controlled shots that don’t require volleys.

c. Serve and Return Drill

Serving and returning are key for every point in pickleball, and this drill will help you perfect those skills.

How to do it:

1. Start by practicing your serve, aiming for consistency.
2. After mastering the serve, move to the return side, where you practice returning deep shots.

Additional Tip: Focus on placement and spin to make your serves and returns harder to predict.

2. Intermediate Drills

As an intermediate player, your focus shifts toward improving shot variety, reaction speed, and match strategy. Here are some drills that will take your game to the next level.

a. Volley-To-Volley Drill

Volleys are quick shots that require fast reflexes. This drill sharpens your reaction time.

How to do it:

1. Stand at the kitchen line across from a partner.
2. Hit volleys back and forth, increasing speed gradually.
3. Keep the ball low, and focus on controlling your paddle angle to ensure quick, accurate shots.

b. Third Shot Drop Drill

The third shot drop is one of the most important shots in pickleball. This drill helps you transition from defense to offense.

How to do it:

1. Stand at the baseline with a partner or ball machine feeding balls to you.
2. After every serve, practice executing a soft drop shot into the kitchen.
3. Focus on keeping the ball low and unattackable by your opponent.

c. Crosscourt Dink Drill

Crosscourt dinks are a vital part of your strategy in pickleball. This drill helps with accuracy and control.

How to do it:

1. Stand on opposite kitchen lines diagonally with a partner.
2. Hit dinks crosscourt, aiming to keep the ball low and difficult to return.
3. Gradually increase speed and focus on hitting to different spots in the kitchen.

---

3. Advanced Drills

For advanced players, the emphasis is on speed, control, and precision. These drills simulate high-pressure scenarios and help refine your skills.

a. Speed Volley Drill

Quick reaction time is essential for advanced players. This drill helps you increase your response speed in fast-paced volleys.

How to do it:

1. Both players stand at the kitchen line and volley back and forth.
2. Increase the pace and aim to keep the ball in play with minimal backswing.
3. Try to maintain the rally as long as possible while focusing on fast reactions.

b. Defensive Lob Drill

In advanced play, being able to handle a lob effectively is crucial. This drill focuses on retrieving and returning high lobs.

How to do it:

1. Have a partner feed you deep lobs.
2. Practice tracking and returning the lob with control, either with a defensive shot or a hard drive.
3. Focus on positioning and balance as you move back and forth.

c. Erne Drill

The Erne is an advanced move where you step outside the court to hit a ball over the net from a sharp angle. This drill helps you practice positioning and timing for this unique shot.

How to do it:

1. Stand near the sideline of the court with a partner feeding you balls.
2. Step outside the court when you anticipate a cross-court shot and hit the ball before it crosses the net.
3. Practice timing your movement so you can execute the shot without faulting.

4. Footwork and Agility Drills (All Levels)

No matter your skill level, footwork and agility are critical to success in pickleball. These drills help with movement, positioning, and balance.

a. Ladder Drill

An agility ladder is a fantastic tool for improving foot speed and coordination.

How to do it:

1. Set up an agility ladder on the ground.
2. Practice different footwork patterns, such as two feet in each square or side-to-side hops.
3. Focus on increasing your speed while maintaining control.

b. Shadow Drill

The shadow drill helps you practice movement and positioning without hitting a ball. It sharpens your court awareness.

How to do it:

1. Stand on the court and have a partner or coach call out directions (left, right, forward, backward).
2. Move quickly to each position as if you're preparing to return a shot.
3. Focus on foot placement and recovery after each movement.

Conclusion

By incorporating these drills into your training routine, you'll be able to improve your pickleball skills no matter your experience level. Beginners can develop consistency, intermediate players can focus on strategy and shot variety, and advanced players can hone their speed, precision, and mental game. Remember, practice makes perfect!