6 Cone Drills to Improve Your Pickleball Game

1. Shuffle Runs

• Place four cones in an L shape with about eight feet between the cones.
• Shuffle to the side, run forward, shuffle in the opposite direction, and run forward.

2. Crossover Runs

• Place three cones in an L shape, again with eight feet of space between the cones.
• Cross your outside foot over the inside to initiate the side-shuffle to the first cone, run forward to the second cone, cross the opposite foot to side-shuffle in the opposite direction, and run forward.

3. Diagonal Shuffles

• Place four cones in a zigzag shape, with about eight feet between the cones.
• Shuffle to each cone, touching them each time.

4. Backpedal Runs

• Place three cones in an L shape, again with eight feet of space between the cones.
• Run backward to move across the space, forward to move to the next cone, and repeat.

5. Forehand/Backhand Drills

• Place two cones about eight feet apart.
• Grasping your racquet, run across to one cone, practice your forehand, and run back.
• Start with your forehand only, then your backhand.

6. Combined Practice Drill

• Using three cones this time, run to each side cone practicing both your forehand and your backhand, returning to your center cone as your base each time.

Also see “The Racquet-Sport Workout” with drills and exercises to improve your range of motion, joint stability, and overall racquet-sport performance.

This was excerpted from “How to Improve Your Pickleball Game” which was published in the October 2022 issue of Experience Life.