Simple, effective drills that help new players build consistency, confidence, and court awareness. Practice these between coaching sessions to accelerate your improvement.
Drills are the fastest way to build muscle memory and improve your pickleball game. While playing games is fun, targeted drills help you repeat specific skills until they become automatic. For beginners, this means developing consistent technique that holds up under pressure.
GoodRally incorporates progressive drills into every coaching session and Foundations Clinic. Here are some of the most effective drills you can practice on your own or with a partner.
Stand at the kitchen line with a partner and practice hitting soft, controlled shots into the kitchen. Focus on keeping the ball low and controlled. Start with 10 consecutive dinks, then increase the target. This builds the touch and patience that are essential to good pickleball.
Practice your serve from different positions along the baseline. Aim for specific targets in the service box. A consistent, accurate serve is one of the most valuable skills in pickleball. Practice 50 serves per session, tracking how many land in the correct box.
Practice moving side to side along the baseline, then transitioning to the kitchen line. Good footwork means you're always in position to hit the ball cleanly. This drill builds the court movement that separates beginners from intermediate players.
Practice hitting a soft shot from the baseline that lands in the kitchen. This is the most important shot in pickleball and the one beginners struggle with most. Practice with a partner who feeds you balls, or use a ball machine if available.
With a partner, rally back and forth trying to keep the ball going as long as possible. Don't try to hit winners — focus on consistent, controlled shots. Count your consecutive hits and try to beat your record each session.
Practice moving from the baseline to the kitchen line after serving or returning. Hit one shot from the baseline, move forward, hit one from mid-court, then reach the kitchen line. This builds the movement pattern you'll use in every game.