Introduction
Ever wondered why pickleball pros stress the importance of dinking? You’re not alone. Many novice to intermediate players question why they practice dinking when they seldom use it in actual games. In this post, we will demystify the dink shot and reveal its hidden importance.
What Is Dinking?
A dink shot in pickleball is executed close to the net, typically with a soft touch aimed at landing the ball just over the net. The purpose is to control the pace of the game and create opportunities to gain an advantage over your opponent.
The Strategic Importance of Dinking
- Controls the Game’s Pace: Dinking helps you slow down fast-paced rallies, allowing you to reset your position.
- Opens Up the Court: A well-placed dink can force your opponent to vacate their optimal position, creating opportunities for you to score.
- Throws Off Your Opponent: The dink shot is unpredictable, and can disrupt your opponent’s rhythm, keeping them on their toes.
Why Players Don’t Dink During Games
Many players avoid dinking because they either find it complicated or believe power shots are more effective. However, neglecting this technique eliminates a crucial strategic layer from your game.
How to Master the Dink Shot
- Stance and Grip: Maintain a neutral grip and a balanced stance to execute a controlled shot.
- Keeping a balanced stance enables better shot control and keeps you ready for the next play.
- Contact Point: Make sure to hit the ball at the ideal contact point.
- The right contact point enhances your control over the shot, allowing you to place it more accurately.
- Follow-Through: Complete the shot with a smooth follow-through.
- A smooth follow-through ensures that the shot lands precisely where you intend, minimizing errors.
Case Studies: Dinking in Professional Matches
Professionals like Sarah Ansboury and Tyson McGuffin use dinking as a core part of their strategy. These case studies show the effectiveness of dink shots in turning the tide of a match.
Conclusion
Dinking might seem like an unnecessary skill to some, but mastering it opens up new strategic possibilities. So the next time you question the value of practicing your dink shots, remember that every tool in your pickleball toolkit serves a purpose.
The information in this blog post comes from my research and experience playing pickleball and can be found in my books — HOW TO GET STARTED PLAYING PICKLEBALL, HOW TO IMPROVE FROM BEGINNER TO INTERMEDIATE IN PICKLEBALL, and PICKLEBALL FOR SENIORS — all available on Amazon. I hope you learn something from this post that you can take onto the courts to help you improve your game.