Three exercises you can do in 20 minutes before your match — and if you do them consistently, they'll change the way you move in sand faster than anything else you try.
First: the lateral shuffle drill. Set two markers 6 metres apart in the sand. Shuffle side to side as fast as you can, touching each marker with your outside hand. Do 10 trips. Sand forces you to stabilize your hips on every step — that's the whole point.
Second: the split-step drill. Stand at the service line and have a partner call left or right at random. On each call, land your split step and push off immediately in the right direction. Third: the T-drill. It's a classic for a reason — change of direction in soft surface shows every gap in your deceleration technique.