5 EASY Things That You Can Do To Improve (Without a Drilling Partner)

 

Raise Your Pickleball Game Alone: Essential Solo Drilling Techniques

Introduction This instruction guide will cover 5 easy ways to improve your pickleball skills without a drilling partner. Having a place to practice, a paddle, and a basket of balls is all you need to work on essential techniques like groundstrokes, dinking, volleying, attacking shots, and serving. Use this guide to learn simple solo drills and improve your game. 1) 00:32 Groundstrokes Groundstrokes are essential for controlling the baseline and keeping the ball in play. Start by doing static drop feeds to groove your forehand and backhand swing technique. Stand in a semi-closed stance with your paddle up. Drop the ball in front of you and strike smooth, compact groundstrokes, rotating your hips and shoulders. Aim crosscourt or down the line. Focus on solid contact and controlled pace. Do 10-20 reps on each side. Then try dynamic drop feeds where you move around to hit forehands and backhands. Drop the ball short so you have to shuffle or run up to get in position. Strike solid groundstrokes after adjusting your footwork. Move laterally, forward and back. Dynamic drills improve footwork and timing. If you don't have a court, use a wall! Start with 10-20 forehands keeping your swing short, smooth and compact. Aim for a clean strike in front of your body. Then do backhands focusing on solid contact and a low to high swing path. Finish with alternating forehands and backhands, constantly adjusting your feet to find optimal striking position. Move to the ball smoothly. Wall drills hone stroke technique, footwork, and ball control. 2) 07:52 Dinking Dinking is vital for keeping the ball in play and setting up offensive opportunities. Use a wall to groove an effective dinking motion. Start with forehand dinks in an open stance with legs bent, lifting from the shoulder. Keep strokes short with clean contact out front. No wrist flipping! Do 10-20 reps then switch to backhand dinks, again focusing on compact strokes from the shoulder without excessive wrist action. Finally, alternate forehand and backhand dinks. Step in on shorter balls. Concentrate on solid technique - smooth strokes, precise contact point, ready position. Keep the ball under control. Quality over pace! Dinking drills improve fundamentals. 3) 10:35 Volleys Volleying skills win points at the non-volley zone. Start with static forehand volleys, controlling the ball with short, compact strokes, keeping contact out front. Adjust your feet but don't step in. Do 10-20 reps then move to backhand volleys using the same technique - smooth, short strokes from the shoulder, precise contact point. Finally, alternate forehand and backhand volleys which improves footwork. Shuffle to find optimal striking position. Remember to use a continental or volley grip so you can transition smoothly. Volley practice hones quick reaction time, solid footwork and crisp strokes. 4) 13:36 Attacking Shots Seize offensive opportunities by nailing attacking shots. Start in ready position with paddle low. Let the ball bounce and accelerate smoothly from low to high. Focus on solid topspin and controlled pace. Do 10-20 forehand attacks then move to backhand. Get in ready position, drop the paddle head, and accelerate up the ball. This trains the attacking motion. For backhands, use a one or two-handed swing. Concentrate on accelerating smoothly, not swinging wildly. Paint the lines or aim deep crosscourt. Attacking practice gives you weapons to take command of rallies. 5) 17:33 Serving The serve starts every point so dial it in! Use a continental grip and closed stance to maximize power. Transfer weight from back to front foot as you uncoil your hips and shoulders. Toss the ball out front and make smooth contact. Start with drop serves - serve 10-20 focusing on full rotation and weight transfer. Then do 10-20 serves tossed in the air. Serve deep with spin to set up winning opportunities. Vary placement - T serves down the middle or wide serves into the corners. Quality service practice improves technique, consistency and control. Summary With just a paddle, balls and space, you can improve all aspects of your game through solo practice. Drill groundstrokes, dinking, volleys, attacking shots and serving using the techniques in this guide. Groove solid fundamentals, sharpen footwork and build confidence through deliberate repetitions. Refine your strokes and shots without needing a partner. Get creative and devise new drills using walls or targets. Solo training will elevate your skills, tactics and pickleball IQ!