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Hey Picklebackers! 🏓✨

Pickleball isn’t just about playing more games — it’s about training with purpose. Whether you’ve got a wall, a partner, or just a few minutes to yourself, structured drills build muscle memory, sharpen instincts, and transform casual rallies into confident play.

This week, we’re giving you 10 simple drills (solo, partner, and game-like) plus a sample weekly plan to help you level up without wasting court time.

🏓 Solo Drills (Build Touch + Muscle Memory)

1. Wall Dinking Drill

• How to Do It: Stand 6–8 feet from a wall, dink with control, aiming for consistent bounce height. Alternate forehand/backhand or aim for a target spot on the wall.

• Improvement Goal: Builds soft hands, control, and consistency so you don’t pop balls up in real rallies.

• Progression:

  • Beginner: Just keep the ball alive.

  • Intermediate: Try 25 in a row without an error.

  • Advanced: Alternate forehand/backhand dinks while moving side-to-side.

2. Serve + Target Practice

• How to Do It: Place cones/towels in deep service zones and aim for them. Serve 20 balls, record how many land in targets.

• Improvement Goal: A deep, accurate serve forces weaker returns → easier third shots for you.

• Progression:

  • Beginner: Just focus on clearing the net and landing deep.

  • Intermediate: Add placement — wide, middle, body serves.

  • Advanced: Add spin serves (slice/topspin).

3. Shadow Footwork

• How to Do It: Without a ball, practice split-stepping and moving into dink, volley, or overhead positions.

• Improvement Goal: Good footwork = fewer errors. It’s what separates 3.5 from 4.0+ players.

• Progression:

  • Beginner: Just shuffle and stop balanced.

  • Intermediate: Add resistance bands for strength.

  • Advanced: Use a timer (20 seconds of explosive movement, 10 rest).

🤝 Partner Drills (Game Foundation)

4. Dinking Consistency Drill

• How to Do It: Both at NVZ, rally dinks. Goal: 50 in a row.

• Improvement Goal: Teaches patience + accuracy. At higher levels, dinks set up the attack.

• Progression:

  • Beginner: Any dink that lands in.

  • Intermediate: Keep them below net height.

  • Advanced: Cross-court only or “winner takes all” — mistake loses point.

5. Third Shot Drop Drill

• How to Do It: Serve → return → third shot drop into NVZ. Partner at net applies pressure.

• Improvement Goal: Builds the #1 shot that lets you move from defense → offense.

• Progression:

  • Beginner: Focus on soft arc into the kitchen.

  • Intermediate: Mix drop and drive (decide which shot fits).

  • Advanced: Add pressure defender who attacks any high ball.

6. Volleys at the Kitchen Line

• How to Do It: Stand opposite at NVZ, exchange rapid volleys. Start controlled, then speed up.

• Improvement Goal: Improves hand speed and quick reactions for firefights.

• Progression:

  • Beginner: Just keep volleying softly.

  • Intermediate: Play “speed up/block/reset” — one speeds it up, the other blocks.

  • Advanced: Reaction drill — one fires rapid balls while the other blocks without counter-attacking.

7. Transition Zone Drill

• How to Do It: One player at baseline, one at NVZ. Baseline player must drop shots and “earn” their way forward. Net player applies pressure.

• Improvement Goal: Builds patience and decision-making when moving up — where most points are lost.

• Progression:

  • Beginner: Just practice drops, no pressure.

  • Intermediate: NVZ player volleys firmly but controlled.

  • Advanced: Add scoring — baseline only wins point if they reach NVZ successfully.

🏆 Game-Like Drills (Pressure + Strategy)

8. Skinny Singles

• How to Do It: Play singles on half-court (cross-court only).

• Improvement Goal: Forces accuracy, conditioning, and exposes weak sides.

• Progression:

  • Beginner: Forehand side only.

  • Intermediate: Alternate FH/BH each rally.

  • Advanced: Add scoring — first to 11, win by 2.

@edjupickleball

HOW TO PLAY SKINNY SINGLES 👇 Despite the name, this is probably the number one drill to improve your doubles game. The rules are simple. ... See more

9. Targeted Point Play

• How to Do It: Play out rallies but only count a point if it ends with a goal shot (drop winner, forced error, etc.).

• Improvement Goal: Develops intentionality — you start constructing points instead of reacting.

• Progression:

  • Beginner: Goal is “win point with consistency.”

  • Intermediate: Goal is “set up and win with drops or dinks.”

  • Advanced: Add specific tactical goals (e.g., only win off cross-court dink or speed-up).

10. Pressure Drill (10 in a Row)

• How to Do It: Pick a shot (serve, return, drop, dink). Must complete 10 perfect reps before stopping.

• Improvement Goal: Builds mental toughness + consistency under pressure.

• Progression:

  • Beginner: 5 in a row.

  • Intermediate: 10 in a row.

  • Advanced: 15–20 in a row or add time constraints.

📅 Sample Weekly Training Plan (3 sessions per week)

Session 1 (Consistency + Touch)

• Warm-up wall dinks (5 min)

• Partner dinking drill (50 in a row)

• Third shot drop reps (20 per side)

• “10 in a row” pressure drill (dinks)

Session 2 (Offense + Defense)

• Serve + target practice (30 serves)

• Volleys at NVZ (10 min)

• Transition drill (rotate roles)

• Skinny singles (to 11)

Session 3 (Game Strategy)

• Warm-up shadow footwork (5 min)

• Controlled firefights (speed-up + block)

• Targeted point play (10 rallies)

• Full games focusing only on drops + patience

👉 The idea is: Day 1 = skill building, Day 2 = speed + defense, Day 3 = applying strategy under pressure.
Over 4 weeks, you’ll see noticeable gains in consistency, patience, and decision-making.

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Improvement doesn’t come from playing harder — it comes from practicing smarter. Layer these drills into your week, push yourself through the progressions, and you’ll notice the difference in consistency, patience, and shot selection within a month.

Grab a ball, grab a partner (or a wall!), and get to work — your future pickleball self will thank you.

Dill-lighfully yours,
Your PICKLEBACKCLUB Team 🥒🎾

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