PickleCOACH: The Importance of Drilling for Improvement in Pickleball

If you want to improve your pickleball game, playing more matches is great. But structured drilling is where real progress happens. Drills are the cornerstone of skill development in pickleball, no matter your level.

Whether you're a beginner learning basic shots or an advanced player fine-tuning your strategy, regular and focused drilling can dramatically improve your consistency, confidence, and overall court performance.

Why Is Drilling So Important?

Drilling helps you isolate specific areas of your game and repeat them until they become second nature. Unlike match play, where unpredictability reigns, drills offer repetition and control. This allows you to build muscle memory, enhance shot accuracy, and strengthen footwork patterns—all without the pressure of scoring.

When players drill regularly, they develop better reflexes and decision-making skills.

Key elements like dinking, third-shot drops, volleys, and resets all benefit from repetitive, focused practice. These skills often determine the outcome of high-level matches, so sharpening them through drills is essential for anyone looking to advance.

Top Benefits of Pickleball Drills

1. Improved Consistency
   Repeating shots through targeted drills builds reliable muscle memory. Over time, your dinks land in the kitchen more often, your serves hit the target, and your third-shot drops become more effective.
2. Faster Reactions
   Drills that simulate fast-paced exchanges, like volley-to-volley battles, improve your reaction time and hand speed. These are especially important for doubles play.
3. Confidence Under Pressure
   Players who drill regularly tend to feel more confident during matches. When you’ve practiced a shot 100 times in a drill, pulling it off in a tight game becomes easier.
4. Efficient Use of Court Time
   While playing full games is fun, drills make better use of your time when the goal is improvement. Just 20–30 minutes of focused drilling before or after social play can yield noticeable results.

Best Drills for All Levels

Some fundamental drills to include in your routine:

• Serve and Return Placement – Practise deep, accurate serves and returns to gain early advantage.
• Third-Shot Drop Drills – Teaches you to transition from the baseline to the kitchen with control.
• Dinking Cross-Court and Straight-On – Improves control and patience at the non-volley zone.
• Volleys and Block Resets – Essential for fast-paced exchanges and defence.

Drill with a partner. Or use a ball machine, or wall, when alone.

Just make sure each session has a clear goal, whether it’s improving accuracy, footwork, or consistency.

Make Drilling Part of Your Routine

Adding drilling into your weekly schedule is one of the fastest ways to see progress. Try allocating one session per week specifically for skills practice or arrive early to social play for 15 minutes of drilling.

Invite others to join you - it can be just as enjoyable as a game, with the bonus of long-term gains.

Conclusion

Drilling isn’t just for professionals. It’s for anyone who wants to become a better pickleball player. By building solid habits through consistent practice, you’ll elevate your game and enjoy more success on the court.

So next time you pick up your paddle, remember…

Drills make the Difference!

 Related Resources:

• pickleCOACH: The Value of Drilling vs Playing Pickleball - Why BOTH Matter For Improvement

[Created by: Irene Krajewska]