The 4 Smartest Habits to Fast-Track Your Progress Between Pickleball Coaching Sessions

Written By Ian Hutchinson

The 4 Smartest Habits to Fast-Tracking & Maximising Your Pickleball Progress

If you’re serious about fast-tracking your game, the biggest improvements don’t happen during your pickleball coaching — they happen between sessions.

“The power of any new learning is only in the implementation and making it a habit.”

What you do in the days and weeks between pickleball lessons determines how much progress you’ll actually lock in. Playing alone can help you stay sharp — but deliberate, intentional training is what builds measurable skill.

Here are four proven habits that will multiply your progress between sessions and help you train like a pro.

Habit 1. Drill More Than You Play

“Practice doesn’t make perfect — it makes permanent.”

If you want to build new habits, you must drill more than you play.

Games are fun and social, but they’re chaotic — you only hit around 240 balls an hour in rec play. In focused drilling, you’ll hit 1,200+ specific and intentional balls per hour — five times the volume and potentially five times the learning.

That’s why Ben Johns, the world’s No.1 player, spends about 90% of his non-tournament court time drilling. It’s where he fine-tunes his micro-skills like new technical shots and tactical play patterns.

How to Structure Smart Drilling

  • Pick one weakness per session (e.g. deep returns, resets).

  • Break the skill into micro-parts — feet, contact point, swing path — and master each aspect in isolation each before combining.

  • Include one deliberate discomfort drill that feels awkward; that’s where growth happens.

  • Set repetition goals, not so much time goals — e.g 100 clean reps beats 15 distracted minutes.

  • Then make the drills as realistic as possible by scoring them and making them into mini competitive games.

  • Film occasionally (see Step 3) to track improvement.

No Partner? No Court? No Excuse.

If you don’t have a drilling partner, a bunch of balls and a net (see Section 4 for easy gear options), or even easy access to courts - then wall drills are incredibly effective.

Simply tape a short “net line” about 34 inches high on a flat wall and practice:

  • Dinks – soft, controlled rallies focusing on paddle angle and feel.

  • Serve and Drop Reps – simulate depth with your serve and then trajectory to the “net line” for your 3rd shot drops.

  • Volleys and Hand-Speed Routines – short, quick exchanges, hitting ball out in front to sharpen reflexes and control.

A good wall drill session can give you easily 500 touches in 15 minutes — no scheduling, no weather worries, no partner required.

One hour of deep, focused drilling can beat 4-5 hours of distracted play. So when tempted to “just play more games,” ask yourself: do you want to perform today or improve for tomorrow?

No Partner? No Court? No Worries! Wall drills are incredibly effective.


Habit 2. Play With Intention

“Don’t let winning (ego) get in the way of learning.”

Most players step on court hoping to “play well.” The best players step on court with a plan to train and work on 1-2 new habits specifically.

If you’re playing social games, enter each session with one or two clear intentions — small, measurable, and habit-focused.

Example Intentions

  • “I’ll split-step before every opponent contact.”

  • “I’ll aim my returns deep and middle.”

  • “I’ll slow down hands battles and focus on resets.”

  • “I’ll track the ball to my paddle on every shot.”

Make It Work

  1. Write your focus down before you play.

  2. Tell your partner your goal — accountability helps.

  3. Reflect afterwards: Did you execute it? What changed?

Intentional play transforms rec games into habit-building sessions. It’s not about winning today — it’s about embedding behaviours that beat better players tomorrow.

“It’s not about winning today — it’s about embedding habits that beat better players tomorrow.”


Habit 3. Video & Review Monthly

“Film it. Fix it. Fast-track it.”

If you’ve plateaued while others improve, the problem isn’t talent — it’s awareness.

You can’t fix what you can’t see. And yes — from personal experience, watching yourself play can be humbling and uncomfortable. But recording your play is one of the fastest accelerators for improvement.

Common Excuses — and Reframes

  • “I hate seeing myself.” → That’s why you must. Awareness = growth.

  • “I don’t have time.” → 45 minutes a month is the best ROI session you’ll do.

  • “No gear.” → A phone and tripod are enough.

Reviewing a short video reveals more than hundreds of rallies ever will - as its all about greater awareness!

Why Recording Works

  • Third-Person View: See your technical spacing, footwork, and positioning clearly.

  • Catch the Blur: Slow-motion exposes balance and timing errors.

  • Refine Technique: Review serve motion, split-step, and contact point.

  • Build Team Awareness: Improve doubles tactics, communication, and coverage.

  • Track Progress: Month-by-month clips show measurable growth.

The 45-Minute Review Routine

  1. Record: One full match (~15 min).

  2. Review: 30 min using:

    • Technical — split-step, balance, paddle up etc.

    • Tactical — serve depth, return depth, NVL (Non-Volley Line) arrival, UFEs.

  3. Track: Note serve depth %, NVL %, unforced errors.

  4. Reflect: Create a quick SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats).

  5. Re-film: After drilling, check progress.

Recommended Filming Tools

Action: Record one match this month, run your review, and pick one improvement habit to train next.

“Clarity drives control.
Video creates clarity.”


Habit 4. Invest in Smart Training Tools

You don’t need fancy equipment — just the right few tools to make training structured, efficient, and fun.

Recommended Pickleball Training Kit

These small additions transform casual hitting into purposeful, measurable practice.

Knowledge without action won’t get you where you want to go. The best players refine their systems, not just their strokes.

”Smart players train
smarter, not harder.”


Bonus Habit: The Psychology of Progress

Real improvement isn’t just physical — it’s psychological.

Mindset Shifts

  • Deliberate beats mindless: Practice with purpose and focus.

  • Consistency beats intensity: Daily micro-sessions are better than occasional marathons.

  • Discomfort = progress: Awkward means you’re growing.

  • Reflection locks learning: End every session with:

    1. What went well?

    2. What needs work?

    3. What’s next?

“Each repetition informs the next — that’s how growth compounds.”

The fastest progress comes when smart self-practice meets expert feedback. Regular check-ins with a qualified pickleball coach ensure every habit you build is the right one — faster, cleaner, and more confident.

In Summary

Fast-tracking your pickleball progress isn’t about doing more — it’s about doing the right things, deliberately.

  1. Drill more than you play to multiply reps and build the most important skills — the ones that make the biggest difference.

  2. Play with intention to embed habits and build them one by one.

  3. Video and review monthly to turn awareness into acceleration.

  4. Invest in smart tools & coaching to make training more efficient, structured and fun.

Apply these smart habits consistently and you’ll notice measurable fast-tracked gains — cleaner strokes, smarter decisions, fewer unforced errors.

You won’t just feel better on court — you’ll own your improvement.

“Clarity drives control. And control builds confidence.”


© Ian ‘Hutch’ Hutchinson & Pickleball Coaching Australia 2025

Ian Hutchinson https://www.CPRfriendly.org
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