Not only is it a game that requires skill and coordination, but it is also a game that is super fun, fast-paced and the perfect way to meet new people and make friends for life.
Even when you aren’t out on the court going head to head with the other team, you always have the option of honing your skills through practice drills and other tactics.
But, what do you do when you don’t have anyone that you can practice pickleball with? If you’re currently wondering this, we’re here to help you.
In this guide, we’re going to be sharing with you some tips and tricks that will allow you to easily hone your pickleball skills by yourself.
From drills to equipment – you’ll find everything that you need to know about practicing pickleball by yourself here. Whenever you’re ready, just read on!
How To Practice Pickleball Alone
Practice Makes Perfect!
Just like with all other types of sport, if you want to be a great pickleball player you’re going to need to make sure that you are putting in plenty of practice.
Even if you might wish that you could be out on the pickleball court at all times or attending your group pickleball training sessions, there will be times when you’ll have to practice by yourself.
The good news is that practicing by yourself is a lot easier than you think.
So long as you make sure that you have a ball and a paddle, you’re going to be able to work on your pickleball (see also: What Muscles Does Pickleball Work Out?)skills and hone your technique in no time at all.
Once you’ve made sure that you’ve got these basics, you can then go ahead and begin searching up online pickleball instructional videos covering all aspects of the game – including the forehand, serve and volley.
This brings us to our next point.
Perfect Your Shot Ability
As we’re sure you’re already well aware, the most crucial shot in pickleball is the serve as it is the only shot that will allow you to get a point against the receiving team!
For that reason, you’re going to want to make sure that your serve is as on point as it can be, which means that you’re going to need to make sure that you’re putting in the time to learn how to legally make a serve.
Given the fact that you can only make a serve underhand, this means that you will be able to easily practice your serve on your own.
We recommend that you consider making “airshots” (without the pickleball) so that you can work on your serving technique, just make sure that you’ve got your paddle and you’re standing in an area where you aren’t going to accidentally knock anything over.
While you are working on your underarm serve, we recommend that you make sure to place specific emphasis on your arm movement, shoulder positioning, your overall posture as well as your footwork.
If you’re not too sure where to start, we recommend that you google some pickleball underarm serve training videos, there’s loads of great ones out there tailored to a variety of skill levels.
Work On Your Forehands, Volleys, And Backhands!
Your serve isn’t the only thing that you can easily practice by yourself – you can also put some time into working on your forehands, backhands and volleys, too!
Just like with the advice that we have given you for working on your serve, taking the time to work on your forehands, volleys and backhands is going to be the most effective if you are utilizing online tutorials.
While you are following these tutorials, you should make sure that you are always standing with a good posture, making sure that your legs are strong and firm, and that you are bending your knees just a little bit.
As well as this, you should also make sure that you are swaying your body a little bit to encourage a loose and relaxed stance, all the while making sure that you are either leaning to the right for forehands and to the left for backhands.
Work On Your Fitness
Just like with all other types of sport, having a good level of fitness is going to be crucial to you becoming a good pickleball player.
That being said, you should make sure that, outside of your team and solo practice sessions, you are also making sure that you are putting time into exercise.
Ideally, we recommend that you try and workout at least 2-3 times a week and potentially more if you want to play at a competitive level.
Perform Pickleball Drills
Last but certainly not least, the final way that you are going to be able to practice pickleball alone is by carrying out pickleball drills.
This is by far one of the most effective and easiest ways to improve your pickleball ability without requiring the need for another person.
There are a variety of different drills that you can try out that covers all aspects of pickleball, including the following:
Forehand and backhand pickleball drills
Serving pickleball drills
Volley pickleball drills
If you’re not too sure where to begin, YouTube has a great selection of drill videos tailored specifically for pickleball players, and the best part is that they are suitable for a whole variety of skill levels.
The Bottom Line
You’ve reached the end of the guide! Now that you’ve made the end of the article, we hope that we have been able to give you some pointers on how you can get started practicing your pickleball skills by yourself.
By following these tips and tricks that we have shared with you above, you should find that you are able to work on your pickleball ability while you are by yourself.
Thank you for taking the time to read through this guide, and goodbye for now!
Hi, I’m Michael Walter, and I am a Pickleball enthusiast. I work as a High School Physical Education Teacher, so I have an expansive knowledge of sports and its impact on physical health.
When I first took a position at my current school, one of the many things I wanted to implement in the curriculum was Pickleball.
Pickleball is a fantastic sport to keep yourself active, healthy, keep your blood pumping, and to start a good sense of competitiveness and team work.
