Best Pickleball Drills: Fix What Actually Breaks in Games

Find the Drill That Matches Your Leak

Deep Target Drill

Fixes: Short serves, short returns, and low-margin misses.

1. Mark the back third of the service box with cones, chalk, or a visual landmark.
2. Hit 10 serves or 10 returns to one side.
3. Count only balls that land in the target area and stay in bounds.
4. Repeat from the other side.

Measure: Start with a goal such as 7 of 10 in the back third. Increase pace only after depth becomes reliable.

Layer it: Add movement after the return, then have the feeder hit the next ball so the returner must arrive at the kitchen under control.

Solo setup: A basket of balls makes repetition easier, but emptying the basket is not the goal. Count only serves or returns that reach the intended depth and target.

If the ball is missing because of the stroke rather than the target, review Mastering the Pickleball Serve and How to Return a Serve in Pickleball.

Deep Return and Advance Drill

Fixes: Short returns, rushing forward, and arriving late at the kitchen.

1. The feeder serves legally from the baseline.
2. The returner sends the ball deep and begins moving forward.
3. The feeder catches the return at first, then gradually begins hitting a controlled third shot.
4. The returner must split step before the feeder contacts the next ball.

Measure: Track two things: return depth and whether the player is balanced at the next opponent contact. The server and returner can keep separate scores because a short serve can still produce a good return, and a deep serve can still receive a poor one.

Watch for: The return is not finished when the ball lands. It is finished when the player is balanced for the next opponent contact. I see the same sequence from the sideline all the time: a return lands around the service line, the returner takes one or two rushed steps forward, and the third ball reaches them while they are still moving.

It feels like they lost the third-shot battle, but the mistake often happened one shot earlier. Most players do not arrive late because they are too slow. They arrive late because the return gave away time and they run through the next contact instead of stopping before it.

This drill connects directly to Pickleball Transition Zone.

Third-Shot Drop Progression

Fixes: Drops that land short, float high, or disappear when the feed becomes more realistic.

Step 1 — Walk the Drop Back: Start in the transition zone with a predictable feed. Land several controlled drops, then move one step farther back. Continue until the player reaches the baseline.

Step 2 — Baseline Drop Exchange: One player stays at the kitchen and sends return-like balls deep to the forehand, backhand, straight-ahead, and crosscourt lanes. The baseline player hits only drops while remaining behind the baseline.

Step 3 — Drop and Advance: After a useful drop, the baseline player advances only as far as they can become balanced before the kitchen player contacts the next ball. The kitchen player applies controlled pressure and the point becomes live.

Do not stay on the easy feed too long. Once the drop settles down, make the player move and earn the kitchen.

Measure: Count drops that force contact below net height or prevent a comfortable attack. Give the ball enough arc to clear the net safely. The goal is not the lowest possible drop; it is a ball the kitchen player cannot attack comfortably.

Limitation: Staying behind the baseline is useful when isolating the contact, but it does not train the movement that should follow a successful third shot. Stabilize the ball first, then progress to Drop and Advance.

Fix the stroke itself in How to Hit a Better Third Shot Drop.

Third-Shot Drive Target Drill

Fixes: Wild drives, oversized swings, and pace without placement.

1. The feeder sends a return-like ball toward the baseline player.
2. The baseline player lets the ball bounce and drives toward a defined target: middle, hip, or low through the center.
3. The kitchen player blocks the ball back under control.
4. After 10 drives, switch roles.

Measure: Count drives that reach the target while staying low enough to limit an aggressive counter.

Coach Sid note: I started teaching the drive around the next ball because too many players judged a third-shot drive by how fast it traveled. Once a player has to name the target and be ready for the fifth, the drive stops being a swing contest. A chest-high drive into settled paddles is not pressure; it is a feed.

For the swing and target choices behind this drill, use Third Shot Drive in Pickleball.

Drop-or-Drive Read

Fixes: Predetermined third shots and poor return reading.

1. The feeder varies the return depth, height, and pace.
2. The baseline player must call “drop” or “drive” before contact.
3. The point becomes live after the third shot.
4. Score one point for the correct decision and one point for useful execution.

Measure: Separate decision quality from shot result. A correct choice with an imperfect swing is different from a clean shot chosen at the wrong time.

The tactical decision behind the drill is covered in Third Shot Strategy.

Midcourt Crisis Drill

Fixes: Floating resets, panic swings, and poor defense from the transition zone.

1. One player begins at the kitchen line. The other starts in the transition zone.
2. The transition player feeds a controlled, attackable ball that bounces in the kitchen.
3. The kitchen player attacks toward the transition player’s feet or body.
4. The transition player tries to reset the ball into the kitchen and neutralize the point.
5. After the first reset attempt, play the point live on half the court.

Measure: Count attacks that the transition player neutralizes without creating an easy follow-up attack.

Watch for: The panic usually shows up before the swing. The player keeps moving through contact, stands too tall, or tries to win the point from midcourt. I started using the Four O’s in my reset teaching after seeing the same problem over and over: players recognize the need to reset one ball too late, after the feet are still moving and the contact has already drifted away from the body. Simplify the feed until the player can stop, soften the hands, and make the attacker hit one more ball.

Beginner version: The kitchen player feeds at 50–60 percent pace and the point stops after the reset.

Advanced version: Vary pace and location, then use rally scoring to 7 or 11.

Use Resetting in Pickleball for reset mechanics and Pickleball Transition Zone for midcourt movement.

Transition Ladder

Fixes: Poor reset control at different court distances.

1. The defender begins one step behind the kitchen line.
2. The feeder sends controlled pace toward the defender.
3. After three successful resets, the defender moves one step backward.
4. Continue toward the baseline, then work forward again.

Measure: Track the farthest court position where the player can still reset without over-swinging.

Crosscourt Dink Shape Drill

Fixes: Flat dinks, balls that sit up, predictable placement, and poor recovery after contact.

1. Two players dink crosscourt and begin with a cooperative rhythm.
2. Alternate between the opponent’s inside foot and outside foot while maintaining safe net clearance and useful depth.
3. Mix dead, slice, and topspin dinks without sacrificing balance or recovery.
4. After 10 controlled balls, either player may change direction or attack a clearly attackable dink.

Measure: Track the longest rally that stays unattackable while the players deliberately change shape, depth, spin, and target.

Layer it: After the direction changes, the receiver must recover without leaning or opening a large gap. Continue until a genuinely attackable ball appears.

Watch for: Do not let the streak hide bad recovery. A player can keep the ball going while leaning farther into the kitchen after every contact. The streak looks fine until the opponent changes direction.

Clean up the contact in How to Improve Your Pickleball Dinking, then add purpose with the Pickleball Dinking Strategy Guide.

Dink-to-Attack Game

Fixes: Forced speed-ups, passive dinking, and poor decisions when a neutral rally becomes attackable.

1. Two players begin straight ahead on half the court. The feed does not count.
2. Complete five controlled dinks before either player may attack, redirect, lob, or otherwise break the cooperative pattern.
3. After five, either player may attack, redirect, lob, or continue dinking. The first noncooperative shot makes the point live.
4. Play the rally out and use rally scoring to 7 or 11.

Measure: Track whether the first noncooperative shot was a good decision, whether the initiator was ready for the response, and who won the rally after that choice.

Watch for: Do not let the required dink count become a countdown to a forced attack. Five dinks create permission to attack; they do not make the next ball attackable.

Beginner version: Require five cooperative dinks, then allow only an obvious attackable ball to start the live point. If the rally repeatedly breaks before five, reduce the count to three and rebuild from there.

Advanced version: Assign one player to hunt the attack while the other resets and tries to regain neutrality. Switch roles every five points.

Attack-or-Reset Recognition Drill

Fixes: Attacking low balls and resetting attackable ones.

1. The feeder alternates between high attackable balls and low neutral balls.
2. The hitter must call “attack” or “reset” before contact.
3. Attackable balls are directed toward the hip, middle, or moving feet.
4. Low balls are reset or dinked safely.

Measure: Score the decision separately from the outcome. The purpose is to recognize permission before swinging harder. A ball above the net may give you permission to attack. A ball below it usually does not—especially when you are off balance or reaching.

Use Pickleball Shot Selection, Speed-Ups in Pickleball, and Resetting in Pickleball.

Speed-Up Plus-One Drill

Fixes: Admiring the speed-up, dropping the paddle after attacking, and reacting late to the counter.

1. Both players begin at the kitchen line.
2. The feeder sends a neutral or dead dink that the attacker can speed up without reaching.
3. The defender counters the attack while the attacker prepares immediately for the next ball.
4. Play the exchange live after the counter and switch roles after 10 repetitions or five scored points.

Measure: Count speed-ups followed by a balanced ready position and a playable second contact. Separately note whether the paddle initially covered a likely counter lane without becoming locked there.

PickleTip cue: The speed-up is not the finish. It is the first ball in a two-ball pattern. Attack direction can narrow the most likely counter lanes, but it does not guarantee where the return will go. Anticipate a lane, but do not commit so early that you cannot react elsewhere.

Watch for: Players often admire the attack or assume it ended the point. The paddle should already be preparing for the counter before the opponent contacts the ball.

Ready-Paddle Reaction Drill

Fixes: Paddle drop, oversized counters, poor target control, and feeling jammed at the kitchen.

1. Both players begin at the kitchen line and use firm, controlled volleys.
2. Start with a butterfly pattern: one player volleys down the line while the other volleys crosscourt, creating alternating forehand-backhand contacts.
3. Switch directions, then progress to body, shoulder, elbow, hip, and reachable outside lanes.
4. Once control is stable, each player tries to direct the ball slightly downward while the receiver neutralizes and attempts to reverse who owns the downward angle.

Measure: Count compact contacts where the paddle remains in front, returns to ready position before the next ball, and changes target without a large backswing.

Layer it: For a short controlled set, both players may stand about one foot inside the kitchen to reduce reaction time, then move back behind the line. Keep the pace controlled. The purpose is quicker preparation, not reckless body targeting at close range. This is an artificial reaction constraint, not a position you would use to volley during a legal point; the USA Pickleball Official Rulebook governs non-volley-zone faults.

Beginner warm-up: A player may tap the ball once to themselves before volleying it back. Use this briefly for tracking and paddle-face awareness, then progress to direct volleys because the self-tap does not occur in normal play.

Use Paddle Position in Pickleball.

Transition Survival Game

Fixes: Handling firm pace, surviving from disadvantage, and advancing without rushing.

This is the layered, live version of Midcourt Crisis. Some players know a similar game as Fireball.

1. One player begins near the baseline or in deep transition. The other begins at the kitchen line.
2. The kitchen player starts with a firm, controlled pressure feed and then tries to keep the advancing player back.
3. The advancing player may use drops, drives, and resets—but no lobs—to work toward a neutral or offensive position.
4. Play half court, straight ahead or crosscourt. The advancing player plays to 7 while the kitchen player plays to 11.

Measure: Track how often the advancing player reaches a neutral or offensive position while staying balanced before each opponent contact.

Watch for: Do not sprint forward because one ball was good. Advance as quickly as you can remain balanced. The number of balls required to reach the kitchen depends on the quality of each shot, not on a predetermined rush forward.

Advanced variation: After an aggressive drop, advance only as far as you can become balanced before the opponent contacts the ball. The goal is to pressure the next exchange, not to run blindly into a hands battle.

Terminator Drill

Fixes: Baseline attack placement, kitchen defense, and counter-pressure.

1. One player starts at the kitchen line and feeds a high ball toward the baseline player.
2. The baseline player lets the ball bounce and drives toward a defined target.
3. The kitchen player blocks or counters while trying to keep the baseline player back.
4. The point continues live on half the court.
5. Rotate straight ahead, crosscourt, even side, and odd side.

Measure: Baseline player tracks useful drives. Kitchen player tracks blocks and counters that stay low and controlled.

This is a drive-and-counter exercise. Review Third Shot Drive in Pickleball before increasing pace.

Survivor Drill

Fixes: Overhead pressure and defensive survival.

1. One player begins at the kitchen line. The other begins near the baseline.
2. The baseline player feeds a lob.
3. The kitchen player hits a controlled overhead toward the defender.
4. The defender tries to keep the ball playable and recover court position.
5. Play half court and switch roles after a set number of points.

Measure: The defender tracks balls kept playable, balls that reduce the quality of the next attack, and rallies that recover toward a more neutral court position. The attacker tracks overheads placed away from the defender’s strongest recovery lane.

Keep this focused on overhead defense. With two players, the job is survival and recovery—not doubles communication.

Shot choice: Against a hard overhead, a drive may be more realistic than trying to produce a perfect soft reset from deep court. A defensive lob, reset, or lower neutral ball may also be correct. Choose the response that buys time, lowers the next contact, or helps recover position.

For a larger collection of game-like formats, scoring ideas, and competitive challenges, use Coach AJ’s favorite fun pickleball drills and practice games.

Call-and-Cover Drill

Fixes: Middle-ball hesitation, late calls, and unclear ownership.

1. Four players begin in normal doubles positions.
2. The feeder intentionally sends balls through the middle, toward lobs, and into switching situations.
3. The receiving team must call “mine,” “yours,” or “switch” before contact.
4. Stop and replay any rally where the call comes too late to help.

Measure: Track whether every middle ball receives an early, useful call.

Watch for: Late calls often sound loud enough but arrive after both players have already made the same decision. At an Exchange NOLA tournament, I watched both partners hesitate over the same middle dink. By the time one finally reached in with a forehand near the hip, the other partner already had a paddle set in front. The late decision turned a routine dink into a pop-up, and the other team put the next ball away. Count the call only when it changes what the partner can do.

Use Pickleball Partner Communication Guide and Pickleball Middle Shot Strategy Guide.

Move as a Unit Drill

Fixes: Partners separating, open seams, and one player moving without the other.

1. One team begins at the kitchen line.
2. The feeder moves the ball from sideline to middle to opposite sideline.
3. The team shifts together while maintaining useful spacing.
4. Add live points after the movement pattern becomes consistent.

Measure: Watch the space between partners. The seam should move with the ball instead of opening unpredictably.

Use Doubles Pickleball Strategy and Pickleball Partner Strategies.

Three-Player Two-Up, One-Back Rotation

Fixes: Transition decisions, third-shot quality, and defending against two established kitchen players.

1. Two players begin at the kitchen line. One player begins near the baseline.
2. One kitchen player feeds a return-like ball to the baseline player.
3. The baseline player chooses a drop or drive and plays the rally against both kitchen players.
4. Rotate the baseline player after three rallies or after one scored game to 5.

Measure: Track whether the baseline player makes a useful third-shot decision and reaches a neutral position without forcing the next ball.

Example DRILL Progression: Fixing Short Returns

This is what the progression looks like when the recurring leak is a return that keeps landing short.