Being great at dinking comes with practice. Is it worth it? Absolutely. Dinking is an essential part of the game. It is a finesse shot that is used to control the pace of the game and to gain an advantage over your opponent who may be stronger or faster. It can be a game equalizer. Read on to know how you can improve in this aspect of the game.
Hitting a great Dink Shot
First, stand close to the kitchen. This places you in optimal dinking position. Dinking is done at the net.
Secondly, make sure your knees are bent – When you bend your knees, you will be positioned to hit a dink shot. Having your knees bent will lower your center of gravity and allow you to more easily get under the ball and hit it properly. When the ball comes to you, you will want to allow you knees to do the work of lifting the ball. Keep your wrist and forearm relaxed and use your shoulder muscles to maneuver the paddle.
Use the continental grip– To use a continental grip, visualize shaking someone’s hand as you are holding the paddle. The handle should touch the heel pad of your hand and your index finger muscle. This grip comes from the tennis sector.
This grip is designed for hitting balls that are low or for underhand hits. You want to hit a dink underhanded, and this is how you do it. You can use this grip forehand or backhand. One drawback to this grip style is that it is harder to hit with spin.
You want to have a light grip when dinking. You want the ball to bounce off your paddle softly, therefore, holding the paddle gently will absorb some of the ball’s energy.
Your stroke should be consistent – You will want to hit a dink using a low underhand stroke. Let the ball bounce once, reach its apex, and then begin its fall. This is when you will want to hit it. To hit dinks consistently, you will need to develop a steady stroke. Practicing the dink is crucially important to your game. There is a reason we are called Just the Dinks!
When you opponent is a hard-hitting player, dinks will work great. With good technique, you can beat an opponent who is faster or stronger than you. The dink will slow down the game and will force your opponent out of their fast-paced, hard-hitting rhythm.
Hit into the Kitchen – By using dinks, it forces your opponent to focus on footwork. A dink is played at the net, the No Volley Zone (aka The Kitchen). The opponent will need to ensure the ball bounces in the kitchen before stepping into the kitchen to hit the ball. Then they will need to focus on stepping back out of the kitchen for the next shot.
With the ball landing in the kitchen, your opponent won’t be able to hit a hard shot on the return. If they try to hit hard, the ball will either go straight into the net or sail over the baseline resulting in an out-of-bounds shot.
Give Clearance at the Net – A perfect dink will go just over the top of the net. But it is nearly impossible to hit with such accuracy consistently. Therefore, practice regularly to be great at this play. You should aim a good distance above the net, but not too high as the opponent can power the return if given the opportunity. Be patient and let your opponent make the mistakes. Then take advantage.
The Crosscourt (Diagonal) Dink
The crosscourt dink gives you a wider length to utilize since the ball is traveling a greater distance, giving it time to drop. This helps to compensate if you hit the ball too high.
Hitting a dink crosscourt will draw opponents towards the net. This gets players out of their usual position and can possibly set up other shots to the back of the court like lobs or may allow for power slams.
Practicing Dinking Responsibly
Repetition is the best way to improve the dinking game. Practice dinks with a a partner and simply hit them back-and-forth over the net to each other. Practice hitting the ball to your partner when you are both on the same side and cross-court with your opponent on the opposite side.
You and your partner should both stand just outside of the kitchen on opposite sides of the net. Then practice stepping into the kitchen to return the ball after the ball bounces. Be sure to step back outside of the kitchen after your return shot.
Preferably, have 4 people to practice with. This provides better practice experience. Hit dinks back-and-forth between the four players. Straight across the net and also crosscourt. Resembling a figure-8 pattern.
Remember the steps:
- Bend your knees
- Wait for the ball to bounce and then reach its peak
- As it starts to fall, hit it in an upward direction giving the ball a gentle arc over the net.
Pro Style Dinking
- Be patient, wait until the ball is just about to bounce a second time before you hit the dink shot. This will give you extra time to get in position and determine your opponent’s position.
- The “dink” and the “drop” shot are very similar, however they are different shots. A drop shot is hit from somewhere in the back end of the court. While the dink is at the non-volley zone.
- Dinks set you up for a winning shots if you are patient. Dinks force your opponent to hit the ball at an awkward angle, ideally, this gives them a weak return shot that you can use to your advantage. The main purpose of the dink shot is to slow down you opponent, wear them down and assist them in making a mistake. This is the reason it takes rhythm and patience. A well-placed dink will prevent the opponent from a power return.
- Dinking must be done softly as described above. If not, the ball will ascend too high and give your opponent a chance to slam it back at you.
- Be patient. The dink shot will allow you to use a steady gentle shot to overcome your opponent.