7 Pickleball Drills You Can Do Alone or with a Partner

Great pickleball players spend as much time practising as they do playing games. These seven drills need little space and almost no equipment.

1. Wall dinks

Stand about six feet from a wall and tap the ball against it with a soft swing. Aim to keep the rally going for 50 hits. This builds touch and a quiet paddle.

2. Target towels

Lay towels on the court as targets. Hit 10 drops or serves at each one and record how many land on the towel. It trains accuracy better than random hitting.

3. Cooperative dink rally

With a partner, dink cross-court and count your rally. Beat your best number each session. This builds patience and consistency at the kitchen line. Learn the technique in our dinking guide.

4. Third shot drops from the baseline

One player feeds balls from the kitchen line. The other hits drops from the baseline and tries to land them in the kitchen. Swap after 20 balls. The full technique is in the third shot drop guide.

5. Footwork ladder

Use chalk or tape to mark a short ladder on the ground. Practise quick side steps, in-and-outs and split steps. Good footwork makes every other shot easier.

6. Serve target ladder

Place three markers in the service box: short, middle and deep. Hit five serves to each target in order. Give yourself a point for each hit.

7. Reset drill

One partner hits hard drives from the kitchen line while the other stands mid-court and tries to soften them into the kitchen. This teaches you to absorb pace and stay calm.

Warm up first

A few minutes of gentle movement lowers the risk of tweaks. See our 10-minute warm-up routine.

Keep it fun

• Set small goals, such as 10 dinks in a row.
• Change drills after 10 minutes to stay fresh.
• Play a short game afterwards to apply what you practised.

If you also play padel, the same soft-hands drills help there too.

Frequently asked questions

How often should I practise?

Two or three short sessions a week beat one long one. Focus on quality.

Can I practise without a net?

Yes. Use a line, a rope or a chair as a stand-in and focus on accuracy.