Official Pickleball Rule book
Official 2019 usapa-rulebook.pdf |
Dinking Drills
Involve all four players and one ball. Play 5 dinks in the kitchen under control and then the subsequent shots are made to score a point. No lobs at this point. Any hard shot other than a dink should only be attempted when the opponent returns a dink too high at chest level or above. Patience is important 5 points wins and change partners.
Another drill for two players is the windshield wiper drill. Two players begin dinking cross court and move one step towards the middle after each shot. They pass one another in the middle of the court and continue moving sideways, one step after each shot. After 10 shots they are standing on the opposite side of the court. Continue and move back to the other side with the same drill.
Points of Emphasis
The team whose both players get to the kitchen control the play and have an advantage. Own the kitchen line-toes up to the line.
Shuffle from side to side. Do not cross your feet
Return gently into the middle of the kitchen
Hold the paddle gently with two fingers instead of the death grip
Keep your eye on the ball as it travels into the middle of your paddle
The paddle head should be down for dinks. Avoid fancy slices in the beginning.
Throw a ball as in bowling over the net and look at the arc to see that to bounce in the kitchen the apex of the flight is on your side of the net
Step into the kitchen to return short dinks but step out quickly. If you are hit in the air with a ball while in the kitchen you lose the point
When you take a large step into the kitchen put your hand on your outstretched knee for balance and for a push off to get back over the kitchen line
Try not to cross over your feet from side to side but shuffle right and left.
If the ball is directed at your feet either take it in the air or step back and return the bounce shot and quickly regain the kitchen line.
Hit diagonally cross court as the distance is longer and the margin of error greater. Patience is a virtue here
If they hit it hard at your head duck
Let them make the mistake and hit the ball into the net
Wait – wait until they make a mistake and hit the ball so it comes at your chest height - now you can smash the ball back at the nearest player. If you don’t get the point on that shot they will be returning it twice as fast when they return it.
Third Shot & Third Shot Drills
One player stands on the kitchen line and the other on the opposite baseline. The ball is hit from the baseline practicing a third shot drop. Hit a shot with the apex of the arc peaking on their own side of the court, with highest point of flight about 3-4 feet before the net. The shot descends and drops down into the opponent’s kitchen. This shot is similar to throwing a soft ball underhand from your baseline over the net and bouncing in the middle of their kitchen. At the kitchen the opponent returns the third shot drop deep to the opponents baseline. Continue with the same ball hitting back and worth. Place the mats in the middle of the kitchen as a target to aim at in the third shot drop skills.
Two pairs one on each half of the court can practice the skill at the same time. A variation is to start with both players at the kitchen dinking the ball and one player takes a step back after each shot. One remains at the kitchen while the other player continues to take one step back after each of their third shot drops. When they reach the baseline they begin taking one step forward after each shot. The goal is to hit about 3 or 4 third shots moving back and then 3 or 4 moving forward. Successfully move back and forward and your on your way to mastering the third shot.
In many instances on a third shot drop you may not be able to advance completely to the kitchen line before you have to return the ball. Another drill is to ppractice from the middle of the court returning a third shot drop to your opponent standing on the kitchen line.
The other variation is to practice the hard third shot that is a flatter shot deeper to the kitchen line or just beyond the kitchen. The shot should pass over the net at a one foot height with a flat projection landing at the opponents feet and if possible their back hand.
Points of Emphasis
The third shot occurs when your team is serving. The first hit is the serve. Hit the serve deep into the opponent’s court. The second shot is the return of the serve by the receiving team. The receiver of the serve hits the ball deep down the middle of the court and quickly moves forward to the kitchen line. The team that served is now waiting on or behind the end line for the ball to bounce so they may hit the ball for the third time. The goal for the serving team on their third shot is to make progress moving to the kitchen line. Preparing for the third shot the serving team is faced with one player already at the kitchen and the second player reaching the kitchen line or close to it. Now with possibly two opponents standing at the kitchen line there are three third shot possibilities.
The first is to lob the ball over the opponents. This can be effective against beginning or intermediate players. However, against more advanced players this is discouraged as it often does not assist the third shot team (serving team) moving up to the kitchen line.
The second is to hit a hard drive one foot over the net that lands near or just behind the opponent’s kitchen line. The effect is to provide them with a difficult shot to return. Their return, the fourth shot, often will go into the net or be popped up high enough in the air for the next return to be a winner. Just before the opponent’s paddle contacts the ball the advancing serving team should stop and split step (come to a stop, face the net with feet spread). It may take another similar shot to advance all the way up to the kitchen.
The third option is to practice hitting an arching shot that drops within the kitchen and ideally towards the middle of the kitchen. The apex of the flight (or highest point of the flight of the ball) should be on your side of the court and be descending when it travels over the net. If executed correctly a shot landing in the middle of the kitchen will prevent the opponents from slamming the ball back. After a successful third shot the team may advance half way to the kitchen, stop and split step (come to a stop, face the net with feet spread) in anticipation for their next shot. It may take another similar arching shot down into their kitchen in order to reach their kitchen.
Once both teams are up to the net the dinking begins. In summary, the team that initiates the dinking is the serving team on their third shot. That shot and perhaps another similar shot may enable them to advance all the way up to the kitchen. When both teams are at the kitchen the dinking begins.
- Start by dinking the ball with paddle head down from the kitchen line to the middle of the opponent’s kitchen. Two on each side doing the same drill on half of the court. See if the two of you can return it into the kitchen, 5, 10, 20 times in a row. Place painters tape across the middle of the kitchen and have dinks land between the tape and the net.
- Using the whole court 4 players practice cross court dinks with two balls. Use two balls and have opposite players hitting to one another. Place mats in the middle of the kitchen on both courts, both sides approximately 2 feet in from the end line. The objective is to cross-court dink and hit the mat.
Involve all four players and one ball. Play 5 dinks in the kitchen under control and then the subsequent shots are made to score a point. No lobs at this point. Any hard shot other than a dink should only be attempted when the opponent returns a dink too high at chest level or above. Patience is important 5 points wins and change partners.
Another drill for two players is the windshield wiper drill. Two players begin dinking cross court and move one step towards the middle after each shot. They pass one another in the middle of the court and continue moving sideways, one step after each shot. After 10 shots they are standing on the opposite side of the court. Continue and move back to the other side with the same drill.
Points of Emphasis
The team whose both players get to the kitchen control the play and have an advantage. Own the kitchen line-toes up to the line.
Shuffle from side to side. Do not cross your feet
Return gently into the middle of the kitchen
Hold the paddle gently with two fingers instead of the death grip
Keep your eye on the ball as it travels into the middle of your paddle
The paddle head should be down for dinks. Avoid fancy slices in the beginning.
Throw a ball as in bowling over the net and look at the arc to see that to bounce in the kitchen the apex of the flight is on your side of the net
Step into the kitchen to return short dinks but step out quickly. If you are hit in the air with a ball while in the kitchen you lose the point
When you take a large step into the kitchen put your hand on your outstretched knee for balance and for a push off to get back over the kitchen line
Try not to cross over your feet from side to side but shuffle right and left.
If the ball is directed at your feet either take it in the air or step back and return the bounce shot and quickly regain the kitchen line.
Hit diagonally cross court as the distance is longer and the margin of error greater. Patience is a virtue here
If they hit it hard at your head duck
Let them make the mistake and hit the ball into the net
Wait – wait until they make a mistake and hit the ball so it comes at your chest height - now you can smash the ball back at the nearest player. If you don’t get the point on that shot they will be returning it twice as fast when they return it.
Third Shot & Third Shot Drills
One player stands on the kitchen line and the other on the opposite baseline. The ball is hit from the baseline practicing a third shot drop. Hit a shot with the apex of the arc peaking on their own side of the court, with highest point of flight about 3-4 feet before the net. The shot descends and drops down into the opponent’s kitchen. This shot is similar to throwing a soft ball underhand from your baseline over the net and bouncing in the middle of their kitchen. At the kitchen the opponent returns the third shot drop deep to the opponents baseline. Continue with the same ball hitting back and worth. Place the mats in the middle of the kitchen as a target to aim at in the third shot drop skills.
Two pairs one on each half of the court can practice the skill at the same time. A variation is to start with both players at the kitchen dinking the ball and one player takes a step back after each shot. One remains at the kitchen while the other player continues to take one step back after each of their third shot drops. When they reach the baseline they begin taking one step forward after each shot. The goal is to hit about 3 or 4 third shots moving back and then 3 or 4 moving forward. Successfully move back and forward and your on your way to mastering the third shot.
In many instances on a third shot drop you may not be able to advance completely to the kitchen line before you have to return the ball. Another drill is to ppractice from the middle of the court returning a third shot drop to your opponent standing on the kitchen line.
The other variation is to practice the hard third shot that is a flatter shot deeper to the kitchen line or just beyond the kitchen. The shot should pass over the net at a one foot height with a flat projection landing at the opponents feet and if possible their back hand.
Points of Emphasis
The third shot occurs when your team is serving. The first hit is the serve. Hit the serve deep into the opponent’s court. The second shot is the return of the serve by the receiving team. The receiver of the serve hits the ball deep down the middle of the court and quickly moves forward to the kitchen line. The team that served is now waiting on or behind the end line for the ball to bounce so they may hit the ball for the third time. The goal for the serving team on their third shot is to make progress moving to the kitchen line. Preparing for the third shot the serving team is faced with one player already at the kitchen and the second player reaching the kitchen line or close to it. Now with possibly two opponents standing at the kitchen line there are three third shot possibilities.
The first is to lob the ball over the opponents. This can be effective against beginning or intermediate players. However, against more advanced players this is discouraged as it often does not assist the third shot team (serving team) moving up to the kitchen line.
The second is to hit a hard drive one foot over the net that lands near or just behind the opponent’s kitchen line. The effect is to provide them with a difficult shot to return. Their return, the fourth shot, often will go into the net or be popped up high enough in the air for the next return to be a winner. Just before the opponent’s paddle contacts the ball the advancing serving team should stop and split step (come to a stop, face the net with feet spread). It may take another similar shot to advance all the way up to the kitchen.
The third option is to practice hitting an arching shot that drops within the kitchen and ideally towards the middle of the kitchen. The apex of the flight (or highest point of the flight of the ball) should be on your side of the court and be descending when it travels over the net. If executed correctly a shot landing in the middle of the kitchen will prevent the opponents from slamming the ball back. After a successful third shot the team may advance half way to the kitchen, stop and split step (come to a stop, face the net with feet spread) in anticipation for their next shot. It may take another similar arching shot down into their kitchen in order to reach their kitchen.
Once both teams are up to the net the dinking begins. In summary, the team that initiates the dinking is the serving team on their third shot. That shot and perhaps another similar shot may enable them to advance all the way up to the kitchen. When both teams are at the kitchen the dinking begins.