The Simple Drill to get Lightning-Fast Hands in Pickleball

You're not just getting quicker hands. You're getting smarter hands. And in pickleball, that's the real difference.

Want lightning-fast hands like the pros? Of course you do.

Tanner Tomassi has a simple drill that'll get you there, and the best part is you can learn it in under 60 seconds.

This isn't some complicated footwork sequence or a drill that requires a fancy setup. It's simple, effective, and it works on the exact skills that separate good players from great ones.

Love pickleball? Then you'll love our free newsletter. We send the latest news, tips, and highlights for free each week.

The Setup: Keep It Simple

Here's how the drill works:

• One player feeds a ball to their partner, who hits a dead dink back that lands out wide
• That's the starting position. Nothing fancy, nothing complicated
• Once that dink lands, the feeder speeds up the ball

The key rule: you're only working off the bounce. No volleys, no half-volleys. Just clean bounces and quick reactions.

Why This Drill Actually Works

You might be wondering what makes this drill so effective when there are dozens of hand-speed drills out there. The answer is that it trains your combo awareness at the same time as it builds your reflexes.

Here's the magic part: depending on where you speed up the ball, you're telling your partner where the next shot is likely to come from. If you hit a crossbody speed-up, for example, you know the return is probably going to be a forehand.

That's not just hand speed. That's court intelligence. This drill, do consistently and at game speed:

• Builds reaction time through repetition and pressure
• Teaches you to read your opponent's positioning based on your own shot placement
• Combines offensive and defensive skills in one compact drill
• Works on the exact scenarios you'll face in real matches

The Real Benefit: Combo Mastery

Most hand-speed drills are just about hitting faster. This one goes deeper.

By forcing you to think about where your speed-up is going and what that means for the next ball, you're building the kind of court sense that separates recreational players from competitive ones.

You're not just getting quicker hands. You're getting smarter hands. And in pickleball, that's the real difference.

Heads up: hundreds of thousands of pickleballers read our free newsletter. Subscribe here for cutting edge strategy, insider news, pro analysis, the latest product innovations and more.