dinks
What ’ s News in Pickleball
SCIENCE OF PICKLEBALL
HOW IMPORTANT ARE DINKS ?
We all know that touch shots , or “ dinks ” as they are called in pickleball , are a big part of the sport . But what percentage of all shots are dinks ? The answer determines how we may want to warm up , what we emphasize in practice sessions , and how much we need to prepare ourselves mentally for playing these soft controlled balls , both in terms of receiving dinks and hitting them back !
For those of you who have played tennis , the art of “ bumping ” is used in drop shots and returning hardhit balls . But , how many drop shots would you hit in a set of tennis ? Maybe a few at most ! In pickleball , the frequency of this “ bumping ” skill makes it essential and it is used in almost every point over two shots in length that you will ever play !
To get the statistical answer about what percentage of all shots in pickleball are dinks or bumps , we tallied what types of shots are hit in a range of competitive pickleball matches with various levels of play in singles , doubles , and mixed doubles . The results may surprise you .
The average percentage of dinks from matches we charted was a total of 40-45 % of all shots hit ! What does this tell us ?
1 . Ball control is an essential skill to improve in pickleball .
2 . Hitting hard in pickleball may look exciting , but control , placement , and consistency are more valuable skills !
3 . This is a major reason why pickleball balances out physical gender differences very well ( i . e ., that men tend to be physically stronger than women , and women can be more patient !).
4 . Practicing touch shots more than one-third of your practice time will pay off big-time in competition .
Think of dinks this way : You are driving a car . It is not enough to be able to drive on the highway . You need to be able to drive slowly on side streets as well ! •
Joe Dinoffer is a master professional in the USPTA and PTR , has written nine books , produced 22 DVDs , and has appeared on the Tennis Channel . His company , at
OnCourtOffCourt . com , designs and manufactures training aids for pickleball , tennis , and yoga . Joe shares that experience and passion in this regular column for Pickleball Magazine . He has also produced dozens of pickleball tips for YouTube .
40- 45 %