Playing More Is Not the Same as Getting Better

Lately I have been thinking a lot about the difference between playing and drilling.

Not in a theoretical way. In a practical way. The kind that shows up when you realize you are playing four times a week, competing hard, sweating, having fun, and yet certain parts of your game are not moving forward the way you expected.

There is a point in every player's development where more games stop being the answer. That moment can feel confusing, especially because playing is the fun part.

This week I want to unpack why drilling matters, when it becomes necessary, and how to think about it without draining the joy out of the sport.

When you first start pickleball, playing is everything.

Games give you context. They teach scoring, positioning, and movement patterns. They introduce pressure in a way drills never can. Early on, simply being on court is enough stimulus for rapid improvement. Beginners should mostly play. The game itself provides more than enough repetition and challenge.

But something shifts as players move into the intermediate level.

You begin to recognize patterns. You know where you should stand. You understand the importance of the third shot drop. You realize that better players win most of their points at the kitchen. Yet in live games, you still miss that drop under pressure. You still pop up dinks. You still speed up balls that are not truly attackable.

The issue is not knowledge. It is repetition under controlled conditions.

This is where drilling enters.

Muscle memory is a misleading term. Muscles do not store memory. The nervous system does.

When you repeat a movement pattern, neural pathways become more efficient. Signals travel faster. Fewer accessory muscles fire unnecessarily. Timing improves. The movement becomes smoother and more automatic.

This process requires volume.

In a typical recreational game, you might hit five or six third shot drops total. You might engage in a handful of extended dink rallies. That is not enough repetition to deeply ingrain a pattern. You are getting exposure, but not the density your nervous system needs to consolidate a new skill.

In a focused drill session, you might hit fifty or one hundred controlled drops in twenty minutes. The nervous system thrives on that kind of repetition. Each successful rep reinforces the pathway. Each error provides immediate feedback without the distraction of score or competitive pressure.

There is also something important about variability. When you drill, you can isolate a single movement and repeat it until it stabilizes. Live play introduces too many variables at once. The shot you are trying to build gets buried under positioning decisions, score awareness, and opponent behavior. Drilling removes the noise and lets the skill take root.

Drilling accelerates skill acquisition because it removes variability and amplifies repetition.

Playing has psychological advantages that drilling cannot replicate.

Games develop decision making under stress. They train emotional regulation. They expose you to unpredictability, which strengthens adaptability and pattern recognition. Playing also reinforces motivation. It reminds you why you started.

Drilling, on the other hand, strengthens focus and discipline. It builds patience. It forces you to confront weaknesses directly rather than avoiding them in the flow of a game. Many players subconsciously avoid shots they are uncomfortable with during live play. In a game, you can route around your weaknesses. Drills remove that escape route.

There is also a confidence dimension that does not get discussed enough. Players who have drilled a skill extensively bring a different quality of belief to the game. They have already succeeded with the shot dozens or hundreds of times in lower-stakes conditions. That history matters when a critical point arrives.

Physiologically, playing often pushes heart rate higher and engages reactive movement patterns. Drilling can be intense, but it is usually more controlled. The body experiences load differently. Both are useful and both have a place in a well-rounded practice routine.

The key is not choosing one over the other. It is knowing when to shift the ratio.

For most players, structured drilling becomes valuable once you reach a consistent intermediate level.

If you can sustain rallies, if you understand positioning, if you recognize your recurring mistakes, that is the moment drilling becomes a multiplier.

Beginners need exposure. Intermediates need refinement. Advanced players need precision.

As you move toward higher levels, improvement depends less on random exposure and more on intentional repetition. The margin between winning and losing points becomes smaller. Unforced errors matter more. Shot quality becomes decisive.

Drilling allows you to raise your floor, not just your ceiling. Your best shots may already be there. What drilling builds is the shot you can produce when tired, under pressure, in a deciding game.

Third Shot Drop Repetition Drill

Two players set up with one at the baseline and one at the kitchen line. The baseline player feeds themselves or receives a return and practices repeated third shot drops. The goal is not winning the point. The goal is trajectory, arc, and depth. Focus on clearing the net comfortably and landing in the kitchen with margin. Aim for consistency before pace. Over time, add movement to simulate live conditions.

Dink Consistency Crosscourt Drill

Both players stand crosscourt at the kitchen and rally exclusively with soft dinks. The objective is sustained control rather than attack. Count consecutive successful shots. Set a target number and reset if you miss. This builds touch, patience, and feel for spin and height. Crosscourt gives more margin and is ideal for repetition.

Transition Zone Reset Drill

One player starts in the transition zone while the other is at the kitchen. The kitchen player hits moderate pace balls. The transition player practices soft resets into the kitchen while advancing. This drill directly addresses one of the most difficult parts of the game. It trains touch under pressure and reinforces calm mechanics in uncomfortable positions.

Speed Up and Counter Drill

Both players begin at the kitchen. After several controlled dinks, one player initiates a speed up from an appropriate height. The other practices controlled counters rather than reflexive swings. This teaches discernment. Not every ball should be attacked. It also builds hand speed and defensive stability.

Serve and Return Depth Drill

This one is often overlooked but foundational. Players alternate serves and returns with a focus on depth and consistency. Deep returns allow time to advance to the kitchen. Deep serves push opponents back and limit their options. Improving depth here simplifies the rest of the rally and is one of the highest-leverage improvements an intermediate player can make.

Players who only play often plateau. They accumulate experience but not enough structured repetition to correct weaknesses. The game keeps moving but certain shots stay frozen.

Players who only drill can become technically sound but uncomfortable in chaotic environments. They may struggle with timing under pressure because they have not integrated skills into live play.

The most sustainable development comes from blending both. A simple framework is to dedicate at least one session per week to focused drilling once you are intermediate. As goals become more competitive, that percentage may increase. But the goal is not to drill instead of playing. The goal is to drill so that playing feels different.

Drilling is demanding because it exposes you.

There is no scoreboard to distract you. No partner to carry momentum. You are left with the quality of your mechanics.

But this is also why it works.

Repetition builds efficiency. Efficiency builds confidence. Confidence stabilizes performance under stress.

Over time, drilling shortens the gap between what you know you should do and what you actually execute in games. That gap is where most frustration lives. You understand the shot. You have seen it work. But under pressure, something breaks down.

Drilling closes it. Not instantly. But reliably.

Playing is what makes pickleball addictive. Drilling is what makes you better.

At some point in every player's journey, the question shifts from how often you play to how intentionally you practice. That shift can feel uncomfortable. It can also be transformative.

Boris.

tl;dr: Playing builds awareness, adaptability, and competitive instincts. Drilling accelerates skill acquisition through high repetition and neural efficiency. Intermediate and advanced players benefit most from structured drill sessions. Blending games and drills raises both consistency and your performance ceiling.

Disclaimer: This newsletter is for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. The content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking it because of something you have read in this newsletter.