"Just practise your approach more" isn't advice — it's a shrug. Most broken approaches come from one of two specific problems: rhythm (the last two steps are too slow or too fast relative to the first steps) or arm timing (arms aren't loading in sync with the plant step). Fixing either takes targeted repetition, not vague volume of jumps.
Diagnose before you drill
Before doing any of these, get someone to film your approach from the side, even on a phone. Watch for two things: does your last step land flat and fast (a "brake" step), and are your arms already swinging back before your second-to-last step lands? If either is missing, that's your priority drill below.
Standing arm-swing timing
No approach, no ball. Just the last two steps and arm swing, done slowly and exaggerated, then at match speed. Isolating the arm-to-step timing without the rest of the approach makes the sync problem obvious fast.
Three-step approach into a target line
Tape a line on the floor. Run only the last three steps of your approach, aiming to plant exactly on the line every rep. This isolates step accuracy without the fatigue of a full approach + jump.
Brake-step emphasis
Exaggerate the final step landing flat-footed and abrupt — almost a stomp. Players with a rounded, rolling last step lose vertical power converting horizontal speed upward. This drill over-corrects on purpose so the real approach settles somewhere better.
Approach without a jump
Run the full approach rhythm but don't jump — just stick the landing. This removes the temptation to rush the plant because a jump is coming, which is one of the most common causes of a mistimed brake step under match pressure.
Full approach against a moving toss
Only once the first four feel automatic — full approach and jump against a tosser who varies timing slightly. This is what actually transfers to a game, since your approach needs to adjust to a set that isn't always in the same spot.
The bottom line
Film it, diagnose the specific breakdown, and drill that piece in isolation before stacking the full approach back together. Most players skip the diagnosis step and just repeat the same flawed approach at higher volume — which reinforces the problem rather than fixing it.