When you are playing at the Non-Volley Zone or Kitchen Line, some points may come down to which team has better eye-paddle coordination and paddle speed to track down and reset the fastballs. To work on your eye-paddle coordination and improve your paddle speed, try the following drills:

1. Two-Pickleball Partner Toss – Grab a partner to work on your compressed ready position and eye-paddle coordination. Stand about fourteen feet away from your partner (which is the distance of the Non-Volley Zone or Kitchen), and grab two pickleballs—one for you and one for your partner. Face each other, get into the compressed ready position, and simultaneously toss the pickleballs toward each other. Continuously catch and toss the pickleballs at each other in sync with each other. Consider alternating which hand catches the pickleball and which hand throws the pickleball.

2. Rapid Volleys – Stand inside the Non-Volley Zone or Kitchen, with your partner in the Non-Volley Zone or Kitchen directly across the net from you. By standing about seven feet apart (instead of about fourteen feet if you and your partner were at the Non-Volley Zone or Kitchen Lines), you will cut down on your typical reaction time and work on speeding your paddle speed up. Volley the pickleball back and forth to one another. Try to keep the speed of the pickleball within reason so that you and your partner are able to hit the pickleball back and forth a number of times. To note, given the decreased time to react, most of the volleys will be hit with a backhand, but be ready to move your feet to hit a forehand volley if the opportunity presents itself.

3. Pattern Volleys – Now, instead of a random shot, let’s work on paddle speed, footwork, and placement of your shot. You and your partner should back up to the Non-Volley Zone or Kitchen Line. Play in only half of the pickleball court and follow the pattern: (a) straight-on volley; (b) crosscourt volley; (c) straight-on volley; (d) crosscourt volley, and so on. In other words, continuously hit volleys between you and your partner, where you will always hit straight ahead and your partner will always hit crosscourt. When ready, switch so that you always hit crosscourt volleys and your partner always hits straight-on volleys.

Key Takeaway:

1. Drill, drill, drill to improve your eye-paddle coordination and your paddle speed!