How to Dink in Pickleball: Technique, Targets and Patience
A dink is the softest shot in pickleball and the one that decides most rallies between evenly matched players. It looks like nothing is happening. Underneath, both teams are waiting for someone to hit a ball slightly too high, and the player who waits longest usually wins.
The short answer
A dink is a soft shot hit from at or near the kitchen line that arcs over the net and lands in the opponents' kitchen, so they cannot attack it. Stand balanced at the line with knees bent and paddle up, use a short pendulum stroke from the shoulder with a firm wrist, and aim cross-court or at the opponent's feet. Keep dinking until someone gives you a ball you can attack. Impatience, not technique, loses most dink rallies.
What a dink is for
Once all four players are at the kitchen line, a hard shot is risky: the ball is likely to come back faster than it went. The dink is the neutral shot that keeps the point going without giving the other side anything to hit. It lands in the kitchen, which means the opponent has to let it bounce, and a ball that has bounced low in the kitchen can only be hit upward.
That is the whole logic of the dink rally. Both teams are hitting balls that cannot be attacked, waiting for a ball that can. The first ball that sits up above net height is the one that gets put away.
The ready position at the kitchen line
- Feet just behind the line. Close enough to reach the ball, not on the line, since touching the kitchen line while volleying is a fault.
- Knees bent, weight forward. Low enough that you lift the ball with your legs, not by dropping the paddle head.
- Paddle up and in front. Roughly chest height, out in front of you. Paddle down between shots is one of the most common habits at every level, and it makes you late on every fast ball.
The stroke
- Short backswing. The dink needs almost no pace. A big backswing is how dinks sail long.
- Swing from the shoulder. Think of a pendulum. The wrist stays firm and the arm moves as one piece.
- Slightly open face. Enough to lift the ball over the net, not so much that it pops up.
- Lift with your legs. On low balls, bend more rather than reaching down with the paddle.
- Contact out in front. Meet the ball in front of your body. Letting it get beside or behind you takes away your control.
- Soft grip. Hold the paddle loosely enough that the ball deadens on contact.
Where to aim your dinks
Default targets
Cross-court. The cross-court dink travels over the lowest part of the net (the middle) and has the most court to land in, so it is the safest dink to hit. It also pulls the opponent wide.
At the feet. A dink that lands at the opponent's feet forces them to hit up from a low position, which is exactly what you want.
To the backhand. For most players, the backhand dink is weaker and less likely to be attacked.
Into the middle. A dink between two opponents can create a moment of hesitation over who takes it.
Straight-ahead dinks are fine but give the opponent a shorter, easier angle back at you. Mixing direction keeps them moving, and a moving player is more likely to hit a ball high.
Dinking strategy: patience is the skill
Most dink rallies are not lost to a bad dink. They are lost when a player speeds up a ball that was too low to attack, the opponent blocks it back at their feet, and the point is over. Impatience at the kitchen shows up at every level, from beginners to strong club players.
The simple rule: attack balls that are above the net and in front of you. Dink everything else. If you have to reach down or stretch, it is not an attacking ball, however long the rally has gone on.
When to speed up from a dink
- The ball bounces high enough that you can hit it at or above net height.
- You are balanced and the contact point is in front of you.
- You have a target: usually the opponent's dominant shoulder or hip, which is awkward to defend.
Speeding up the wrong ball, one that is low or wide, is the fastest way to lose a point you were in control of.
Dink vs lob
A lob from the kitchen line can win points, especially against opponents who crowd the net or cannot move backward well. It is also a gamble: a short lob is an overhead for the other team. Use it sparingly and with a reason.
| Situation | Better choice |
|---|---|
| Opponents leaning in, standing very close to the line | Occasional lob, over the backhand side |
| Windy day, ball drifting | Dink (lobs into the wind fall short; with the wind they sail out) |
| Opponent with a strong overhead | Dink |
| You are off balance | Dink back to neutral, not a rushed lob |
If opponents lob you, the answer is to turn and run back, not backpedal. Having no answer to the lob is a common habit that video shows clearly, because you can see whether players turned or stepped backward.
Common dinking mistakes
- Standing up straight. Lifting with the paddle instead of the legs pops balls up.
- Wristy flicks. Inconsistent depth and height.
- Hitting into the net to stay safe. A dink in the net is still a lost point. Aim for a little more height and the middle of the kitchen.
- Backing off the line. Drifting back after each dink leaves the ball landing at your feet.
- Never changing direction. Predictable dinks let opponents settle and wait.
Practising your dinks
The classic drill is cross-court dinking: two players at the kitchen line, dinking diagonally, aiming to keep a long rally going before adding any targets. Then add a rule: only speed up a ball that bounces above net height. That trains the patience as much as the stroke. Solo players can dink against a wall from about the distance of the kitchen line, keeping the ball low on the wall.
For the bigger picture of where dinking fits, see kitchen rules and kitchen line strategy and doubles strategy.
Dink rally patterns
Once the basic stroke is reliable, dinking becomes a game of moving the opponent until they give you a ball you can attack. A few patterns come up again and again.
The cross-court battle
Two players dinking diagonally, each trying to make the other hit up first. The partners hold the middle and wait. This is the default pattern at most levels, and it rewards the player who can stay low and patient the longest.
Moving the opponent
Alternating a wide cross-court dink with a dink to the middle or straight ahead forces the opponent to shuffle side to side. A player who is moving is more likely to hit a ball slightly high or slightly short, and that is the ball you are waiting for. The point is not to win with the dink itself; it is to create a worse dink coming back.
The volleyed dink
Taking a dink out of the air, without letting it bounce, takes time away from the opponent. It is legal as long as you are outside the kitchen and your momentum does not carry you in. Many intermediate players let every dink bounce out of habit and give their opponents an extra beat to recover. If the ball is reachable from outside the kitchen at a comfortable height, volleying it is often the stronger play.
Reading what the opponent is about to do
Watch the opponent's paddle and body, not just the ball. A player who drops their shoulder and takes the paddle back is preparing to speed up; get your paddle up in front of your chest. A player who is stretched wide or reaching low can only dink, so you can lean toward the dink and look for the pop-up. These cues are easier to spot than they sound, and noticing them is a big part of what makes good dinkers look calm.
Dinking in the wind and sun
Conditions change the shot. Dinking into the wind, the ball holds up and you can afford a little more pace. With the wind behind you, the ball carries, so take more pace off and aim shorter in the kitchen. On bright days, a high, slow dink can bring the sun into play for the opponent, though it also gives them more time. Most of the time, the steady low cross-court dink is still the right choice.
What filming a game shows you
During a dink rally you are concentrating on the ball, so you rarely notice your own posture or how high your paddle is between shots. A video from the corner of the court makes those habits plain: paddle drifting down, standing tall, and attacking balls that were below the net. Coach Dink's report flags impatience at the kitchen and paddle down between shots when it sees them, and points you to the drills for each.
Frequently asked questions
What is a dink in pickleball?
A soft shot hit from at or near the kitchen line that arcs over the net and lands in the opponents' kitchen (non-volley zone). Because it lands low and short, the opponent has to hit it upward, so it cannot be attacked.
Should I dink cross-court or straight?
Cross-court is the safer default. The ball crosses the lowest part of the net and has more court to land in. Straight dinks are fine to change direction, but they give the opponent a shorter angle back.
Can you volley a dink?
Yes, if you are outside the kitchen. Volleying a dink out of the air is legal as long as you are not touching the kitchen or its line when you hit it and your momentum does not carry you into the kitchen afterward.
How do I stop popping up my dinks?
Bend your knees and lift with your legs rather than your paddle, keep the wrist firm, and loosen your grip. Most popped-up dinks come from a wristy flick or standing too tall.
When should I attack a dink?
When the ball is above net height and in front of you, and you are balanced. If you have to reach down or sideways, dink it back instead.
Related Articles
- Pickleball Kitchen Rules (Non-Volley Zone) and How to Use the Line
- The Pickleball Reset Shot: How and When to Hit It
- How to Hit a Third Shot Drop (and When to Drive Instead)
Scope
This article is general pickleball instruction for recreational players. Rules references follow the USA Pickleball rulebook as generally applied; check the current official rulebook and your local tournament or league rules for edge cases. Ratings discussed here are descriptive skill levels, and Coach Dink's rating is its own estimate for tracking progress, not an official rating from any pickleball organization. Coach Dink is made by the author of this site.