Pickleball Drills for Beginners: 12 Drills That Build Skills

The drills that improve beginners fastest are the ones that repeat the shots games are built on: a deep serve, a deep return, the dink, the third shot drop and the volley at the kitchen line. Playing games alone does not give you enough repetitions of any one shot to groove it. Twenty minutes of focused drilling before open play, two or three times a week, produces faster improvement than hours of games. Below are twelve drills, from solo wall work to four-player patterns, each with the goal, the set-up and what to focus on.

Before you start

• Warm up: a few minutes of light movement and some easy rallying.
• Use the right ball for the venue. See balls: indoor vs outdoor.
• Bring plenty of balls; drilling with two is tedious.
• Know the rules you are drilling. See how to play pickleball.

Solo drills

1. Wall dinks

Goal: soft hands and paddle control. Set-up: a wall with a line at net height (34 inches). Stand about 7 feet back. Do: dink the ball against the wall above the line, let it bounce, dink again. Count consecutive hits. Alternate forehand and backhand. Focus: low stance, shoulder swing, soft contact.

2. Serve targets

Goal: deep, consistent serves. Set-up: a court, a bucket of balls, a target (towel or cones) in the back third of the service box. Do: serve 20 to each box, counting hits on the target. Use the serve type you play with; see serving rules. Focus: same toss or drop every time, contact in front, follow through to the target.

3. Shadow footwork

Goal: moving to the kitchen line and shuffling along it. Set-up: a court, no ball. Do: start at the baseline, "return", move to the kitchen line in a split step, shuffle laterally along the line and back. Repeat. Focus: balanced, low, small steps.

Partner drills

4. Cross-court dinking

Goal: the dink rally. Set-up: both players at the kitchen line, diagonally opposite. Do: dink cross-court cooperatively. Count consecutive dinks; aim to beat your record. Switch diagonals. Then straight-ahead dinks. Focus: ball lands in the kitchen, low over the net, no pop-ups. See what is a dink.

5. Dink and attack

Goal: recognising the attackable ball. Set-up: as above. Do: dink until one player gets a ball above net height, then attack it. The other player tries to block or reset. Play the point out. Focus: patience on low balls, decisiveness on high ones.

6. Third shot drops

Goal: the shot that gets the serving team to the net. Set-up: one player at the kitchen line, the other at the baseline. Do: the net player feeds a ball deep; the baseline player drops it into the kitchen and follows it in. Reset and repeat 10 times, then switch. Focus: a lifted, soft shot that peaks on your side and lands in the kitchen. Accept that many will miss; this is the hardest beginner shot.

7. Deep returns

Goal: returns that push servers back. Set-up: one serves, the other returns and moves to the kitchen line. Do: 20 serves and returns. The returner aims for the back third of the court and arrives at the kitchen line before the next ball. Focus: depth over pace; move immediately after contact.

8. Volley to volley

Goal: hands at the kitchen line. Set-up: both at the kitchen line, straight across. Do: volley back and forth, starting soft and gradually speeding up. Count consecutive volleys. Focus: paddle up and in front, short punching motion, no backswing.

9. Reset drill

Goal: absorbing pace into a soft shot. Set-up: one at the kitchen line, one at mid-court. Do: the mid-court player drives; the net player blocks it softly into the kitchen. 10 reps and switch. Focus: relaxed grip, paddle face slightly open, let the ball's pace do the work.

Group drills (three or four players)

10. Two-on-one dinking

Goal: moving and dinking under pressure. Set-up: two at the kitchen line on one side, one on the other. Do: the pair dink to the single player, who returns to either. Rotate every two minutes. Focus: the single player's footwork and patience.

11. Serve, return, drop, play

Goal: the first four shots of a real point. Set-up: four players in doubles positions. Do: serve, return, third shot drop, then play the point. Serving team must drop, not drive, the third shot. Rotate serving team every few points. Focus: the whole sequence at game pace.

12. Kitchen-line games

Goal: winning points from the net. Set-up: four players, all starting at the kitchen line. Do: one side feeds a dink to start; play the point. Score to 7. Rotate partners. Focus: everything learned in the dink and volley drills under game conditions.

Structuring a session

Twenty to thirty minutes:

1. Wall or cross-court dinks (5 min).
2. Third shot drops (5 min).
3. Serves and returns (5 min).
4. Volleys or resets (5 min).
5. A group drill if numbers allow (10 min).

Then play. Over weeks, track your record on consecutive dinks and your serve target rate; the numbers rising is the proof the drilling works.

Common beginner faults drills fix

• Pop-ups on dinks: drills 1, 4, 5.
• Driving every third shot: drill 6, 11.
• Staying at the baseline: drills 3, 7.
• Slow hands at the net: drills 8, 9.
• Serve faults: drill 2.

Related guides

• How to play pickleball
• What is a dink
• Ratings explained
• Best paddles for beginners

Courts for drilling, including those with practice walls, are in the court directory.

FAQ

What is the most important drill for beginners?

Cross-court dinking. It teaches soft hands, low posture and patience, which underpin every other soft shot.

How often should I drill?

Two or three sessions of 20 to 30 minutes a week, before playing, produces clear improvement within a few weeks.

Can I practise pickleball alone?

Yes. Wall dinks, serve targets and shadow footwork need no partner. A rebounder or ball machine extends solo options.

Why is the third shot drop so hard?

It demands a soft, lifted shot from the baseline that lands in a small target under pressure. Expect many misses; repetition is the only fix.

Should beginners drill or just play?

Both. Games teach decision-making; drills groove the shots. Twenty minutes of drilling before play is the efficient balance.