Set up
Put a defender at the baseline and an attacker at the opposite kitchen line; the defender starts with a lob.
Court: One pickleball court; use the named half-court lanes when instructed
Equipment:paddles, pickleballs
Run the drill
- Start with a lob to the kitchen player, who attacks with an overhead.
- Play the point live as the defender uses drives and drops to reach the kitchen, then switch roles.
Timing: about 14 minutes for the whole block.
Roles and rotation
2 players
- Player 1: baseline defender; starts with a lob and uses drives or drops to advance
- Player 2: kitchen attacker; hits the overhead and keeps the defender under pressure
Rotate: Swap baseline defender and kitchen attacker after each short round.
Repetitions: Each player receives equal overhead and defend-forward time. Split the working time evenly.
4 players
- Players 1 and 2: baseline defending team; start with the lob, call balls, and work forward together
- Players 3 and 4: kitchen attacking team; call the overhead and maintain pressure
Rotate: Defending and attacking teams swap ends after each short round.
Repetitions: All four players play every point and both teams complete both tactical jobs. No added time is required.
Targets and cues
- Attacker hits a controlled overhead while the defender returns it and works forward with drives or drops.
- Attacker keeps the overhead in play; defender first survives, then looks to soften a ball into the kitchen.
Common failure: Rushing the next contact before the player has recovered position.
Good miss:A purposeful miss made while following the stated target and movement cue.
References and demonstrations
No external reference or demonstration is currently listed for this drill.