It’s no mystery that being an outstanding pickleball player requires lots of practice. Even if you’re only looking to play the game for fun, you can try these four easy pickleball drills to improve your game and make you the best version of yourself when you step on the court.
Sweet Spot Drill
Any sport that requires precise hand-eye coordination has a magic spot you’re aiming for. It could range from the muscle memory of throwing a ball in a particular way or the area on a bat, racket, or paddle that hits a ball the farthest. So it should come as no surprise that you must find the money spot on your paddle to elevate your pickleball game. You can accomplish that by following a drill, which many call the sweet spot drill.
This exercise is a variation of the famous Tiger Woods drill of continuously hitting a golf ball with his wedge. You’ll repeatedly hit the ball in the air and take note of how the ball sounds and feels on the paddle. If the noise and reaction of the ball off the paddle aren’t ideal, that means you didn’t hit it properly. Repeatedly striking the ball well is paramount in pickleball, and this drill helps you accomplish that.
Upping Your Transition Game
Hitting the sweet spot on your paddle leads you to make an effective serve, but what you do after your serve is equally crucial. Transitioning to an area on the court that’s the most opportunistic spot for scoring after your serve can turn a good player into an elite one.
This drill aims to hit your serve near the backline, giving you the necessary time to attack the net for your second shot. This drill is great because it improves your serving and transition skills. The only downside is that you’ll need someone on the other side to return your serve.
Volleying Duel
A server wants to crash the net to get into the best position to deliver a pinpoint volley. Practicing your volleying game cannot happen without a partner there to exchange these fast-paced shots back and forth. A volley drill ensures that you have quick hands and that your coordination is second to none. This is easily the most frenzied drill to perform, so if you can conquer this, there’ll be no stopping you.
Dinking Around
One pickleball shot that needs hours of practice to master is the delicate dink shot. You continue to hit dink shots back and forth with a friend in this drill. It’s essentially the pickleball version of playing catch. Not only will this drill help you find the touch you need to perform these shots well, but it will improve your footwork and how you move. Being agile is a useful attribute on the court, as it gets you in a position to return difficult shots and extend rallies.
These four easy pickleball drills to improve your game are as useful as they are fun to do. So if you aren’t happy with where your game is, hit the court with a friend and work on these drills that make you more of a well-rounded player.
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