Ask any high-level pickleball player what separates a 3.5 from a 4.5 and the answer is almost always the same: the dink game. Dinking is the most important skill in pickleball. It is not the flashiest shot and it will never make a highlight reel, but it is the shot that controls rallies, creates openings, and wins games at every competitive level. If you can out-dink your opponents, you can beat players who are faster, stronger, and more athletic than you.
Without a reliable dink, you cannot hold your position at the kitchen line. Without the ability to construct dink patterns, you are left guessing when to speed the ball up instead of engineering the right moment. This guide covers everything you need to know -- what a dink is, how to execute it with proper technique, strategic patterns you can use in games, and drills to sharpen your touch. If you are newer to the game, our beginner's guide to how to play pickleball is a good place to start before diving into dinking strategy.
What Is a Dink?
A dink is a soft, controlled shot hit from near the kitchen line that arcs over the net and lands in or near the opponent's non-volley zone (the kitchen). The ball should travel low over the net -- just high enough to clear it -- and drop down so your opponent cannot attack it aggressively.
The kitchen rules are what make the dink so effective. Because players cannot volley the ball while standing inside the non-volley zone, a well-placed dink that bounces in the kitchen forces your opponent to let it bounce, then hit it from below net height. That means they have to hit up on the ball, which limits their offensive options. If they try to slam a ball they are reaching down for, the shot will either go into the net or sail long.
Dinking is not about being passive. It is about being patient and strategic -- moving your opponents around, probing for weaknesses, and waiting for the ball that sits up high enough to attack. The best dinkers use the dink rally as a chess match, setting traps several shots in advance.
Proper Dinking Technique
Good dinking starts with solid fundamentals. The shot itself is simple, but executing it consistently under pressure requires attention to your grip, stance, and mechanics.
Grip
Use a continental grip -- the same "hammer" grip you use for most shots in pickleball. Keep your grip pressure light, around 3-4 on a scale of 1 to 10. A loose grip gives you the feel and touch you need to control pace. If you are squeezing the paddle tightly, your dinks will pop up or sail deep.
Stance and Ready Position
- Stand about six inches behind the kitchen line with your feet shoulder-width apart and your knees slightly bent.
- Keep your weight on the balls of your feet so you can move laterally in any direction.
- Hold your paddle out in front of you at roughly chest height, ready to react. Between dinks, your paddle should never drop to your side.
- Stay low. Bending your knees and getting your eyes closer to the ball gives you better control and lets you see the angles more clearly.
The Dinking Motion
The dink is a push, not a swing. Here is how to think about the mechanics:
- Start with your paddle below the ball. The paddle face should be slightly open (angled upward) so the ball lifts over the net.
- Push forward and slightly up using your shoulder and legs. A quiet wrist is the single most important mechanical detail in dinking. Wrist flicks create inconsistency and pop-ups.
- Keep the motion compact. There is no backswing on a dink. The entire motion is short -- barely more than a foot of paddle movement. Think of it as guiding the ball rather than hitting it.
- Follow through toward your target. Your paddle should finish pointing at the spot where you want the ball to land.
- Use your legs. On low dinks, bend your knees to get down to the ball rather than reaching with your arm. Letting your arm do all the work leads to bad contact and unforced errors.
Contact Point
Make contact with the ball out in front of your body, not beside or behind you. If you let the ball get behind you, you lose control of direction and height. Ideally, you are meeting the ball between your knee and waist. If the ball bounces higher than that, you may have an opportunity to speed it up rather than dink it back.
Cross-Court Dinks vs. Straight-Ahead Dinks
Understanding when to dink cross-court versus straight ahead is the foundation of dink strategy. Each has distinct advantages, and the best players use both to keep opponents guessing.
Cross-Court Dinks
The cross-court dink is the bread and butter of dinking strategy. It should make up the majority of your dinks. Here is why:
- The net is lower in the middle. The center net height is 34 inches versus 36 inches at the posts. That two-inch difference gives you more margin for error.
- You have more court to work with. The diagonal distance across the kitchen is longer than the straight-ahead distance, giving you a larger landing zone.
- It creates wider angles. A cross-court dink pulls your opponent toward the sideline, opening up the middle for your partner to attack.
- It is harder to speed up. The diagonal trajectory makes it more difficult for your opponent to redirect aggressively.
Aim your cross-court dinks to land near the sideline in your opponent's kitchen. The wider the angle, the more court you open up.
Straight-Ahead Dinks
Straight-ahead dinks (also called "line dinks") are riskier but tactically valuable when used at the right time. The margin is tighter because you have less court to work with and the net is higher at the sideline. But a well-placed line dink can catch your opponent off-guard:
- It changes the direction of the rally. If you have been dinking cross-court for several shots, a sudden switch forces your opponent to adjust quickly. This change of direction is where many pop-ups are generated.
- It targets the player in front of you. Sometimes the opponent across from you is the weaker dinker, and going straight at them applies more pressure than dinking cross-court to the stronger player.
- It sets up your partner. A well-placed line dink can freeze the player in front of you, creating an opening for your partner to poach the next ball.
Use line dinks sparingly and unpredictably. If you only dink cross-court, your opponents will anticipate it. Occasionally going down the line forces them to respect both options, which makes your cross-court dink even more effective.
Dink Patterns That Win Points
Random dinking is not strategy. The best players construct dink patterns -- deliberate sequences designed to move opponents out of position and create attackable balls.
The Cross-Court-to-Line Reset
Dink several balls cross-court to establish a rhythm, then redirect one dink straight ahead down the line. Your opponent, grooved into the cross-court exchange, will be caught shifting the wrong direction. Even if they get the ball back, it will often pop up high enough to attack.
The Middle Probe
Both you and your partner dink toward the middle of the court -- the seam between your two opponents. Middle balls create confusion about who should take the shot. Even well-coordinated teams can get tangled when balls arrive at the center of their coverage zone. Watch for the hesitation, and when one of them hits a weak reply, speed it up.
The Feet Attack
Instead of landing your dinks in the kitchen, aim at your opponent's feet -- right at the kitchen line where they are standing. Balls at the feet force an awkward, low contact point and often produce pop-ups. This is especially effective against taller players who have more trouble getting low.
The Wide-to-Middle Sequence
Dink wide to one sideline to pull your opponent out of position, then target the middle or the opposite side on the next ball. The wider you push them with the first dink, the more court you open up for the follow-up shot.
When to Dink vs. When to Speed Up
The dink rally is a setup, not the finish. The whole point of patient dinking is to create a ball you can attack. Knowing the difference between a ball to dink and a ball to speed up is one of the most critical skills in pickleball.
Keep Dinking When...
- The ball is below the net. If you have to hit up on the ball, dink it back. Attacking from below the net puts you at a disadvantage because the ball has to travel upward, giving your opponent time and angle to counter.
- Your opponents are balanced and ready. If both opponents are in good position with their paddles up, a speed-up is likely to come back at you.
- You are reaching or off-balance. Never speed the ball up from a compromised position. Reset with a dink and live to fight on the next ball.
Speed It Up When...
- The ball pops up above the net. This is the green light. A ball at or above net height can be attacked with a downward trajectory, making it very hard to defend.
- Your opponent is leaning or off-balance. If they are reaching for a wide dink or shifting their weight, a quick speed-up to their body can end the point.
- You see their paddle drop. When an opponent lowers their paddle between dinks, they are not ready for a fast ball. Punish the dropped paddle.
- You have set up the pattern. If you have been dinking patiently and executed a sequence that pulls your opponent out of position, the speed-up is the payoff. Trust the pattern.
The golden rule: when in doubt, dink. Patience wins more points than aggression in the dinking game. The player who speeds up at the wrong time gives the point away. The player who waits for the right ball earns it.
Common Dinking Mistakes
These errors are responsible for the majority of lost points in dink rallies. Eliminate them and you will see an immediate improvement.
Popping the Ball Up
The cardinal sin of dinking. A dink that floats too high over the net -- above your opponent's waist -- is an invitation to get attacked. Pop-ups usually happen because of too much wrist action, too tight a grip, or trying to add pace. Keep your wrist quiet, your grip soft, and focus on pushing the ball low over the net.
Standing Too Upright
Players who stand tall at the kitchen line cannot get down to low dinks effectively. They end up reaching with their arm instead of bending their knees, which leads to poor contact and errors. Get low and stay low during dink rallies.
Being Impatient
The most common strategic mistake is attacking a ball that is not ready to be attacked. Many players get bored during long dink rallies and force a speed-up on a low ball. This is exactly what your opponent is waiting for. Embrace the rally. The patient player usually wins.
Not Moving Your Feet
Dinking is not a stationary activity. You need to move laterally to get into position for each ball and adjust your spacing constantly. Players who plant their feet and only move their arm produce weaker, less controlled dinks. Small, active steps keep you balanced and in position.
Dinking to the Same Spot Every Time
Predictable dinks are easy to handle. If you dink cross-court to the same spot ten times in a row, your opponent will settle into a comfortable rhythm. Vary your placement, pace, spin, and direction. Make your opponent think on every shot.
Drills to Improve Your Dinking
Dinking is a touch skill, and touch comes from repetition. These drills will build the muscle memory you need to dink confidently in games.
Partner: Cross-Court Dink Rally
Stand at the kitchen line with a partner, both of you on the same side of the court. Dink cross-court back and forth, counting consecutive dinks without an error. Start with a goal of 20 and work up to 50 or more. Focus on keeping the ball low over the net and landing it in the kitchen.
Partner: Figure-Eight Dinking
Alternate between cross-court and straight-ahead dinks in a figure-eight pattern. This forces you to change direction on every shot, developing the footwork and paddle control you need in real dink rallies. Start slow and increase the pace as you get comfortable.
Partner: Targeted Dinking
Place three targets in different spots inside the kitchen -- one near each sideline and one in the middle. Dink with a partner and try to hit each target in sequence. This drill trains placement accuracy and teaches you to move the ball around the kitchen intentionally.
Solo: Wall Dinking
Stand 7-8 feet from a wall and dink softly against it. Focus on a compact push motion with a quiet wrist. Try to keep the ball below a line you mark on the wall representing net height. Do sets of 50 on your forehand and backhand. This is one of the best drills for building raw touch.
Game: Dink-Only Points
Play points where the only shots allowed are dinks. No speed-ups, no drives, no lobs. The point ends when someone pops the ball up above the net or hits it out. This drill teaches patience and the discipline to wait for the right ball -- which you then cannot hit because of the drill rules, and that is exactly the point. When you go back to regular play, your shot selection will improve dramatically.
Taking Your Dink Game to the Next Level
Once your basic dink is reliable, these refinements will elevate your net game.
Add spin. A dink with backspin stays low after the bounce and skids, making it harder to lift. Open your paddle face and brush slightly under the ball. A dink with topspin dips faster after crossing the net, letting you hit it slightly higher while still landing it in the kitchen.
Vary your speed. Slow your dinks down to pull your opponent forward, then quicken the pace to catch them leaning back. A "quick dink" -- still soft but arriving faster -- can disrupt rhythm without the risk of a full speed-up.
Use the dink volley. Instead of letting the ball bounce, take it out of the air while standing just behind the kitchen line. The dink volley takes time away from your opponent and changes the rhythm of the exchange. Just make sure both feet stay behind the kitchen line -- if your momentum carries you in, it is a fault under the kitchen rules.
Disguise your intent. Make your dink and your speed-up look identical until the last instant. Same setup, same body position, same paddle preparation. The only difference is the speed and firmness at contact. When your opponents cannot tell what is coming, they become reactive instead of proactive.
The dink game is what makes pickleball unique among racket sports. It rewards patience, precision, and strategy over raw power. Investing time in your dinking will pay dividends in every area of your game -- your touch, your decision-making, your positioning, and your ability to construct points. Pair your dink game with a solid third shot drop to get to the kitchen line, layer in doubles strategy principles, and you will have a complete game that can compete at any level.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is a dink in pickleball?
A dink is a soft, controlled shot hit from near the kitchen line that arcs low over the net and lands in or near the opponent's non-volley zone (kitchen). The purpose of the dink is to keep the ball unattackable, forcing your opponent to hit upward and limiting their offensive options. Dink rallies are a core part of competitive pickleball strategy.
Should I dink cross-court or straight ahead?
Cross-court dinks should make up the majority of your dinks because the net is lower in the center, you have more court to work with, and the angle makes it harder for your opponent to attack. Use straight-ahead dinks sparingly to change direction and catch your opponent off-guard. The most effective dinking uses both directions unpredictably.
How do I stop popping up my dinks?
Pop-ups are usually caused by too much wrist action, gripping the paddle too tightly, or trying to add pace to the shot. Focus on three fixes: loosen your grip to a 3-4 out of 10, keep your wrist completely still and use your shoulder for the motion, and shorten your push so there is no backswing. Bending your knees to get down to low balls instead of reaching with your arm also helps keep the ball low.
When should I speed up the ball during a dink rally?
Speed up the ball when it pops up above the height of the net, when your opponent is off-balance or reaching, or when their paddle drops between shots. If the ball is below the net, keep dinking. The most common mistake at the recreational level is speeding up a ball that is too low, which results in hitting upward and giving your opponent an easy counter-attack. When in doubt, dink one more time.
How can I practice dinking by myself?
The best solo dinking drill is wall dinking. Stand 7-8 feet from a wall and dink softly against it, focusing on a compact push motion with a quiet wrist. Mark a line on the wall at net height and try to keep every ball below it. Do sets of 50 on your forehand and backhand. You can also practice on a court by placing targets in the kitchen and dinking from the kitchen line, aiming for each target consistently.
Is dinking important for beginners or just advanced players?
Dinking is important at every level, and beginners benefit from learning it early. While many new players focus on power shots, developing dinking skills from the start builds the touch, patience, and paddle control that are essential for long-term improvement. Players who learn to dink early tend to progress faster than those who rely on power alone. Start with basic cross-court dink rallies and build from there.
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