PICKLEBALL INSTRUCTION
Returning
An Effective
Cross-Court
Dink
T
BY JIM HACKENBERG
he cross-court dink is a very
effective shot when trying to
move your opponents off to one
side—creating the opening down
the middle. What do you do when your
opponent has hit a very effective cross-
court that’s pulled you out of position and
way out to the sideline? There are three
options you can deploy to either win the
point or at least buy you time to get back
in position at the no-volley zone.
Option 1: HIT A RETURN CROSS-COURT DINK
Do not dink it directly across. If you do, you won’t
have time to get back into position. Your partner may
have moved over to cover most of the middle, but
hitting it directly across from you allows your opponent
to hit a sharp angle out of reach of your partner.
Instead, it’s best to hit a cross-court dink back to your
opponent, giving you and your partner time to get back
into a strong defensive position. A long, cross-court
dink will take more time and buys you and your partner
time to reset.
Note: Make sure the cross-court dink is low and
“unattackable!”
Option 2: AROUND THE POST SHOT
If the cross-court dink from your opponent carries
outside your sideline, you could execute the Around
the Post Shot. This shot usually requires you to have
enough angle to hit it deep into the back portion of your
opponent’s court. Try to execute this shot by waiting
until the ball is almost about to bounce a second time.
This will keep your shot very low, making it extremely
difficult for your opponent to return.
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Option 3: DOWN THE LINE LOB
If your opponent has pulled you off the court with
a sharp cross-court dink—while you don’t want to hit
it directly across to your opponent—an effective shot
is a lob down the line, driving your opponent off the
no-volley zone. This shot is especially effective if the
lob is over your down-the-line opponent’s backhand.
Be careful to get the ball up and high enough that your
opponent cannot sneak up the sideline and cut your
shot off at the net.
So, the next time you’re confronted with an effective
cross-court dink from your opponent, consider one of
these three options to help you win the point. •
A member of Team Onix,
Jim Hackenberg has been
playing tournament pickleball
for 10 years at the 5.0 level,
and is a Gold medal winner in
numerous USAPA Nationals,
U.S. Opens, and Huntsman
World Senior Games. Jim is
also a Great Lakes Regional
Ambassador and Tournament
Director for the Great Lakes
Regional Tournament as well as
an IPTPA Certified Instructor,
conducting numerous clinics
with his wife, Yvonne.