Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about the difference between playing pickleball and actually training for it. It feels like a lot of players spend hours on the court competing, but not enough time drilling or working on their weaknesses. They’re logging time, sure—but are they really getting better?
Coming from a jiu-jitsu background, I’ve learned the value of putting in focused work. I remember one day my coach asked me what I wanted to work on. I rattled off five different techniques. He stopped me and said, “Why know 100 moves you're average at, when you can drill one move 100 times and be great at it?” That mindset stuck with me—and I think it translates perfectly to pickleball.
I was watching a few players the other day during warm-ups. They volleyed a bit, did some drops and hand-speed drills, but as soon as their friends arrived, it was straight to playing games. Nothing wrong with that—but I rarely see these same players truly drilling or isolating specific skills they struggle with.
Today, I took a different approach. I borrowed the Lobster ball machine and focused solely on my cross-court drop shot. I was tempted to switch it up and practice other shots, but I told myself: “Nope. Lock in. Get this one dialed in.” I repeated the same motion over and over, making adjustments until it started to feel second nature.
Drilling may not be as fun or social as open play—but if you’re serious about improving, it’s the difference-maker. Play to enjoy the game, but drill to master it.
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