Four Corners
Why this drill
Placement turns a dink from a neutral ball into a question your opponent has to answer. Four targets and called shots train the ability to put a dink where the opponent isn't — on purpose, under control.
Setup
Both players at the non-volley-zone line, straight ahead on a half court. Two towels in each kitchen: one at the sideline corner, one near the middle line — four targets total.
The drill
Cooperative rally with called targets: before each of your dinks, quietly name a corner to yourself and aim for it. Score your own honesty in sets of ten dinks — a towel hit is two, landing in the correct half of the kitchen is one. After two sets each, make it competitive: a rally where any towel hit wins the point outright, games to 7. The competitive version teaches the real lesson: reaching for placement is only worth it when the ball stays unattackable.
One thought to take on court
Same swing, different paddle face — placement comes from the angle at contact, never from extra effort.