{"Status":true,"Message":"","Response":{"post":{"postuid":"74f4a8ac-b9fe-421a-87ab-b1d753eb803b","tenantuid":"45a0010e-ec76-43e9-9914-4376bfa80903","projectuid":"4025e8c9-71ea-4557-850d-662c78598919","title":"What Drills Can I Do to Improve at Pickleball?","slug":"article/what-drills-can-i-do-to-improve-at-pickleball","html":"\u003Cp\u003EThe most valuable pickleball drills target the third shot drop, dinking consistency and placement, serve and return depth, and reset shots under pressure \u2014 these high-frequency, high-impact shots produce faster overall improvement than general practice or casual match play alone.\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ch2 id=\u0022third_shot_drop_drills\u0022\u003EThird Shot Drop Drills\u003C/h2\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003ERepetition drop drill:\u003C/b\u003E With a partner or feeding machine, hit third shot drops from the baseline repeatedly, focusing on consistent depth and softness rather than power.\u003C/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EDrop and transition:\u003C/b\u003E After each drop, immediately move forward toward the kitchen line, simulating the real in-game transition rather than practicing the shot in isolation.\u003C/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EDrop from both wings:\u003C/b\u003E Practice the drop from both the forehand and backhand sides equally, since most players have a noticeable gap between the two.\u003C/li\u003E\u003C/ul\u003E\u003Ch2 id=\u0022dinking_drills\u0022\u003EDinking Drills\u003C/h2\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003ECross-court dink rally:\u003C/b\u003E With a partner, rally cross-court dinks and count consecutive successful exchanges, working to extend the streak over time.\u003C/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003ETarget dinking:\u003C/b\u003E Place targets (cones, towels, or markers) in specific spots in the kitchen and practice landing dinks on them intentionally rather than just keeping the ball in play.\u003C/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EDink and attack:\u003C/b\u003E Practice recognizing when a dink sits up high enough to attack, then transitioning immediately from soft shots to an aggressive put-away.\u003C/li\u003E\u003C/ul\u003E\u003Ch2 id=\u0022serve_and_return_drills\u0022\u003EServe and Return Drills\u003C/h2\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EDepth consistency drill:\u003C/b\u003E Serve repeatedly aiming for a target zone near the baseline, tracking how many serves land in that deep zone versus short.\u003C/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EReturn and approach:\u003C/b\u003E Practice returning serve deep and then immediately moving to the kitchen line, reinforcing the habit of advancing after the return rather than staying back.\u003C/li\u003E\u003C/ul\u003E\u003Ch2 id=\u0022reset_drills\u0022\u003EReset Drills\u003C/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHave a partner or feeding machine hit fast, hard shots at your body while you practice absorbing pace and softly resetting the ball into the kitchen. This builds the controlled, low-grip-pressure technique needed to neutralize attacks during real match play.\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ccite class=\u0022recommended\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022title\u0022\u003ENote\u003C/span\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDrilling is most effective when it\u0027s specific and repetitive \u2014 hitting the same shot many times in a row to build muscle memory \u2014 rather than randomly mixed in with casual rallying. If you don\u0027t have a regular practice partner, a ball machine or wall practice (for certain shots) can substitute for some drilling needs.\u003C/p\u003E\u003C/cite\u003E\u003Chr\u003E\u003Ch2 id=\u0022frequently_asked_questions\u0022\u003EFrequently Asked Questions\u003C/h2\u003E\u003Ch3 id=\u0022how_much_time_should_i_spend_drilling_versus_playing_matches\u0022\u003EHow much time should I spend drilling versus playing matches?\u003C/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThere\u0027s no universal ratio, but many players who want to improve quickly dedicate at least 20 to 30 percent of their total court time to focused drilling rather than full games. Even a short, consistent drilling routine before regular play can meaningfully accelerate improvement over time.\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ch3 id=\u0022do_i_need_a_partner_to_drill_effectively\u0022\u003EDo I need a partner to drill effectively?\u003C/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA partner is ideal for most drills, especially dinking and return drills, but you can practice some shots \u2014 like serves and certain wall drills \u2014 alone. A ball machine is also a valuable substitute for partner-based repetition drills if you don\u0027t have a consistent drilling partner available.\u003C/p\u003E\u003Chr\u003E\u003Ch2 id=\u0022related_articles\u0022\u003ERelated Articles\u003C/h2\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https://pickleball.com/docs/en/article/what-is-the-best-way-to-practice-pickleball-alone\u0022\u003EWhat Is the Best Way to Practice Pickleball Alone?\u003C/a\u003E\u003C/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https://pickleball.com/docs/en/article/how-to-improve-your-pickleball-rating\u0022\u003EHow to Improve Your Pickleball Rating\u003C/a\u003E\u003C/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https://pickleball.com/docs/en/article/pickleball-shots-and-techniques-library-every-shot-you-need-to-know\u0022\u003EPickleball Shots \u0026amp; Techniques Library\u003C/a\u003E\u003C/li\u003E\u003C/ul\u003E\u003Chr\u003E\u003Cp\u003EQuestions about pickleball skill levels? Email \u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:support@pickleball.com\u0022\u003Esupport@pickleball.com\u003C/a\u003E.\u003C/p\u003E","publish_status":0,"post_type":"Article","authoruid":"42b786ed-5ff2-467c-9593-d828908ee6d2","author":{"authoruid":"42b786ed-5ff2-467c-9593-d828908ee6d2","name":"Christy Cook","url":"https://www.linkedin.com/in/christy-cook-texas/","photo_url":"https://graffiti-auf7e6dwhxhcbwek.z03.azurefd.net/45a0010e-ec76-43e9-9914-4376bfa80903/4025e8c9-71ea-4557-850d-662c78598919/4fd2cf59-047a-4a00-8a6d-2d9c6c9f91fe.jpg?v=1114665229","linkedin_url":"https://www.linkedin.com/in/christy-cook-texas/"},"featured_image_updating":false,"meta_description":"Master pickleball with targeted drills for third shot drops, dinking, serve/return depth, and resets to boost consistency and in-game performance quickly.","keywords":"third shot drop drills; dinking drills; serve and return drills; reset drills; repetition drop drill; drop and transition; cross-court dink rally; target dinking; depth consistency drill; return and approach","display_toc":true,"has_workingcopy":false,"allow_indexing":true,"total_views":17,"date_stale":"2026-10-30T00:00:00","date_published":"2026-06-30T13:45:45.16","date_updated":"2026-06-30T13:45:45.173","date_created":"2026-06-30T13:23:45.94"}}}