BUILD YOUR SHOT SELECTION

Green-light speedups.

The right speed-up begins with the right ball. This drill teaches you to wait for a real green light.

12 minutes · 2 players · Kitchen line

What this drill builds

Identify balls above net height, speed up with control, and reset everything else.

Set up

Start a crosscourt kitchen exchange. One partner varies the height slightly; the other calls “green” or “red” before choosing a shot.

Make the rep useful

Common miss: Deciding to attack before seeing the ball’s height.

A good rep: Your partner agrees that most of your green-light calls are correct.

The takeaway

Waiting for the right ball makes your attacks more effective and prevents the forced speed-ups that give points away.

Explore all pickleball drills · Read the fundamentals guide