Machine or Partner

Partner or Machine? All's Fair in Love and Pickleball

All is fair in love and war — but when it comes to choosing between a partner and a machine, well, it depends on what you're after.

Machines give you relentless repetition with minimal deviation. They deliver a consistent ball through the chute — same speed, height, angle, and trajectory, every single time. That makes them ideal for building muscle memory. For instance, you can set a machine like Simon to its 30-degree dink ramp for low, cross-court dinks. Dial the speed down, and you'll get consistent cross-court dinks over and over — same spot, same height, same angle, every time. That's how footwork and stroke muscle memory get built: through repetition and clean shot execution. The machine never gets tired. You can run hundreds of the same shot until you've mastered it, until you're exhausted, or — in some cases — until you're downright frustrated because your form isn't cooperating. (If that happens, go find someone who can help you fix it.)

But if you're after variety — strategic shot placement against a moving, thinking opponent — you're going to need a partner. Or a rabbit from the shooting gallery, take your pick.

The beauty of practicing with a partner is that you get to watch real movement and foot placement in real time. That visual feedback gives you, the attacker, insight into your opponent's defensive and offensive tendencies as they return the ball back to you. Take crossover stepping, for example — great footwork when it's used correctly, but get "caught" in a crossover step and pop the return too high, and you're in trouble. That caught position leaves you wide open on your now-exposed side. Sure, it's technically returnable, but if your paddle isn't in the right position or angle, you're either dumping it into the net or floating up a lazy lob that's basically begging to be put away. So yes — practicing with a partner is just as crucial as drilling with a machine.

Machines are fantastic for repetition and stroke development. Partners are fantastic for movement, strategy, and putting a little "English" on the ball.

Both have their place. If you're lucky enough to know someone with a machine — or a partner willing to grind it out with you — become fast friends. Split the cost. Rent the time. Do whatever it takes.

Or, if you happen to know a coach who's written an entire book of drills for partners and machines like Simon... well, you might just want to give them a call. (Cough, cough.)

And don't forget — a wall makes a great partner too. It never talks back, it never shuts off, and it's just you and the wall. Hit it low, hit it high, hit it soft, hit it fast — it'll always send it back, as long as you hit it just right.