One of the most common questions players ask as they improve is:
“Do the drills change as you move up in level?”
The short answer is yes - but not as much as people think.
At the 4.5 level, the biggest shift isn’t what you drill, but how you drill it. Many “beginner” drills still apply.
The difference is that they’re adapted to increase pressure, decision-making, and accountability.
You’re no longer just repeating shots - you’re training how to play points.
Lower-level drills often focus on keeping the ball in play. At 4.5, drills should:
If a drill allows you to succeed without thinking, it’s probably not doing much for you anymore.
The figure 8 pattern is a perfect example of a novice drill that scales well.
At a higher level:
The goal isn’t just consistency - it’s control while moving, and learning how to recover after each shot.
There’s a reason so many high-level players rely on skinny singles.
By limiting the court, you:
Every decision is yours, and every mistake is exposed. At the 4.5 level:
Skinny singles force you to live with your decisions, which is exactly what match play demands.
Cross-court dinking remains foundational, but the focus changes. Instead of simply sustaining the rally, you’re working on:
At this level, success isn’t measured by how long you dink - it’s measured by whether your dinking leads somewhere.
Lower-level players often struggle to escape the transition zone and end up “living” there.
As a result, this area of the court is where rallies are frequently won or lost, making it essential to prioritize drilling shots that help players move out of the transition zone effectively.
4.5-level reset drills should:
The emphasis is on survival first, advantage second. Trying to “win” from the midcourt is usually a mistake - neutralizing the rally is the real skill.
This drill is essentially a 1v1 version of dingles, but with intention.
One ball is neutral. One ball is attackable. Your job is to:
This trains one of the hardest skills at higher levels: knowing when not to attack.
At 4.5, lobs are no longer desperation shots - they’re tactical tools. This drill combines:
The key is realism. Lobs must be intentional, resets must be controlled, and once both players are stable, the point plays out naturally.
Drills at the 4.5 level don’t look flashier. They look harder, and that’s because they:
You don’t graduate from simple drills - you outgrow simple expectations. Train the same patterns with higher demands, greater purpose, and sharper focus.
Over time, those ordinary drills quietly become the foundation of winning points.
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