shots are effective, but the problem is that the margin
for error is minimal. The shots often drift high across the
middle and get picked off, or they wind up in the middle
of the net.
The goal of loosening the grip pressure is to allow
you to change from a solid shot to a higher and softer
shot. Always remember that the mark of a good dink is
that it should be un-attackable. Oh, and the same grip
philosophy applies to the third shot drop.
EXECUTING THE SHOT
Now that you know your positioning relative to the
line and you begin to work on your grip pressure and
feel, you’ll want to start thinking about where to contact
the ball. Ideally, we always want to make contact with
the ball in front of our body. I call this area the “impact
zone.” We never want to get it to our side or behind us.
With few exceptions, players who dink the ball from the
sides of their bodies make way too many errors.
Then there’s the issue with backswing and form. Many
pickleballers are tennis converts. That being said, you’ll
often see long backswings from these players. People
with large backswings tend to decelerate as they strike
the ball. So much for touch. The way I teach dinking is
that I want to see very little to no backswing at all. You
want to have a “short, simple, repeatable motion.” You
should be able to repeat your dink form 99 out of 100
times. Remember, we are not trying to hit a winner. It is
all about consistency.
OK, so now the ball is out in front of you and you’re
accelerating with a short dink form. So, how high do
we want to hit the ball? To answer this one, I ask, “What
happens to a pickleball when it loses its speed?” The
answer is that it drops straight down. The reason this is
important is because too many players aim their dinks
one to two balls over the height of the net. If you do this,
too often you will hit the ball short into the net. This
violates Weinbach’s First Rule of Pickleball: “RESPECT
THE NET.” In other words, never hit it there. We need to
give ourselves margin for error over the net.
If we hit dinks properly, and they are soft, they
will come down in the kitchen and are un-attackable.
So, even if we clear the net by one to two feet, we’re
generally safe if the ball is soft. As I said earlier, you
want the ball to bounce in the kitchen in front of your
opponent so that it is un-attackable.
The focus for another article, I am often asked where
to place the dinks. Generally speaking, most opponents’
forehands are stronger than their backhands, so
normally I dink toward the opposing players’ backhands.
This improves my percentages of an un-attackable
response with every shot.
“Unfortunately, most players don’t actively realize
that altering their grip pressure is the best method for
controlling a ball’s direction and pace.”
To take it one step further, I do not like to dink over the
highest part of the net. I prefer to dink cross-court over
the lowest part of the net. The other benefit to dinking
cross-court is that you have a lot more room to work
with, as opposed to dinking down the line, because the
cross-court angle is so much longer.
WHEN TO HIT IN THE AIR AND WHEN TO ATTACK
Players ask me, “When should I take the ball out of the
air and when should I attack the dink?” The answer to
the first question is that I prefer to take a ball out of the
air whenever I can because it takes time away from my
opponents. Many people are not comfortable taking low
volleys – and that’s fine. Don’t feel pressured to do so, but
take every ball out of the air that you can do comfortably.
Then there’s the big question, “When do I attack?”
The answer depends on a variety of factors such as your
skill level, the quickness of your opponents, and even
the reflexes of your partner. We’ll leave this topic for
another article, but I will offer this general advice: If
you have to hit up on a ball to elevate it over the net,
then you probably shouldn’t be driving it. There are
exceptions, but they usually have the credential of 5.0
after their names.
Remember, consistency is the key to dinking. Keep the
mindset of patience and discipline, waiting for the right
opportunity to attack.
DRILLING TIME
I’m sure you can search the internet and find many
good dinking drills, but there is one in particular that
helps me and my students. It is aptly titled “The Dinking
Game.” All four players line up at the kitchen and every
ball must be dinked. In other words, no drives are
allowed. A loss of point occurs when a ball lands outside
the kitchen or in the net. We usually play to three points,
then rotate. This works on consistency and allows us to
get in the habit of leaning into the kitchen. Remember to
take your time, focus on your grip and keep the ball out
in front of you. •
Dave “The Badger” Weinbach is from Madison, WI, and a
10-time USAPA National Champion, 12-time US Open Champion
and winner of 115 gold medals in competition.
JUNE/JULY 2020 | MAGAZINE 49