Beginner Drills to Improve Fast

You improve fastest by drilling, not just playing games. Here are five beginner drills that build real skills — most can be done with one partner, and a couple solo.

1. Dinking (control)

The dink is a soft shot that lands in the kitchen. It's the foundation of smart pickleball.

• Stand at the kitchen line across from your partner.
• Rally soft, arcing shots that land in each other's kitchen.
• Goal: 20 dinks in a row without an error. Focus on a relaxed grip and gentle lift.

2. Serve targets (consistency)

• Place a towel or cone in each corner of the service box.
• Serve 10 balls aiming deep, then 10 aiming for a target.
• Goal: land 8 of 10 serves in. Consistency first, power later.

3. Return depth (positioning)

• Have a partner serve to you; focus on returning deep near the baseline.
• A deep return buys you time to move to the kitchen line.
• Goal: 7 of 10 returns landing in the back third of the court.

4. Third-shot drop (the key beginner skill)

The third shot drop is the soft shot the serving team uses to get to the net.

• Start at your baseline; partner stands at the kitchen.
• Hit a soft shot that arcs over the net and drops into the kitchen.
• Goal: 5 good drops in a row. This single shot separates beginners from intermediates.

5. Wall practice (solo)

No partner? Use a wall.

• Stand about 10 feet back and rally against the wall.
• Mix dinks, volleys, and resets. Keep the ball controlled, not hard.
• Goal: 30 controlled hits in a row.

How to practice

• Spend 10–15 minutes drilling before games.
• Pick one or two drills per session instead of rushing through all five.
• Track a simple number (dinks in a row, serves in) so you can see progress.

Drill a little each time you play and you'll improve faster than you think.