5 Drills Every Beginner Should Practice

Improvement comes from reps, not just games. These five drills build the habits that separate steady players from streaky ones.

1. Dink rally

Stand at the kitchen line and rally cross-court dinks. Count how many you can keep in a row — aim to beat your record each session.

2. Serve targets

Place two towels deep in each service box and serve for accuracy, not power.

3. Third-shot drop feed

Have a partner feed from the net while you practice a soft drop into the kitchen.

4. Ready-position resets

Volley back and forth, returning to a paddle-up ready position after every hit.

5. Split-step timing

Shadow your partner's shots, adding a split step at each contact to sharpen your first move.