Pickleball Practice Equipment
There is a huge learning curve when we started playing pickleball. We were fortunate to have a tennis background, which many pickleball players have. This really helps with paddle and ball coordination, serving underhand and returning shots. Practising at home was a big part of how quickly we developed our feel for the use of a pickleball paddle and the pickleball.
Click on the image to purchase our preferred practice equipment. More details on these products are below.
We are lucky enough to have a large garage and a portion of our basement is unfinished – perfect places to practice. We also utilized a local tennis court that had pickleball lines painted on it. Driveways and even decks can be great places to practice as well.
Practising outside of play helps improve muscle memory, feel for your pickleball paddle and the pickleball connection. Often we would practice dinks together but it is also great to have a practice area that I can go by myself to practice dinks and quick hands. Target practice helps with improving ball placement.
One of the easiest and cheapest practice options is to put pickleballs on a string in the garage and take swings. This can develop your feel for the sweet spot on the paddle and eye hand coordination.
Of course you can always rent a court or utilize a local outdoor court for practice. If you do plan to do a lot of practising at a local court this ball cart may be worth considering as an addition to your practice equipment.
A portable ball carrier on wheels makes it easy to bring practice balls to and from the court. The large capacity basket holds 100 balls. The mesh top keeps balls in the basket when moving and there are triple side pocketsfor extra storage. Casters lock. Can be used indoors and outdoors.
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TIP: When we started playing we used our regular pickleball paddle and the pickleball for our practice sessions. Now that we have more expensive paddles and court balls that are used on professional surfaces we have practice pickleball paddles and pickleballs to avoid contamination.
Practice equipment options include simple wall mounted target practice pads, rebounder nets that include practice nets, self use ball aids and finally ball launchers. Temporary net sets also make great practice tools. Some sets also convert to half width nets.
See below for specifics on different types of practice equipment or Click here to see many different options of pickleball practice equipment available for purchase.
Pickleball Practice Pads
Our first piece of pickleball practice equipment was a wall mounted practice pad or dink pad as it is sometimes called. We mounted it in the garage on a piece of plywood. This is a very cost effective practice item that can be mounted to the wall in a basement or garage. Mounted correctly it gives a target for you to send a bounced ball to dink heights and angles and can be used solely or wit a partner. It can also help improve reaction time when you work on sideways shuffles and returning the ball back to the board after it bounces. Even volley rallies can be practised. If you only buy one piece of practice equipment for your home, this is it. Placing a non-volley zone line on the floor at the correct distance will get you used to staying out of the kitchen.
Below are some of the options available.
Wall mounted training dink pad. This is the one we purchased. Mounted to the wall at the correct height, it can help train for placement of dinks and improve reaction time.
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If you have a larger wall, this wall mounted dink pad has all the same features but is wide enough for two players to practice at the same time. It also features more targets for ball placement.
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This portable dink pad on wheels provides a lot of flexibility in training. It can be used indoors or outdoors. The height of the net is adjustable. It can be used as a dink board or on the court as a target for serves, drives and volleys. It is duel sided. It is easy to transport to a court for practice.
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Rebounder Nets
One of the best tools for practising with or without a partner is a rebounder net. These portable nets help you practice dinks and volleys against the upper portion if you are practising alone. The ball bounces back at you to practice reaction time.. If you have a partner, practising dinks and volleys in a confined space makes these smaller nets a great option. I even these use to practice serving getting serves just over the net. We use ours in the garage in the summer and basement in the winter.
Below are some of the options available.
This rebounder net can also be used with the rebound net up or down. With the net down dinking and short games can be played by two people. It comes with practice paddles and balls. This is the set we have.
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This portable pickleball rebounder net features targets and comes with lines and a carrying case. It is 6 feet wide and six feet high with stablizer legs and metal frame. Can be used indoors and outdoors. 34″ high net.
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Pink portable pickleball rebounder net can be used with targets or as a single net. Comes with carrying case for the convenience of making it easy to take with your.
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Self Use Ball and Swing Aids
Self use ball and swing aids will dramatically increase your eye hand coordination, and improve swing techniques. Online videos can also help you figure out spin swings that you can practice without having to constantly retrieve a ball or need lots of balls. These practice aids require just a small place to use and are portable.
Below are some Ball and Swing Aids that I can recommend.
Pickleball trainer with string and two balls. String length is adjustable. This is a great tool for practising drop serve timing. It is designed to train serves, dinks, resets, sweet spot accuracy, footwork, overhead smashes, and hand-eye coordination, boosting your shots, volleys, and serves abilities. Take this anywhere.
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Ultimate Topspin Training Aid for Vicious Service and Powerful Bottom Hits. This solo trainer offers a kinesthetic learning experience. Build lasting muscle memory for spins. Portable and easy to carry.
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Adjustable height ball aid trainer for indoor and outdoor use. Stable design and professional design. Consistent back and forth motion. Eliminates the hassle of retrieving and picking up the ball
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Ball Launchers
Ball launchers offer a more in depth practice experience by shooting balls at set speeds, spins and times. Better suited for use on a court where more room is available. Portable versions allow for use in various locations.
From lightweight to professional options, below are a few worth considering.
The Franklin Sports Automatic Pickleball Launcher Machine is a professionally designed electronic pickleball tossing machine that can toss a ball every 8 to 9 seconds. Portable and powered by 4 D batteries (not included) or with the included AC power adapter. Holds up to 15 balls at a time. Practice forehands and backhands.
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This set is a great value – includes a ball launcher, rebounder net, 3 balls, practice paddle and carrying case. Adjustable angles and launch intervals, tossing balls 3 to 6.6 ft high with an oscillating function make it a valuable training tool.
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Premium Ball Feeder with Internal Rotation System, 80+ Ball Capacity, App Control, 20 Landing Points Programming, 4-6 Hour Battery, Adjustable Speed & Spin. 20-gear vertical angle and 30-gear horizontal angle controls for perfect shot placement. Just a note – this item is non returnable due to the 6AH external lithium battery.
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You may want to consider adding a ball carrier to your equipment if using a ball launcher.
A portable ball carrier on wheels makes it easy to bring practice balls to and from the court. The large capacity basket holds 100 balls. The mesh top keeps balls in the basket when moving and there are triple side pocketsfor extra storage. Casters lock. Can be used indoors and outdoors.
Click on the image for more information or to purchase.
Temporary Nets
Temporary full size nets can also serve as great practice equipment options. More examples of temporary nets can be found on the post discussing the pickleball net. Below are a couple options available.
This portable net offers options for heights for pickleball, volleyball and badminton. It is not regulation width but works great for smaller areas and practice. It is portable and comes with it’s own carrying case. It can be used indoors and outdoors.
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This set is the perfect temporary set for a family to play pickleball. It features a net that can be full or half size width, with the net on wheels for easy manoeuvrability, a case, balls, 2 adult paddles and 2 children’s paddles. The wheels are lockable to eensure the net doesn’t move once in position.
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Check out these other posts about the Pickleball Court and Pickleball Equipment:
Basic Features of the Pickleball Court and how to set up a temporary court
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