Give me a ball and a wall

A wall is the most patient teammate you’ll ever have. Kick it a ball and it sends one straight back — as hard as you hit it, as fast as you want to go. Firm passes come back firm. Lazy ones come back lazy. You’ll feel the difference in about a minute, and you’ll want to strike the next one cleaner.

First, find your wall. A garage door works — ask first, and pick a spot with no windows and no door people walk through. A big school or gym wall on the weekend is gold. A rebounder net does the same job if you’ve got one. Anywhere the ball can bounce straight back without smacking into something that isn’t yours to hit. Get one of those and you’ve got hours.

Everything here counts something — passes in a row before you miss, quick traps, volleys struck out of the air. Pick one, start a streak, and come back tomorrow to beat it.