Find out how to practice Pickleball alone…
When it comes to pickleball, you’d think that you can only play the game in singles or as doubles matches.
However, that isn’t the case at all.
If you want to build up your confidence with the game you can practice alone and it is pretty easy to do. Typically, the reason why you want to practice Pickleball alone is to enhance your skills.
In this article, we will be discussing some of the best Pickleball strategies to master when practicing.
Shortly, we walk you through some of the best tricks and tips for practicing alone. If you want to get some expert tips and strategies we recommend instructional videos to help your game. We recommend High Performance Pickleball Academy for the Ultimate Pickleball Training Course instructional videos. Please note, we earn commission (at no additional cost to you) when you click through and purchase a course.
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Here are some ideas on how to practice Pickleball alone…
Find a Wall
The first and likely one of the easiest ways to get started with Pickleball alone is by finding a wall.
This is very similar to how you would practice squash or table tennis.
The process is simple but you need to ensure that the wall you are hitting the ball against is sturdy and without any kinds of switches or other obstructions.
However, just because you are hitting the ball against the wall doesn’t mean that you can blindly rely on just any strategy or method.
Practice your control shots like dink and soft returns.
Find Tennis Court
Pickleball has its own style of court. However, if you are just starting out and don’t have easy access to a Pickleball court then practicing on a tennis court is a good alternative.
Just make sure you mark the correct side and base line dimensions.
You can practice serving the ball over the net and landing it in your opponent’s service area. You can also practice your dink and control shots.
A good power shot – landing in the back corner – is always a winner. May practice this shot as well.
Have a Big Basket of Balls
When you are playing alone, be assured that you should have access to a big basket of balls.
To stop having to constantly move to the other side of the court to retrieve the balls, we’d recommend you start with a big batch of balls.
Practice your Serve
One of the most important aspects of the game is how good your service is. You want to ensure that you are serving the ball in the right way.
That is underarm and making contact with the ball before the paddle reaches your naval area.
You can practice your serve to get the ball to land accurately inside your opponent’s service area.
Practice, practice, practice makes a perfect doubles team player. Find out Pickleball doubles rules here.
Practice your Volley – front and backhand
The volley shots in pickleball are all about quick shots and reflexes.
During a volley, you need to distance yourself seven feet away from the net (the kitchen area) to ensure that don’t make contact with the non volley area.
Volleys are best practiced against a wall because you usually need a bounce before you can return the shot.
How to Practice the Dink or Drop Shot Alone
Besides the volley drills, another important shot that is worth mastering is the dink or drop shot.
Practicing the dink shot is important because this is usually a winning shot.
This shot takes control. It is a soft shot that needs to land just over the net.
Also, practice the cross court dink. Getting the ball to land on the opposite side of the court (on the right if you are standing on the left) often means your opponent has to run to return the shot. So long as this shot bounces in the kitchen area, your opponent may need to run off court to return the shot.
If you can master this shot, you will probably win many points.
Find out more about the dink shot in our detailed guide by clicking here.
Practice Long Drive to Back of Court
With any kind of racquet game, you need to practice the long shots if you want to keep the points in your favour.
Pickleball is no different.
You need to practice the long drive shots that require a lot of strength and also strategy.
It does take you a lot of practice and strategizing to achieve the right shot in the long end of the court.
So, without any questions, practice this shot especially when you are playing alone and practising.
Practice Moving/Skipping Sideways
Besides the long shot, the dink and learning paddle control, you also need to focus on moving and skipping sideways.
Doing this increases your speed and agility on the court, allowing you to score better and faster when you are playing a tournament.
Ready to take on your opponent in a game of singles? Find out about the Pickleball singles rules here.
Conclusion
How many of these skills did you know about?
It is important to know how to practice Pickleball alone so that when you get on the court with your opponents, you win more points than you lose!
