Mastering the Dink: The Most Underrated Shot in Pickleball
At first glance, the dink in pickleball seems like the easiest shot in the game—just a soft tap over the net. But if you’ve ever actually played against high-level opponents, you know that dinking is anything but simple. The margin for error is razor-thin, and even the slightest mishit can result in a pop-up that your opponent smashes for a winner. Even former pro tennis players transitioning to pickleball, like Jack Sock, have admitted that the dink is one of the hardest shots to master. The good news? With the right strategies, you can make your dinking game as automatic as brushing your teeth.
One of the most effective tactics is the pinching strategy, where both you and your partner focus all your dinks into one specific corner of the opponent’s side. By keeping your shots deep in that corner, you apply pressure while minimizing their ability to attack. This tactic shrinks the opponent’s available court space, forcing them into uncomfortable positions and setting you up for easy put-away shots. Another key strategy is the off-pace speed-up, where instead of a traditional fast speed-up shot, you hit at about 50% power, creating indecision in your opponent. Since they now have four possible responses—countering, blocking, dinking, or letting it bounce—they often hesitate, leading to forced errors or pop-ups.
For those struggling with consistency, a simple trick inspired by pro player Anna Leigh Waters is to take two steps back from the kitchen line. This allows for better control, reduces pop-ups, and can lull opponents into a false sense of security, making them more likely to hit attackable shots. If you’re looking for a great drill to sharpen your dinking skills, try the Dink Dink Boom drill—where you play crosscourt dinks and can only score by attacking out of the air. This forces you to place dinks precisely in the front half of the kitchen while training your ability to recognize and capitalize on attackable balls. By integrating these strategies into your game, your dink will go from a defensive necessity to an offensive weapon.
