5 Ways to Dink Like the Pros

Dinking is one of the most essential shots in pickleball, especially at the highest levels. When you watch the pros play, you’ll notice that they almost exclusively dink and wait for the other team to make a mistake. To dink like the pros, you’ll not only have to be able to consistently place the ball into the kitchen, but also add in some strategy and finesse.

#1 Dink with a purpose.

When you hit a dink, think about your goal. Are you trying to hit the shot into the kitchen so your opponent can’t spike it back at you? That’s a great start, but you’ll also want your dink to move your opponent out of position. You want to start aiming your dinks in areas that are harder to reach and force your opponent to make a tough shot, letting you put away the point. A good rule of thumb is to dink the ball towards where your opponent isn’t.

#2 Switch up your dink every once in a while.

You can spend the whole game dinking back and forth between the same two players and basically hit a stalemate waiting for someone to slip up. After a while, try changing up your shot to catch your opponent off guard and out of position. If you’re hitting a lot of dinks back and forth, try a cross-court dink to catch the opponent off guard and possibly out of position. Switching up your shot every once in a while can be a great way to get a leg up on the competition (and be ready for the person on the other side of the net to do the same).

#3 Step to the ball.

When you go to make your shot, having your feet in the right position makes a world of difference. Stepping towards the ball and setting your feet will give you more control and improve your dinking. If you know the dink is going to land into the kitchen, you can step in the kitchen before it lands to get into a position to return the ball. Just make sure you step right back out so you don’t become a target.

#4 Utilize the Cross-Court Dink.

The cross-court dink is a great way to get your opponent out of his/her comfort zone. A cross-court dink occurs when you hit a dink from one side of the court to the opposite side, like a serve but in the non-volley zone. The goal of a cross-court dink is to force your opponent to move by hitting the ball towards the far end of the court. With good placement, the other player will have to move off the court to even have a chance to return it, opening them up to an attack.

#5 When should you attack the ball?

Sure, dinking is effective and necessary, but you can’t dink forever. Eventually, you’ll need to attack the ball to win the point. To do this, you’ll either need to be aggressive or wait for your opponent to make a mistake. If the ball ever comes back above your waist, you should definitely attack it and use caution any other time.

The dink is one of the most important shots to master in pickleball. With discipline and practice, you can improve your dink game in no time.