INSTRUCTION
By Morgan Evans
Diagnosing Your Dink Height
A coach is a wonderful tool to use in your development . What ’ s more important , however , is your own awareness of your game . Being aware of what is causing your errors is critical in being able to address issues on the fly , and therefore in making you a better tournament player .
Here we are going to be specifically talking about your dinks , but many of the same concepts can be applied to drives , serves , and returns . We ’ ll also be using the forehand dink for most examples , but the principles will apply to the backhand also .
If your dinks can be both too high and too low , then you have the dreaded two-way miss .
HITTING TOO HIGH
Are your dinks floating a little too high ? The primary cause of this is when the ball is allowed to get behind you . The original wrist position that would keep the ball at an effective height above the net has been compromised . As the ball starts traveling behind your body , you have needed to create more loft with the paddle — which can very easily have the effect of lifting the ball higher than intended .
Another reason some players hit their dinks too high is their grip . If you are using the continental grip or even further toward the eastern backhand , then your forehand dink will have the potential to be hit with far too much loft . This grip requires a lot of wrist flexibility to adjust the paddle angle or a slicing technique that effectively keeps the ball low .
HITTING TOO LOW
If your dinks are so low that net errors are a regular occurrence for you , then it ’ s certainly time to make a change . The number-one reason most people dink into the net is their body height . I know , I know … I ’ ve said it all before : bend your knees , get low , you never have to get low if you ’ re always low , and so on and so forth . Seriously , though !! Think about what happens when a player stands tall with a regular grip , something between continental and eastern forehand . The paddle has little to no chance to get under the contact point to lift up on the ball . The result is that the paddle comes in at a very low trajectory , and as such , so does the ball .
Another reason for hitting the ball too low , much like in the first diagnosis , is your grip . If your forehand grip is toward eastern or beyond , then the paddle face will have a very tough time being open enough to lift the ball well . Using these kinds of grips effectively requires either having incredibly long arms or having a very low body height , both of which will give the paddle ample opportunity to brush up from underneath the ball .
THE TWO-WAY MISS
If your dinks can be both too high and too low , then you have the dreaded two-way miss . The chief culprit of this crime against the kitchen is unfortunately a combination of things .
First , you are more than likely standing too tall during your stroke , and as such your wrist needs to quickly hinge in order to open the paddle face enough to get the ball over the net . The problem with this is timing . It takes world-class timing or blind luck to be able to flip your wrist and get the appropriate ball flight consistently . If you contact the ball a fraction early , then it will come off high , and if you contact late it will be in the net .
The other factor that is often at play is grip pressure or lack thereof . Your job is to find the minimum amount of pressure required to keep complete control of the paddle . If the force of the oncoming shot can be enough to dislodge your hold of the paddle , then grip pressure is certainly an issue , and you will need to start doing some grip-strengthening exercises .
There are certainly some other factors that might be influencing your dink height , but with this foundational guide you ’ ll be well on your way to making the necessary changes to be a more effective dinker . •