[ Dave Weinbach on Dinking Strategies ]
DINKING STRATEGIES
definite “Yes.” Some players fear
that an aggressive position at the
net will put them in jeopardy of
being lobbed over their head. While
this is true, the risk/reward is well
worth it. If you are leaning in, you
have a strong advantage over your
opponent who is not leaning in.
There are times when your
opponent will throw up a lob. If you
are prone to missing overheads, or if
you have difficulty hitting deep lobs,
you’ll really want to pay attention to
this next tip: Recognize the potential
lob by watching your opponent’s
paddle before and during his/her
impact with the ball. If you see
an open-faced paddle, take a step
back and get ready. If the opponent
dinks the ball, get back in and reset
the point.
When I’m not playing on the tour, I truly
enjoy meeting new people and running
clinics around the country. My clinics
often begin at the kitchen line where I
talk about the fundamentals that apply to players of all
levels, from 2.0 to 5.0 Pro.
WHERE TO STAND
When my clinics begin, I generally gather everyone
around the kitchen and ask the question, “Where should
you be standing when at the kitchen line?” I give three
options:
1. Stand 10" behind the line.
2. Stand as close as possible to the line.
3. Stand two feet back from the line to give yourself
time to react.
Generally, I’ll receive several hands raised for each, but
there is a right answer: Option 2… but it’s not just good
enough to be on the line, you also want to be leaning
forward toward the kitchen. The reason it’s important
to be close and lean in is that it is much easier to attack a
ball hit from your opponent that is hit a little higher or
deeper into your kitchen.
The next question is, “Should players of all levels take
this advice and lean into the kitchen?” The answer is a
GRIP PRESSURE
This is one of the most important
parts of the game, yet it is often overlooked by many
players. Grip pressure controls so much of your game.
Players choose paddles with different core and surface
densities to maximize their feel, while being able to
balance it with power. Softer paddles hold the ball a
fraction of a second long on the paddle, giving more
control and feel. Unfortunately, most players don’t
actively realize that altering their grip pressure is the best
method for controlling a ball’s direction and pace.
Whenever I instruct pickleball players on dinking, I
always ask the question, “On a scale of 1 to 10, how tight
do you hold your paddle at the kitchen line?” Nine times
out of 10 the players are gripping way too tight. Players
with a tight grip lose feel, sensitivity and control. This
ultimately leads to less consistent shot-making.
On a scale of 1 to 10 (10 being the tightest) most players
are 7 to 8. I teach between 3 and 4 on all soft shots
(dinking and third shot drops). If you do that, the ball
will stay on the paddle for a fraction of a second longer to
give you more feel and consistency.
It’s not hard to tell when your opponent is gripping too
tightly on the paddle while dinking, because the ball flies
off the face like a rocket. I call these people drive-dinkers
because they hit the ball low and hard. Sometimes these
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