DRILLS

Structured practice drills targeting the skills that matter most. Each drill links back to its full skill breakdown for deeper context.

Primary Skill Drills

These drills target the five primary skills every competitive player needs. Practice each one deliberately — quality reps beat mindless repetition every time.

1

Cooperative Dinking

Dinking Consistency

Practice Drill

Cooperative Dinking: With a partner, aim for 20+ consecutive dinks without errors. Start stationary, then add lateral movement. Track your longest streak. Advanced: Add crosscourt angles and varying depths within the kitchen.

Focus Areas

  • Height control: Keep the ball just 6-12 inches over the net
  • Landing zone: Target opponent's kitchen consistently
  • Soft hands: Absorb pace, don't add it
  • Patience: Wait for your opponent's mistake rather than forcing winners

Watch Out For

  • Hitting too hard - most dinking errors come from adding pace
  • Standing too far back - you should be just behind the kitchen line
  • Looking at the paddle - watch the ball all the way to contact
  • Trying to end points too early - the best dink is the one that comes back

View full skill breakdown →

2

Baseline Drop Reps

Third Shot Drop

Practice Drill

Baseline Drop Reps: Stand at baseline with bucket of balls. Practice 50 drops, focusing on consistent arc height. Mark success rate. Advanced: Have partner at net hit your drops back for continuous rally practice.

Focus Areas

  • Arc trajectory: Ball should peak well above the net (think rainbow)
  • Contact point: Hit when the ball is dropping, below waist level
  • Paddle face: Slightly open, lifting through the ball
  • Target zone: Land in opponent's kitchen, ideally mid-court depth

Watch Out For

  • Hitting too flat - needs upward arc to clear net and drop into kitchen
  • Too much pace - this is a touch shot, not a power shot
  • Not moving forward after hitting - you must close to the kitchen
  • Giving up after one miss - be ready to hit 2-3 drops in sequence

View full skill breakdown →

3

Shadow Movement

Kitchen Line Position & Movement

Practice Drill

Shadow Movement: With your partner, practice moving side-to-side without a ball. Call out "together!" as you shift. Video record to verify you're actually staying parallel. Advanced: Add random feeds to react to while maintaining sync.

Focus Areas

  • Distance from line: 1-2 feet behind kitchen line, not in it
  • Partner sync: Move together laterally - stay roughly parallel
  • Ball follows you: When ball goes to one side, both players shift
  • Split step: Small hop as opponent contacts to be ready for any direction

Watch Out For

  • One player advancing while partner stays back - creates exploitable gap
  • Backing up on hard shots - hold the line and reset instead
  • Standing too close to partner - need 8-10 feet between you
  • Flat-footed stance - stay on balls of feet, ready to move

View full skill breakdown →

4

Reset Practice

Soft Hands / Touch

Practice Drill

Reset Practice: Have partner drive balls at you with pace from baseline. Practice "resetting" them softly into the kitchen. Focus on feeling the ball stay on your paddle longer. Track success rate. Advanced: Reset while moving laterally.

Focus Areas

  • Grip pressure: Hold like a bird - firm enough not to drop, loose enough not to crush
  • Wrist give: Let wrist "give" slightly on contact to absorb pace
  • Compact swings: Shorter backswing = more control
  • Feel the ball: Maximize contact time - "catch and release" not "hit"

Watch Out For

  • Death grip on paddle - tension kills touch
  • Rigid wrist - needs to be firm but not locked
  • Big backswing - reduces control and reaction time
  • Pushing at the ball - think absorption, not deflection

View full skill breakdown →

5

Target Practice

Return of Serve Depth

Practice Drill

Target Practice: Place cones or targets in back third of court. Practice 50 returns, tracking how many land in target zone. Aim for 70%+ deep. Advanced: Have server vary serves to practice adapting contact point.

Focus Areas

  • Target zone: Back third of court, near baseline
  • Controlled aggression: Enough pace for depth, not so much you lose control
  • Depth > placement: Deep anywhere beats short anywhere
  • High percentage: Consistency matters more than aces

Watch Out For

  • Hitting too short - gives opponents easy third shot attacks
  • Going for too much - winners from return are low percentage
  • Poor footwork to the ball - rushing or reaching reduces control
  • Not moving forward after - you need to get to kitchen immediately

View full skill breakdown →

Secondary Skill Drills

Once your primary skills are at 70%+ consistency, these drills add variety and tactical depth to your game.

Serve Placement Target Practice

Serve Placement & Variation

Practice Drill

Place targets in different serve zones. Practice 10 serves to each target. Track accuracy by zone. Mix up pace and spin on each serve type.

Focus Areas

  • Deep to backhand: Most players' weaker side
  • Body serve: Jams opponent, limits options
  • Short angle serve: Pulls opponent wide
  • Pace variation: Mix hard and soft serves

View full skill breakdown →