M
ost people who have
played pickleball for
more than about
30 seconds know
what a dink is. After all, it’s one of
the most commonly used terms out
on the court. Additionally, a large
majority of players have a pretty
good idea of how to dink and, many
times, where to dink. But I wonder
how many players thoroughly
understand why you want to dink
the ball.
When I teach lessons or conduct
clinics, I’ll often ask what the
purpose of a dink is. Invariably, I get
a broad spectrum of responses. I’ve
also received lots of blank stares! It’s
clear many players, even very good
ones, don’t know the reasons for
dinking. But they have been told it’s
a good idea, so they do it.
As with other athletic endeavors,
each skill you perform should be
done with intention and purpose.
Dinking is no exception.
While there may be many
variables involved with dinking, if
we boil it all down to its roots, we
are left with two primary purposes
of a dink. What are they?
First, you want to try to keep the
ball out of your opponent’s strike
zone. You want to keep the ball low
over the net, which means the ball
bounces low. A low bounce means
your opponent cannot attack the
ball. You take away any advantage
the opponent might gain from a ball
sitting up higher in the strike zone.
Hitting the ball up higher puts
the ball in your opponent’s strike
zone (read, “power zone”) and
allows them an opportunity to gain
an advantage or to attack the ball.
Keeping the ball down lower and
WATCH THE VIDEO
www.youtube.com/watch?v=bbuWkz5tBOY
closer to the net denies them this
opportunity.
Second, you want to dink in a
way that makes your opponent
uncomfortable. Don’t be content
simply to bump the ball back right
to the middle of your opponent’s
stance. You must intentionally
change the pace, spin, depth, or
direction of the ball in order to
cause your opponent to hit more
difficult shots.
He/she may make an error;
however, this is not necessarily the
goal. The goal is to pressure your
opponent to the point where he/she
puts a ball up into your strike zone.
You then gain an advantage and
have an opportunity to hurt your
opponent or attack the ball yourself.
This may require you to adjust the
pace or depth or width of your dink.
The bottom line is you must be
intentional about what you are
doing with your dinks. Hit them
with a purpose!
Keep in mind, not all dinks are
created equal. Your goal should not
be to merely get the ball in—you can
do better. At the same time, your
goal should not be to hit winners too
frequently—that is too risky.
Your goal, i.e. one of your two
primary purposes, should be to
keep the ball out of your opponent’s
strike zone. This way, he/she lacks
an opportunity to hurt you. You
simultaneously ought to seek to
make opponents uncomfortable
so they will eventually put a ball
up into your strike zone. Then you
can use that as an opportunity to
hurt them.
Deny your opponent
opportunities. Create opportunities
for yourself. Those are the two
primary purposes of a dink. •
DJ Howard is a Head Instructor for LevelUp Pickleball Camps.
With a background in multiple sports and an education in
exercise science, DJ Howard has been playing pickleball for five
years—winning multiple medals locally and nationally at the
5.0+ level—and has been recognized nationally by his students
and peers as an elite coach and teacher of the game.
FEBRUARY/MARCH 2020 |
MAGAZINE
67