Where to start? Something cute and funny? Something for beginners? How about what the most important points are in each game, that help insure you slide the odds in your favor to win....well that one will come in a future post, I promise! Today's post is a drill to Up Your Game - 

At every outing, so many of us warm up - we start out dinking, then we do baseline drives, and then serves. But, we skip the third shot drops and we rarely drill.

Try this one - and see how it helps improve your read of the game and build muscle memory.

Minimize Errors with This Advanced Pickleball Drill

Error Minimization Drill - No Attacks

This is a new one for most. We’ve only heard of a few people that utilize this advanced pickleball drill…but man, is it effective.

The gist: you don’t hit ANY attacking shots for an entire game, at least.

No speedups. No overheads. No nothin’.

You can only hit third shots, resets or dinks. Think you can do it?

Train for Consistency & Shot Selection

The goal is to outlast your opponent and minimize errors. Consistency above all else.

This is an extremely effective way to harness patience, improve consistency and force you to think analytically about shot selection, and just as importantly, shot creation.

Shot Creation: strategic shot placement that forces your opponent into playing certain balls to you.

Think of a third shot that lands at your opponent’s foot on the backhand side. Often, you’ll earn yourself a pop up. Identifying these patterns is like learning cheat codes.

By contrast, you’ll also begin to better read your opponent’s shots and tendencies. You’ll develop an acumen for identifying smart vs not-so-smart shot selection.

Perhaps you’ll notice the same patterns in your own game.

Can you win a game, or even a match, if you never hit an attacking shot?

We bet you can. In fact, we’d be willing to bet that this strategy is not only great for training, but can also win you most matches, particularly if you’re under 4.5.

Source: the dink pickleball by Thomas Shields on March 27, 2023

Let me know if this is helpful - and Happy Pickling everyone! Check out the site often for fun tips, serious drills and great pickleball lifestyle!!

Best,

Wendee