The 30-second version
- You improve faster by drilling than by only playing games — games give you a few reps of each shot; drilling gives you dozens.
- The highest-leverage drills target the soft game: dinks, the third-shot drop, and resets.
- Aim for a 40% drill / 40% play / 20% hands split in your practice time.
- Several of these you can do solo — a wall and a ball are all you need.
The single biggest difference between players who improve and players who plateau? The improvers drill. A game gives you a handful of reps of any one shot; ten focused minutes of drilling gives you dozens. Here are the best pickleball drills, organized by skill, with links to the full technique guides.
Dinking drills
- Cross-court dink rally: rally soft dinks cross-court with a partner, aiming for control and a high count.
- Dink until it’s free: dink where neither player may attack a ball below net height — you can only speed up a ball above the tape. Trains patience and recognition.
- Target dinks: place a paddle cover in the kitchen and try to land dinks on it.
Full technique: how to dink.
Third-shot drop drills
- 10 in a row: from the baseline, hit soft drops into the kitchen and count consecutive makes. Push your streak up.
- Drop and advance: hit a drop, move up through the transition zone, and take the kitchen line — mimicking a real point.
Full technique: the third-shot drop.
Reset drills
- Block and drop: a partner drives balls at you from mid-court; softly reset each one into their kitchen with relaxed hands and a still paddle.
Full technique: the reset.
Hands & speed-up drills
- Hands battle: two players at the kitchen fire fast exchanges that must last at least four balls — train the counter, not just the first punch.
- Attack the pop-up: dink until a ball comes up, speed it up with disguise, then get your paddle back up to block the counter.
Full technique: hands battles & speed-ups.
Serve & return drills
- 20 deep: put a towel in the back third of the service box and serve 20 balls to it; count how many land deep and in.
- Return and run: return serve deep, then sprint to the kitchen line — grooving the habit of getting up.
Full technique: a better serve & returning serve.
Footwork drills
- Drop and freeze: hit a drop, take two steps in, split-step and freeze as your partner contacts the ball; reset if needed, repeat to the line.
Full technique: transition-zone footwork.
Solo drills (practice alone)
- Wall drills: hit against a wall to groove consistent contact, dinks, resets, and reflexes — the best solo option.
- Shadow footwork: practice the split-step and transition movement with no ball, to build the rhythm.
- Serve targets: a bucket of balls and a target is all you need to groove a reliable serve.
- Self-dink: dink against a wall or bounce-and-control drills to build soft hands.
How to structure your practice
Don’t just play. A good weekly split is roughly 40% drilling the soft game (dinks and drops first), 40% games where you apply one focus at a time, and 20% hands and resets. Even 15 focused minutes of drilling before open play will move your game faster than months of games alone.
Frequently asked questions
What are the best pickleball drills for beginners?
Start with cross-court dink rallies, the “20 deep” serve drill, and simple third-shot drop reps. These build the soft game and consistency that matter most early on. Wall drills are great for solo practice.
How can I practice pickleball by myself?
Use a wall — hit dinks, resets, drives, and reflex volleys against it to groove contact and soft hands. You can also do serve-target practice with a bucket of balls and shadow-footwork drills with no ball at all.
What is the best drill to improve at pickleball?
For most players, drilling the third-shot drop (“10 in a row”) and patient cross-court dinking gives the biggest return, because the soft game decides the most points. Add reset drills as you advance.
How often should I drill pickleball?
Even 15 focused minutes before open play helps. A good target is a roughly 40% drill / 40% play / 20% hands-and-resets split. Consistent, deliberate drilling beats simply playing more games for improvement.
Is drilling better than playing games?
For improvement, yes. Games give you only a few reps of each shot and let you avoid your weaknesses, while drilling gives you dozens of focused reps of exactly the skill you’re building. The best players do both.
Know what to drill
Not sure which skills to focus on? Find your level and your priorities in our guide to improving your game — each rung tells you exactly what to work on next.