Below you'll find some of my favorite great drills that may or may not be in PickleballCPR - Coaching Pickleball Readiness . I've use each of the these drills at some point to help my students work on specific skills or for use in special conditions. You'll also find a list of PDF files at the bottom of the page if you'll like a print out as well.
Remember the only way to get better at anything is to practice the skill sets that are played on the court. You're game will improve and move forward at greater intervals if you practice with a purpose. Alone, with a partner in group, with or without a coach, practice will only make you better.
Remember the only way to get better at anything is to practice the skill sets that are played on the court. You're game will improve and move forward at greater intervals if you practice with a purpose. Alone, with a partner in group, with or without a coach, practice will only make you better.
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Practice, visualize, and feel yourself practicing the game in the comfort of your own safe space.
The Wind and a Lob Serve
Serving in the windy outdoor weather is always a challenge. Change it up with a high lob service to get some knuckle-ball action off the wind. Use some targets such as chalk lines, boxes, or hoops placed about 24" of the opposite serving line. Keep your paddle low under the ball on the serve and "LIFT" the ball high into the air with a high lob to target. Watch the wind move the ball around. This action is sometimes frustrating to hard hitters who have to wait for the ball to come down to attack. Many of these hard bangers who like to always drive the ball have higher tendencies to drive the ball into the net or harder out of bounds the length of the court. Try drilling and placing the ball to various points along the baseline to your targets. Challenge your opponent with this high lob as well as yourself with this placement drill. Just note if the wind is strong it's going to be tricky to keep it in. Have fun with it and see the bangers get a little more frustrated on their returns. Criss Cross Sliders
A two person drill at the NVZ line. Partners/opponents are at opposite sideline drilling with a cross court dink rhythm. Each player starts at their own EVEN court sideline. Now instead of staying in one place each player will begin to move, by sliding across their court towards the opposite side line. In this case from EVEN court to ODD court. Control and placement are important. Each player must "lead" his partner with a shot that will move them across the court to the opposite side. Remember to slide and glide and avoid the crossover step when possible. Keep the ball to your opponents forehand until you get to meet them directly across the net at the service line of the NVZ. Continue to "lead" your opponent across the court. Now you will be hitting backhands to each other. Work your way to the side line and return repeating in the opposite direction moving ODD court to EVEN court. This will keep work on footwork and paddle control. Always remember to SET your feet before you HIT the ball and then GET ready to move to the next position. Keep your paddle in a ready position as you move across the court. Don't drop it down until you are ready and have anticipated the next bounce placement. On the Edge
Quick and simple. Using your paddle and ball tap the ball up and down on the paddle face to begin the drill. Next as you get the rhythm going turn your paddle so that the ball contacts the side or edge of your paddle. Can you keep it going for 5-10-20 or more taps without a miss. This is a tough one. Keep at it and your eye-hand coordination will improve over time. Focus on the space around the paddle and not directly at the ball or you'll get a headache. Mix it up by turning and tapping on all the edges of the paddle as well as the backhand side with palm down and the forehand side with palm up. Impress your friends with your juggling techniques. Really get the groove on and work two balls. Can you do it? Let me know and send me a video with two or more balls in the mix and I'll post in on the site. 
Star Dinking -
Objective: To continuously hit dinks in a crisscross pattern as cooperative four partner drill. Goal: Timed drill or set number of continuous repetitions without a miss. Action: You'll need 4 players for this one. The objective is to keep the ball moving in the NVZ area only. Standing in respective court spaces and starting with only one ball, P1 will dink directly over the net to P2. P2 will cross court dink to P3. P3 will cross court dink to P4. P4 will cross court dink back to P1. Repeat. If each player has an extra ball in hand the drill can continue with out chasing errant balls. Just start another one. To make it more interesting ADD a second ball to the mix and then a third and finally the forth. Can you do four? It's a tough but with practice it's do able. If your using the zone markers it goes like this: o1 to d3; d3 to o3; o3 to d1; d1 to o1. Now reverse it. Page 41 of Pickleball CPR Drills Move to Improve! 
ERRO TEAM BALL
Start the game with:
This game focus is on reducing unforced errors. The fewer errors the longer you stay in to play. You can modify it with multiple players. For lower level players, rotations happen more often so more players move in and out faster. If you have 5 players, the extra player will substitute for error as stated above for either side. NOTE: You can use this drill as a game situation and play for 'SIDE' winner. Which ever side wins.. buys the after practice beverage!! HAVE FUN! ALL BY MYSELF -
DROP SHOT PRACTICE No one to play with this cold and dreary month? Well, pack a bag of balls and head to the nearest court or gym space. Standing in the back court Zones A and or B, with a paddle in hand and a ball in the other - DROP the ball in front of you and DROP shot over the net. Be sure to stay low, use your legs, squeeze the grip stroke. Tips to concentrate on: Hitting below the equator of the ball or at the 4-5 o'clock position on the ball. Open your stance to the ball and/or target. Be sure you can see or have options to hit across all portions of the net in Zones 1- 3 of the PB9-GRID. Or modify for the Advanced PB13-GRID Using a firm push/lift while leading with the heel of your hand and minimal 'flick' or follow through to loft the ball over the net softly. IF you are looking to be more offensive -- Push the ball and follow through with your paddle face ending in a more closed position after the push/lift contact. Thus causing the ball to descend more quickly rather than a soft loft. Continue this drill from all Zones 4-9 in the PB9-GRID in the back court. Stay low, keep the ball in front of you, drop the paddle down for the DROP shot over the net. Happy DROPS to you! 
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SHORT HOP PEPPER
A two person drill to work on the short hop returns. Player one standing at a 2' distance, with their back to a fence or wall will be in a ready position stance. Player 2 standing opposite of player one at a 15' - 20' distance will have 2 or more balls ready for this drill. Player two in an 'X' or 'Y' overhead smash attack position will deliver a hard but controlled short hop skip off the ground approximately 1'-3' in front of player one's feet. Player two is working on form and control placement as the drill speeds up. Player one will drop the paddle head to block the incoming attack and bend knees accordingly to return the ball back to player two's waist or chest. Player one will work to keep the paddle out in front of the feet and angle the paddle to keep the ball low as it returns back to player two. Player two should start out slow and easy while gradually building up speed to assist player one in reflex timing. Player one, when receiving the incoming ball, will bend knees to simulate a sitting position, keep the head down to keep focus over the paddle face and firm up the shoulders, arms and wrist to prepare for the forceful attack. This drill can be difficult at first but with practice, you'll be returning those short hop dives at your feet with more control. NOTE: This drill can be done in open court from kitchen line to kitchen line. By using the wall it assists in ball collection. VARIATION: Add a target behind player two no further than the baseline. Player one will attempt a soft lob return over player one to the target. Not easy but effective when mastered. DINK 'N LOB
In this drill you’ll be getting a heart bounding on the move action drill. *Coach will be stationed at Zone B5, just behind the NVZ at the center of the net with a bucket of balls. If all goes well only a few or even one ball will be necessary. *Player 1 will start on the Even Court Zone 1 (rt. side) and receive a dink from coach. *Coach will then lob to Odd court (Lt. side) or deep court Zone A 8/9 close to baseline. *Player 1 will call out Switch/Mine/Got it to communicate his/her movement behind their partner. *Player 1 will SET, and Drop a return shot to coach. *Coach will then DINK to Odd Court Zone 3. P1 will move forward and return dink to coach. *Coach now lobs to Even court or deep court Zone A 7/8 close to baseline. *Player 1 will call out Switch/Mine/Got it to communicate his/her movement behind their partner. **Repeating, Player 1 will SET, and Drop a return shot to coach and move to receive dink at Zone 1… REPEAT THE SERIES.. Blind Man's Bluff
You need a ball machine or coach for this one. Player one stands with back to the net along the base line of the defensive court. Standing on the offensive side and with a bucket of ball available, the coach will call out the command "GO" and hit a consistent drive to player one at the baseline. On hearing the command "GO", player one will turn, spot the ball and hit to a designated target set by the coach. Player one will then return with back to the net and repeat. Coach and player can set targets around the offensive court for various target practice. Player one can be stationed at any location around the defensive court to receive various types of shots from the coach (lobs, drives, volley's, 1/2 volley's). The closer player one is to the net the more difficult the reaction time. This drills can be seen in action on the CPR Video Clinic page. Stay Active and Keep PRACTICING!  Ball Rotation Pattern: P2 – P4 are partners and P1 – P3 are partners
SERVE IT TO ME
Objective: To serve cross court back and forth to a partner keeping the ball deep in Zone A. Goal: Timed drill or set number of continuous repetitions without a miss. Action: Standing in the service area, players will practice serving cross court to each other. Stop, catch and then repeat. Spiral Bound Book $19.95
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For this drill let's start on the odd court. With player one at the NVZ line or Zone C on the defensive side of the net and the player two at the mid-court Zone B of the offensive side, players will continuously hit balls with purpose and direction. Player one will direct a low trajectory ball to player two's position in Zone B. Skipping the ball off the floor at a low angle. Player two, in ready position will set in a split step foot placement position, square to the net or a slight 45* position and receive the skipping ball. Player two will return the ball with a DROP shot back over the net to players one's position at the NVZ. Remember, keep your paddle out in front of you. This will continue for a set number of successful completions. Player one, for drill purposes only, WILL direct the ball with enough force to give player two successful attempts. We want player two to learn and not be frustrated by constant hard hits and not be able to control the return. What is the purpose of that? As the drill progresses and the challenge becomes automatic and easier for player two, player one will increase speed and force on the return shot. Player two will then move back to Zone A in the deep back court and repeat from a further distance. A variation would be with a volley drop shot from each of these two positions as well. NO skipping on this one. No pun intended! Repeat and change positions. SHORT COURT DOUBLES - FORCED to play the front of the court. Here's a new drill to try. Many new players understand that they need to get to the NVZ line or Zone C and they actually think they ARE there. But in reality. NOT EVEN CLOSE. So let's FORCE them or at least make them 'TRY' to play there by shortening your court space.
THE GAME: Shorten your court by using chalk, tape or some sort of marker by drawing a the line 11' off the net or from the back line. This is the NEW end line. Serve from this line and play. Now you only have 4' of back court to work with from the kitchen line. You and your partner are now FORCED to play closer to the Kitchen line. Make it more interesting by serving from the original end line and all shots after the 3rd shot short, MUST be within the NEWLY established boundaries. Try it out and play a short game to 7 or 9. A great drill to move you and your partner towards the NVZ line. This will also help you work on your dink game as well. ENJOY and Practice, Practice, Practice. THREE BALLS IN
Start the drill as if you were playing in a game situation.
TAKE NOTE: Any ball that is stray, quickly PUSH OFF THE COURT. Safety first.
NOTE #2: If the server has difficulty holding or delivering the 3 balls in hand? They can serve and let someone else be the "deliverer." Not everyone can hold three balls, play and then deliver. But that's OK!. Work as a team and you'll have a blast and ENJOY! |
PDF FILES of DRILLS
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