8 Pickleball Drills for Beginners (Solo and Partner)

Playing games is fun, but it is a slow way to improve. In a typical game you might hit only a handful of dinks or third shots, and you rarely get the same shot twice in a row. Drills fix that. Ten focused minutes on one skill gives you more repetitions than an hour of open play.

The eight drills below are built for beginners. The first three need only a wall and a ball. The other five need a partner and a court. Each one has a simple setup, a clear goal and a way to make it harder once it feels easy.

Before you start

• Warm up for five minutes. Light jogging, side shuffles and arm circles are enough.

• Pick one or two drills per session. It is better to do two drills well than eight drills badly.

• Count your results. Keeping score, even against yourself, keeps you focused and shows your progress.

• Use a relaxed grip. Most beginner drills are about control, not power.

Solo wall drills

Any flat, solid wall works: a handball court, a garage door or the side of a school gym, as long as you have permission. If you can, mark a line on the wall at 34 to 36 inches high with chalk or painter’s tape to represent the net.

1. Wall rally

Setup: Stand about 10 to 15 feet from the wall.

Goal: Hit forehands against the wall, letting the ball bounce once each time, and keep the rally going. Aim above your net line. Start with 20 hits in a row.

How to progress: Switch to backhands only, then alternate forehand and backhand. Later, move back to 20 feet and hit deeper, firmer shots.

2. Wall volleys

Setup: Stand about 6 to 8 feet from the wall with your paddle up in front of your chest.

Goal: Hit the ball out of the air without letting it bounce. Use short, compact punches rather than swings. Aim for 25 in a row.

How to progress: Step closer to speed up the exchange. Then try alternating forehand and backhand volleys, which builds the quick hands you need at the kitchen line.

3. Wall dinks

Setup: Stand about 7 feet from the wall, the same as the width of the kitchen. Get low with your knees bent.

Goal: Hit soft shots that strike the wall just above your net line and drop gently back to you. Let each ball bounce. Focus on a small, smooth lifting motion from the shoulder.

How to progress: Use a smaller target, such as a square of tape a foot wide, and count how many hits you land inside it. Our guide to dinking covers the technique in more detail.

Partner drills

4. Cross-court dinking

Setup: You and your partner stand diagonally across from each other, each just behind the kitchen line.

Goal: Dink back and forth cross-court, landing every ball in your partner’s half of the kitchen. Count how many you make together. Aim for 10, then 20.

How to progress: Add a rule that every dink must land in the kitchen in front of your partner’s feet. Then switch to straight-ahead dinks, which have a smaller margin for error.

5. Volley to volley

Setup: Both players stand a step or two behind the kitchen line, facing each other straight across the net.

Goal: Volley the ball back and forth without letting it bounce, at a controlled, medium pace. Keep your paddle up and your swings short. Remember not to step into the kitchen.

How to progress: Gradually increase the speed. Then aim volleys at your partner’s paddle-side hip or shoulder, the way you would in a game.

6. Serve and return

Setup: One player serves from behind the baseline, and the other returns from the opposite baseline.

Goal: The server works on landing serves deep, past the middle of the service court. The returner works on hitting deep returns and then moving up to the kitchen line. Each player hits 20 serves, then swap roles.

How to progress: Place a towel in the back third of the service court as a target. For returns, try to land the ball within a few feet of the baseline. Our guide to serve rules explains how to keep your serve legal.

7. Drop shot ladder

Setup: One partner stands at the kitchen line and feeds balls. The other starts at the kitchen line on the opposite side.

Goal: Hit soft drop shots that land in the feeder’s kitchen. After every three successful drops, take a big step back. Keep going until you are hitting from the baseline. This is the gentlest way to learn the third shot drop.

How to progress: Start at the baseline from the beginning, and after each drop, move forward a few steps and split step as your partner returns the ball.

8. Skinny singles

Setup: Play singles using only half of the court, split down the centerline. Both players use only the right-side court, for example. Use normal scoring to 11.

Goal: This is a mini game, not a pure drill. With a narrow court, you have to rely on placement, depth and soft shots rather than angles. It is also a great workout for moving forward and back.

How to progress: Add a rule that both players must reach the kitchen line within the first four shots. Or play only with dinks and drops, where any ball hit hard is a lost point.

A sample 45-minute practice

If you have a partner and a court, try this:

1. Warm-up and easy rallying: 5 minutes.

2. Cross-court dinking: 10 minutes.

3. Volley to volley: 5 minutes.

4. Drop shot ladder: 10 minutes each, swapping roles once.

5. Skinny singles to 11: 5 minutes.

On your own, 20 minutes at a wall, split between rallies, volleys and dinks, can make a noticeable difference within a few weeks.

Tips to get more from every drill

• Focus on one cue at a time. For example, “knees bent” during dinking, or “paddle up” during volleys.

• Stop and reset when you get sloppy. Practicing a bad habit just makes it stronger.

• Mix in game pressure. Play short games to 5 or 7 within a drill to keep things competitive.

• Track your numbers. Write down your best streaks and aim to beat them next time.

FAQ

How often should beginners do drills?

Even one or two short sessions a week makes a difference. Many players get good results by drilling for 20 to 30 minutes before open play.

Can I practice pickleball alone?

Yes. Wall drills are excellent for solo practice, especially for volleys and dinks. You can also practice serves alone with a bucket of balls on an empty court.

Do I need a ball machine?

No. A ball machine is useful, but a wall and a cooperative partner cover nearly everything a beginner needs.

What is the most important drill for beginners?

If you only do one, make it cross-court dinking. It builds touch, patience and good positioning at the kitchen line, which are all central to winning doubles.

Quick recap

• Drills give you far more repetitions of a single shot than games do.

• Wall drills (rallies, volleys and dinks) are perfect for solo practice.

• Partner drills build dinking, volleying, serving, returns and drops.

• Give every drill a goal and a count, and progress only when it feels easy.

• Short, regular sessions beat occasional long ones.