Why Do We Practice Dinks: To Win The Bangers
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This guide explains why the dink shot is so important and that you should include a dink drill in every warm-up before each game.
The Essentials of Dinking in Pickleball
As a pickleball player, I understand the importance of mastering the dink shot or a push shot.
Dinking is a soft and controlled shot that lands in the opponent’s non-volley zone. It is an essential skill that every pickleball player must learn to become a versatile player with a wide range of techniques.
Now pack your gear and get ready to dink!
Understanding the Dink Shot
To understand the dink shot, one must first understand the non-volley zone or the kitchen. The non-volley zone is the area on the court that is 7 feet from the net on both sides.
A player cannot hit the ball while standing inside the non-volley zone unless the ball has bounced. This is where the dink shot comes into play.
The dink shot is a soft and controlled shot that allows the player to hit the ball into the non-volley zone without violating the rules of the game.
Why Do We have To Practice Dinks?
“Play smart, it’s time to think dink.”
Mike Branon AOP Coach
Over the years, I’ve learned not to discriminate dinking and banging, instead take them as a challenge and improve how I perform.
If you can train your ball placement with dinks, you can return your shots at sharp angles and corners.
Thanks to your smart play with dinks, this helps you go for your smashes when the opportunity arises.
During your own practice and games, you can use dink drills as warmups and increase intensity with other drills.
Here are some reasons why we should practice dinks as much as we can:
1. Practice Making Unpredictable Actions
One way to beat your opponent is to be unpredictable with your actions.
I like dinking because it can outwit my opponents and end the rally to score points sooner. If they can’t cover their court well, one or two dinks here and there can catch them off-guard.
How I usually do it is to trick them into thinking that I will be hitting a long ball by making a big action first.
A more aggressive body language and bigger swing of the paddle tells them to get ready to move back, anticipating a stronger more powerful shot.
But just before the paddle contacts the ball, I control my wrist to push the ball softly with the feel and judgement to bring it just over the net into the kitchen. I call this “double-motion”.
There’s no double-hit here, just two motions, the first one to fake the opponent and the second one to execute a shot different from the result of the first motion.
Nobody is immune from practice. One can only improve the accuracy of how much force to dink the ball so that your opponent can’t anticipate where it’s going to go and where it lands.
2. Add A Variation To Your Returns
If you put time into practicing the dink shot, you will get more confident to add some variation or versatility to your game.
You can simply just hit the ball for it to get over the net if you want. But as you progress, it’s natural for you to learn to figure out how to get the ball to empty spaces on time.
One of the ways is to know how to dink without doubting yourself. I’ve always wanted to know how to switch from drops to dinks to lobs to smashes.
Practicing dinking is not just for pros, but for players of all stages to be comfortable with controlling the kind of shots you want to execute.
I had a game the other day when I didn’t think to dink, but kept losing points. When I decided to dink, I realised my opponent’s weakness in the kitchen and her strengths lie power shots from the back of the court.
I repeatedly dinked and double-down on bringing the ball just over the net so that she couldn’t make use of her strengths.
3. Control Game Pace
Just like in many racket sports, like netting in badminton, if you were to dink in pickleball, you are drawing opponents way in front of the net.
This sets up brilliant opportunities for you to lob a shot or make use of the wider space of the court to pass a shot.
I always bring my game down to a slower pace by dinking, especially when my opponents are fitter and can play better long shots and smashes than I can.
I use this method to force them to play slower, drag the rally, play the game in a more strategic way and disrupting faster and power-based players.
4. Improving Coordination And Control
When I first started pickleball, I am always frustrated when doing the dink drills. Coming from a badminton background, I thought I can pull it off. I was wrong, there is more than just softly pushing the ball.
But after many long practices, it comes on in autopilot mode. There’s muscle memory in dinking, similar to any other technique.
At the same time, this helps me work on my hand-eye coordination due to the precision it needs, such as judging distance, speed, and force or power output.
If you want to be able to return a dink, you must first know how to dink properly.
5. Stamina and Endurance
Since dink rallies tend to last longer than power exchanges, I’ve been doing dink drills before game time.
Thanks to these rally trainings, I’ve improved in stamina and endurance, crucial for maintaining high performance throughout longer matches or tournaments.
Of course fast shots and bangers can help to train your stamina too. But they acquire different variations of fitness and muscle groups to perform.
Just don’t neglect dink drills to keep your fitness up to cover the court fully.
6. Mental Toughness
Dinking rallies require concentration, patience, and the ability to wait for the right moment to execute a winning shot.
This comes with practice because not many players can perform under pressure and pull off dink rallies without going through consistent training.
Many players get overly impulsive to get the ball over, which can cause them to touch the ball with more than the force they need, resulting in a return smash or causing it to go out of the court.
Dink drills in every practice session can help to build the patience and mental toughness of a player that’s required to sustain and win dink rallies.
7. Get Offensive Defensively
Mastering the dink is not a beginner’s play, all the more I strongly recommend beginners to start early. It can take time to build it up.
Once you can control a short shot like a 6-inch dink, you can move on to longer ones like 8 inches, 10 inches and so on.
With this capability, you can use dinks as an effective offensive strategy by being defensive. Use this to reset the point and get back into a favorable position.
You can also effectively neutralize opponents’ power shots and regain control of the game.
I’ve been practicing how to transit the ball from a bang to a dink so that I’m controlling the tempo of the game and not the other way round.
Do this right and you can prevent opponents from returning the ball offensively due to the trajectory angle of the traveling ball.
Don’t let opponents keep up their momentum, the game includes breaking their rhythm and putting yours in motion to win.
8. Switching from Defense to Offense
When playing pickleball, it is important to be able to switch from defense to offense quickly. One way to do this is by executing a well-placed dink shot.
By hitting a slow and low shot over the net, you can force your opponent to hit upwards, giving you the opportunity to move forward and take control of the rally.
As an offensive shot, the dink can be used to create offensive opportunities. By hitting a dink shot that is just out of reach of your opponent, you can force them to make a defensive shot, which can be more easily attacked.
This can lead to offensive plays that can help you win the point.
9. Strategic Placement and Angles
One of the keys to a successful dinking strategy is strategic placement and angles. By placing the ball in areas where my opponents are not, I can force them to move and make it harder for them to return the ball.
I also use angles to my advantage, hitting cross-court dinks to create more space and make it harder for my opponents to reach the ball.
10. Enhancing Technical Skills
As a pickleball player, I understand the importance of mastering the dink shot. Practicing dinks is not only a great way to improve your finesse and touch, but it also helps to enhance your technical skills.
It helps to get used to how I hold the paddle. My grip on the handle should be firm as I approach the oncoming ball, but loosen it more just before I drop or dink.
11. Building Patience and Rhythm
I find that practicing dinks helps me build patience and rhythm on the court. When I am in the ready position with my knees bent and my legs shoulder-width apart, I can anticipate the opponent’s moves better.
By hitting a series of dinks, I can establish a steady rhythm and keep the ball in play. This helps me stay focused and relaxed, which is essential for a good game.
12. Anticipating the Opponent’s Moves
Another benefit of practicing dinks is that it helps me anticipate the opponent’s moves. When I am in the athletic stance with my knees bent and my shoulders relaxed, I can react quickly to the opponent’s shots.
By hitting dinks with different speeds and trajectories, I can train my eyes to recognize the ball’s movement and adjust my position accordingly.
This helps me stay one step ahead of the opponent and maintain control of the game.
Perfecting the Dink Technique
To perfect the dink technique, it’s important to focus on your grip, wrist, and footwork. Using a continental grip can give you more control and spin on your dink shots.
Additionally, getting low and using your legs to generate power can help you to create a more accurate shot.
When it comes to the wrist, make sure to use a relaxed wrist and a short backswing. This will allow you to have more control over the ball and to place it exactly where you want it to go.
Timing is also key when it comes to dinking. You want to wait until the ball is low enough to hit a soft shot, but not so low that it bounces off the ground.
Maintaining Control During a Dink Battle
When engaged in a dink battle, it is important to maintain control of the rally. By hitting a well-placed dink shot, you can force your opponent to make a defensive shot, which can give you the opportunity to take control of the rally.
To maintain control during a dink battle, be patient and do not rush your shots.
By waiting for the right opportunity to hit a well-placed dink shot, you can force your opponent to make a defensive shot, which can give you the opportunity to take control of the rally.
In addition, make sure to be aware of your opponent’s positioning and shot selection. By anticipating your opponent’s next shot, you can position yourself to make a better defensive or offensive shot, which can help you maintain control of the rally.
Avoiding Common Dinking Mistakes
As a pickleball player, I have made my fair share of mistakes while dinking. These unforced errors can be frustrating and often lead to losing points.
However, by identifying and correcting these common dinking mistakes, I have been able to improve my game and become a more effective dinker.
Identifying and Correcting Errors
One of the most common dinking mistakes is hitting the ball too hard.
When I first started playing pickleball, I would often hit the ball too forcefully, causing it to go out of bounds or giving my opponent an easy opportunity to smash the ball back at me.
To correct this error, I had to focus on using a softer touch and reducing the amount of power I put into my dinks.
Another mistake I used to make was hitting the ball too high. This would give my opponent more time to react and set up for a smash.
To avoid this mistake, I had to focus on keeping my dinks low and aimed at the opponent’s feet. This would limit their options and make it more difficult for them to return the ball with power.
Practicing Effective Dink Techniques
Practicing effective dink techniques is essential to avoiding common dinking mistakes. One drill that has helped me improve my dinking skills is the crosscourt dink drill.
This drill involves partnering up with another player and practicing dinking crosscourt, aiming to place the ball as close to the net as possible. By practicing this drill, I was able to improve my accuracy and control when dinking.
Another effective dinking drill is the movement drill. This drill involves practicing dinking while moving laterally along the kitchen line.
By simulating the movement required during a real game, I was able to improve my footwork and dinking technique.
Mastering the Serve and Return
The Importance of the Third Shot
As a pickleball player, I know that mastering the serve and return is crucial to winning games. However, what many players overlook is the importance of the third shot.
The third shot is the shot that follows the return and sets up the rest of the point. It’s a shot that can make or break your game. That’s why I always make sure to practice my third shot, especially my dink shot.
Setting Up for a Successful Dink
To set up for a successful dink shot, I focus on my positioning and footwork. After hitting my third shot, I move quickly to the non-volley zone, also known as the kitchen. This allows me to take control of the net and prepare for my dink shot.
I keep my body low and my paddle up, ready to hit the ball softly over the net.
Another important factor in setting up for a successful dink shot is reading my opponent’s body language.
I pay close attention to where they are positioned on the court and how they are moving. This helps me anticipate their return and adjust my shot accordingly.
By mastering my serve and return and practicing my third shot, I am able to set myself up for success on the court.
Playing Smart: Tactics and Mindset
As a pickleball player, I know that dinking is an essential part of the game. However, it’s not just about hitting the ball softly over the net. It’s about playing smart and using tactics and mindset to gain an advantage over your opponents.
Adapting to the Match Dynamics
One of the most important tactics when it comes to dinking is adapting to the match dynamics. Every match is different, and it’s important to recognize what your opponents are doing and adjust your strategy accordingly.
For example, if your opponents are playing aggressively and hitting hard shots, dinking can be an effective way to slow down the tempo of the game and take control of the point.
Creating Unpredictable Dink Patterns
Another important tactic is creating unpredictable dink patterns. By varying the speed, placement, and intention of your dinks, you can keep your opponents off-balance and force them to make mistakes.
For example, mixing in a few cross-court dinks can be a great way to catch your opponents off-guard and set up a winning shot.
Strategic placement is also key when it comes to dinking. By aiming for specific areas of the court, such as the sidelines or the middle of the court, you can force your opponents to move and create openings for yourself.
Additionally, having the intention to dink can also be a powerful tool. By making your opponents think that you are going to hit a hard shot, you can catch them off-guard and hit a soft dink instead.
In doubles, dinking can be even more effective. It can create confusion between your opponents and force them to communicate more effectively.
Playing smart and using tactics and mindset, dinking can be a powerful weapon in your arsenal and help you win more points on the court.
