The PickleballDrillsHQ Methodology: The Complete System
By Jorge Capestany, RSPA Master Professional, and PTR International Master Professional
If you’ve ever felt like your practices are random and your players aren’t improving, you’re not alone.
Most coaches don’t have an established teaching methodology for working with players.
It’s not that you need ONE specific methodology over another. The key is to create something that works for you.
That’s where most coaches get stuck… they’re not even sure where to start.
We’ll show you our current methodology. You can use it as is or adapt it to create your own.
The key is to have SOMETHING to use and make your own.
This is especially crucial for clubs with multiple coaches.
In this post, we’ll break down the seven areas of our Teaching Methodology.
1. The Five Play Situations
Every point in tennis falls into one of five situations:
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Serving
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Returning
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Baseline Play
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Net Play (Transitions)
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Passing Shots & Lobs
That’s it… At any given time, a tennis player will ONLY be doing one of the five things above…
That’s why we decided to use these five play situations as the foundation of our teaching methodology.
Great coaching starts with clarity, and this is where it begins.
The video below details these Five Play Situations.
2. Depth Zones of the Court
Not all shots are created equal, and more importantly, not all depths are equal.
We divide the court into four depth zones to help players understand:
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When they’re offensive / When they’re neutral / When they’re defensive
👉 Key insight:
Most players don’t lose points because of bad technique…
But because they don’t account for the zone they are standing in when hitting their shots.
WHERE you are in the court should dictate WHAT shot you send back.
When players start recognizing depth:
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Shot selection improves instantly.
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Rally tolerance increases
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Errors decrease without “trying harder.”
The video below details these four Depth Zones of the court.
3. Runways of the Court
Now flip your thinking from depth (front/back) to width (side-to-side).
Runways divide the court into lanes (runways):
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Runway A / Runway B / Runway C / and Runway D
Why this matters:
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Crosscourt = higher margin
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Down-the-line = higher risk, higher reward
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Middle = creates confusion and forces errors
👉 Most points are won not by hitting harder—but by choosing better runways.
The video below details the options you have for Runways of the court.
4. Strike Zones in Pickleball
Borrowed from tennis, but critical in pickleball:
Your contact point determines everything:
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Low strike zone→defensive or neutral
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ideal strike zone (waist/chest)→offensive opportunity
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High strike zone→attack or finish
👉 Better players don’t just react—they recognize when they are in an attacking strike zone.
The video below describes how we teach the Strike Zones in pickleball.
5. Segmented Swing & Swing Speed
Technique isn’t just about “good form”, it’s about control and adaptability.
We break the swing into five segments so players can:
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Understand each part of the motion.
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Make corrections more easily.
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Build consistency under pressure
Then we layer in swing speed awareness.
👉 Here’s the truth:
Most players use only one swing speed… all the time.
But high-level players constantly adjust:
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Faster when attacking
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Slower when controlling
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Varied depending on the situation
This combination gives players:
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Better feel / More control / Ability to scale their game under pressure.
The video below details the Segmented Swing and Swing Speeds that exist in tennis.
6. Depth Lines
Depth zones tell you where to hit.
Depth lines tell you how precise you are.
These are visual targets across the court:
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Short line (kitchen)
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Mid-depth line
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Deep line (near baseline)
Think of them as built-in aiming systems.
👉 Players improve faster when they stop “just getting it in” and start hitting specific depth targets.
The video below shows how we use the depth lines and why they are important.
7. Visual Scoring
This is one of the most powerful (and underused) tools.
Instead of just playing points, you track success visually:
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Targets hit = points earned.
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Missed zones = penalties
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Specific outcomes = scoring system
This turns practice into:
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Competitive
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Measurable
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Engaging
👉 The result? Players stay focused longer and improve faster because every rep has meaning.
We use this clever trick to create visual scoring for our drills. It’s a great way to spice up a drill, making it more competitive and fun.
Putting It All Together
Most players train randomly. This system changes that.
When you combine:
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Play situations
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Depth zones
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Runways
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Strike zones
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Swing segmentation
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Depth lines
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Visual scoring