Solo Pickleball Drills

In the past, I’ve written advice on two, three, and four-person drills but now it’s time to tackle the one-person drills.

If you don’t have a ball machine but still want to drill, your next best friend is going to be a wall.

During the pandemic, I measured out the height of a net along a wall and measured out 7ft from the wall and simply hit the ball against the wall for periods of time longer than what I’d like to admit.

In this article there are other drills that I have tried as well; and I really find that drilling, even solo, is a great way to give your mind and body a break from all of the playing, without losing your touch.

Shadow Drills

What: Practice your strokes and footwork without a ball.

How: Stand in front of a mirror or just visualize an opponent. Work on your swing technique, foot positioning, and movement patterns. Focus on smooth, controlled motions and correct form.

The correct form would be, knees bent, legs about shoulder-width apart. You want to focus on balancing the body on the balls of your feet. The paddle should be resting around the midsection with your arms not too far away or close to the body. 

Why: Shadow drills help you internalize proper mechanics and improve your overall technique without the distraction of a ball.

Wall Rally

What: Use a wall to practice volleys, drops and groundstrokes.

How: Stand a few feet from a wall and hit the ball against it, maintaining a steady rhythm. Vary your shot types and angles, aiming for consistency and control. Be sure to change the distance you hit the shots as well, 7ft being the distance from the non-volley zone to the net, all the way back to 22ft from the wall (aka net).

Why: This drill helps improve your reaction time, consistency, and accuracy while providing immediate feedback on your shots.

Obstacle Course Drills

What: Set up obstacles on the court - or a clear area - to navigate around.

How: Use cones or markers to create an obstacle course. Move around, over, or between the obstacles while hitting various shots. Incorporate different movements like lateral shuffles or quick sprints. A variation of this game is to place the ball on your paddle and move around this obstacle course without dropping the ball, finding stability from the lower body and a quieter upper body.

Why: This drill enhances your footwork, agility, and ability to handle challenging court situations.

Image Credit: @saramcinness002

Self-Serve Practice

What: Refine your serving skills by practicing serves alone.

How: Grab a bucket of balls and practice different types of serves: serves with pace, that sit low, or have a low bounce, spin, and deep into the service box. Aim for specific areas of the opposite side of the court.

Placing markers on the court will help with your aim. Be sure to practice calling the score and then taking your time to serve. Too often, people will rush through the serving process, often resulting in an unforced error.

I personally like to encourage players to come up with a pre-serve routine as well. Also, remember to serve and then immediately recover into a ready position outside of the court.

Why: Focused serving practice helps you develop accuracy and confidence in your serve, which is crucial for gaining an advantage in matches.

Target Practice

What: Aim for specific target areas on the court.

How: Mark target zones on the court with tape or chalk. Practice hitting the ball into these zones from various positions. Increase the challenge by reducing the size of the targets or changing their locations.

Many people will section off the court into thirds, often trying to place groundtrokes into the back third of the court, or drops into the non-volley zone.

Why: Target practice improves your accuracy and shot placement, helping you execute precise shots during real games.

Ball Juggling

What: Practice juggling the ball with your paddle or your hands.

How: Start by lightly tapping the ball into the air with your paddle. Gradually increase the difficulty by adding spins or varying the rhythm. With your hands, aim to juggle three balls at once.

Why: Ball juggling enhances your hand-eye coordination and paddle control, making you more adept at handling different types of shots.

Ball Bounce Challenge

What: Hit the ball against the wall, let it bounce on the ground, then hit the ball twice with your paddle - the second hit will send the ball back towards the wall.

How: Drop the ball and try to hit it after one bounce, then have the ball bounce twice on the paddle. Challenge yourself by trying this drill without letting the ball bounce after it’s been hit against the wall (and stand 7ft away from the wall).

Why: This drill improves your ball control and timing, making you more adaptable to various game situations.

Image Credit: @saramcinness002

In pickleball, practice makes perfect. While playing games all of the time is extremely tempting, and drilling with a partner is essential for honing your skills, solo drills can be just as effective for improving your game.

Whether you’re looking to refine your technique, boost your fitness, or simply stay sharp, solo pickleball drills can help you make the most of your time on the court.

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