Four drills to improve your pickleball game

I love the Pickleball Journey boys!  Watch “4 Drills to Improve your Pickleball game.”

Dinks: Partner one stays on one side. Partner two must move from one side of the court to the other, so down the line, then cross court, return to Partner one.  Switch positions after you feel comfortable with your execution.

Drives: Partner one is at the NVZ, feeding and resetting to Partner two.  Partner two is working on topspin drives off both the forehand and backhand sides.  Switch after you have executed properly.

Drops: One partner back, one up at the NVZ.  Partner at the NVZ feeds a ball in front of the partner who is back at the baseline.  The partner at the baseline is executing third ball drops into the kitchen of his opponent.  Long dink drops in front of his partner.  The partner at the NVZ is returning the ball back to the player at the baseline.  Keep it going!

Volleys: Make eye contact.  Keep speeding up.  Targets:  shoulder, other shoulder, right hip, left hip.  Both players are at the NVZ.

Learning as an athlete, a coach, a parent and a human being

As a teacher/coach, I read a ton of books on athletics and coaching.  John Wooden’s Pyramid of Success is a great model for success.   Diana Nyad’s book on her phenomenal swim from Cuba to Florida in her 60s is another one. One of my gym buddies who helped me when I broke my leg recently gave me “Leading with the Heart” Coach K’s successful strategies for basketball, business, and life.  (Thanks Paula!)  Mike Krzyzewski from Duke University is one of the most successful coaches in college basketball history.

Here is a gem from Coach K's book: “You hear, you forget.  You see, you remember.  You do, you understand.”

Coaches and teachers cannot just lecture and talk during your instruction.  You may hear them, but you might forget.  If your coach demonstrates, you might see the skill performed, and you might remember, but you may not know if your body is ready to execute the skill.

“If you do, you understand!”  Your body will achieve muscle memory, and you will be able to execute the skill repeatedly.

I believe in less talking and demos, and more repetition for the student.  That is why I have so many ball carts and ball machines.  The more repetitions, the better your body will remember the skill and be able to replicate it repeatedly in the future.

Here is the key after drilling.  You must attempt the skill during a game situation.  If you drill on a machine or a feed from a coach, it is controlled.  To accomplish perfecting the skill in competition, you must attempt it in a game situation.  This is how you gain confidence, and you will be comfortable attempting the skill in games.

I encourage my students to drill, drill, drill, either with two, three or four players.  Execute the skill in every situation.  Paddle up and get out there to drill.

My next round robin is the Jingle Pickle at Demuth Park on Dec. 17.  Email Mary to register:  mgbarsaleau@gmail.com

My flyers are all posted on PickleballBrackets.com.

This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Four drills to improve your pickleball game