Pickleball Union’s Coach Marko Grgic isn’t one to waste a single minute of court time—and his go-to warm-up drill proves it. Known as the Kitchen Shuffle, this 30-second exercise is designed to do one thing fast: light up your legs and dial in your footwork before the first serve.
Whether you’re playing rec with friends or prepping for a tournament, this short drill helps activate the exact muscles and movement patterns you’ll use in real points—and it does it in under a minute.
Here’s how it works, who it’s for, and why it belongs in your warm-up routine.
What Is the Kitchen Shuffle Drill?
The Kitchen Shuffle is a 30-second split-format warm-up that combines explosive lateral movement with real dink touches—all at the NVZ.
Here’s the breakdown:
First 10 Seconds: Shuffle & Touch
- Start in the middle of the kitchen line.
- Shuffle to one sideline and tap the T (where kitchen meets sideline) with your paddle.
- Shuffle back across the NVZ to the opposite sideline and do the same.
- Repeat quickly for 10 seconds, keeping low and light on your toes.
What it trains: Lateral quickness, balance, and muscle activation in your quads, calves, and glutes—right where you need it most to hold the line and win dink battles.
Next 20 Seconds: Live Dink Feed
- Your partner (or coach) stands across the net and tosses balls side to side.
- You stay at the kitchen line and shuffle to each incoming ball, returning soft dinks while maintaining the lateral movement pattern.
- Focus on soft hands, paddle control, and footwork timing.
What it trains: Coordination, dink accuracy under pressure, and foot-body sync—especially useful for defending against sharp angle dinks or sudden speed-ups.
Watch Coach Marko Demo It
Why It Works
This drill mimics the chaos of real play—where you’re rarely planted, and your feet need to respond instantly. It blends movement and touch into one compact session, which means you’re warming up your legs and your paddle simultaneously.
And that’s the real secret: Your feet set up your hands. If you’re slow or off-balance, even perfect hand skills won’t save you.
“Slow feet lose points,” Marko says in the video—and he’s right.
Who Will Benefit Most?
While this drill can benefit players at nearly every level, it’s especially helpful for beginners and early intermediates who struggle with balance and positioning at the kitchen line. Many players at this stage either stand too upright, move too slowly, or overcommit their weight, which leads to popped-up dinks or missed volleys.
For these players, the Kitchen Shuffle helps build the kind of movement discipline that leads to better positioning—and ultimately, fewer unforced errors.
It’s also great for older or casual players who want to feel more mobile and grounded without grinding through long, high-intensity drills. Even 30 seconds at low-to-moderate intensity will help you find your rhythm and get your legs under you before the match begins.
And if you’re a competitive or tournament player, this is a perfect primer to get your fast-twitch muscles firing and your short-game touch activated before a match.
What It Achieves (in 30 Seconds)
✅ Lateral muscle activation: Gets your legs firing fast.
✅ Hand-foot coordination: Links footwork with paddle control.
✅ Real-game movement: Trains balance and positioning under pressure.
✅ Intentional warm-up: Better than mindless dinks or flat-footed resets.
Bonus: It’s also a fun way to get your partner moving and talking early—great for doubles chemistry.
How to Integrate It Into Your Routine
If you want the biggest payoff, make the Kitchen Shuffle a standard part of your warm-up—not just something you do once in a while. Do it before rec play, before drilling, even between games if your legs feel flat.
You don’t need gear or cones—just a partner, two paddles, and a few balls. You can even modify the drill if you’re solo by tossing balls against a backboard or wall after the shuffle section.
Pro tip: try doing one set with a focus on forehand dinks, one with backhand, and one all cross-court. You’ll hit every angle and build muscle memory on both sides.
Why This Drill Sticks
There are flashy drills that look cool but don’t do much. And then there are drills like this—simple, fast, and brutally effective.
The Kitchen Shuffle doesn’t just warm you up—it wakes up your whole game. It builds the habits that keep you balanced, reactive, and confident at the kitchen line.
Give it 30 seconds. You’ll feel the difference in the very first point.
