Pickleball drills by skill
153 drills across 22 skills, for solo, partner and group practice. Pick your level and who you're practising with to see where to start.
Every skill
Basics
The shots every point is built from.
- DinkEvery dink, push, topspin and slice, off the bounce and out of the air, and how to drill it alone at a wall, with a partner, in threes and in fours, from 2.5 to 4.5+.2.5+
- Third-shot dropHow to hit a soft third-shot drop with push, topspin and slice, and drills to groove it alone, with a partner, against two and in live points, from 3.0 to 4.5+.3.0+
- DriveHow to hit a low, hard drive with topspin, flat or slice, when to drive instead of drop, and drills alone, with a partner, against two and in fours, from 2.5 to 4.5+.2.5+
- ServeThe topspin, drop and slice serves, and drills to make them deep and repeatable alone, under a returner's pressure and in live points, from 2.5 to 4.5+.2.5+
- Return of serveHow to hit a deep return with slice or topspin and get to the kitchen line, with drills alone, against a server, against a serving pair and in fours, from 2.5 to 4.5+.2.5+
- BackhandHow to build a backhand you can trust: the backhand dink, slice, block and counter with one hand, the two-handed backhand drive, and the flick, with drills from the wall to live four-player games, for 2.5 to 4.5+.2.5+
Net play
Winning, and surviving, the exchanges at the kitchen line.
- Volleys & hand battlesHow to block, punch and counter at the net and win hand battles, with volley drills alone at a wall, with a partner, one against two and in fours, from 3.0 to 4.5+.3.0+
- ResetHow to reset a hard ball into the kitchen, out of the air, on the half-volley or off the bounce, with drills alone, with a partner, against two attackers and in fours, from 3.0 to 4.5+.3.0+
- Fourth shotWhat to hit from the kitchen line against the serving team's third shot: attack a drop that sits up, dink a good one, block or counter a drive. Drills from feeds to live four-player points, for 3.0 to 4.5+.3.0+
- Lob & overheadThe offensive lob, the defensive lob and the overhead, how a team covers a lob, and drills alone, with a partner, against two and in fours, from 3.0 to 4.5+.3.0+
- Speed-upsWhen to speed up a ball from a dink rally, punch, roll or flick, where to aim it, and drills alone, with a partner, against two and in fours, for 3.5 to 4.5+.3.5+
- PutawaysHow to finish a point when the ball sits up: where to aim (the feet, the middle, the sharp angle), how hard to hit it, and drills from self-feeds to live play, for 3.0 to 4.5+.3.0+
- Drop volleyHow to hit a soft drop volley that dies in the kitchen, blocked, sliced or angled, when to use it, and drills alone, with a partner, against two and in fours, for 3.5 to 4.5+.3.5+
- Half-volleyHow to play a half-volley, the ball you meet just after it bounces at your feet, when to use it, and drills from self-feeds to live transition play, for 3.0 to 4.5+.3.0+
Movement & doubles
Getting to the ball balanced and playing as a team.
- Footwork & split stepHow to split-step, shuffle, crossover and keep your spacing from the ball, with footwork drills alone, with a partner, against two feeders and as a pair, from 2.5 to 4.5+.2.5+
- StackingWhat stacking is, why teams stack, how to do it legally when serving and receiving, and drills from a walk-through with your partner to live four-player games, for 3.5 to 4.5+.3.5+
- PoachingWhen to poach your partner's ball, the path to take, how to fake and cover the gap, and poaching drills alone, with a feeder, in threes and in fours, for 3.5 to 4.5+.3.5+
- Moving as a teamHow doubles partners shift together, who covers the middle, how a wide ball opens the angles, and positioning drills in pairs, against one hitter and in fours, from 2.5 to 4.5+.2.5+
- Point patternsProven doubles patterns: dink cross-court then attack down the line, pull wide then hit the middle, pin one side then switch, drive the middle on the third, and keep the ball on one player. Drills for 3.5 to 4.5+.3.5+
Advanced
Finishing shots for 3.5 and up.
- Roll volleyHow to roll a volley with topspin on either side, when to roll instead of punch, and drills alone at a wall, with a partner, against two and in fours, for 3.5 to 4.5+.3.5+
- Erne & ATPHow to hit an Erne and an around-the-post (ATP) shot, when they're legal, how to set them up, and drills alone, with a partner, against two and in fours, for 3.5 to 4.5+.3.5+
- Shake and bakeWhat the shake and bake is, how the drive and the crash work together, how to defend it, and drills alone, in pairs, against a blocker and in live points, for 3.5 to 4.5+.3.5+