What the dink is in pickleball and how to practice it
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If you watch pickleball for the first time, what's most baffling is two players spending a minute gently tapping the ball by the net. That's the dink, and it's what decides the most points in a doubles match.
What a dink is
A dink is a short, soft shot, with no force, that passes just over the net and lands in the kitchen: the 7-foot (2.13 m) zone on each side of the net, where you can't volley.
The idea is that the opponent has to respond from below. If they return it high, you can attack. If they return it low, you keep dinking until someone misses.
Why it's played
- From the kitchen, a hard upward shot is almost never a winner.
- Whoever is at the net has the advantage, so it's about getting there and keeping it.
- A well-placed dink forces the opponent to bend down and move forward.
How it's hit
- Knees bent and weight slightly forward.
- Paddle in front, at wrist height, without pulling it back.
- Short stroke, more of a push than a hit, with the paddle face slightly open.
- Contact in front of the body, with a firm wrist.
- Aim for the ball to bounce close to the net, not at the back line of the kitchen.
Typical mistakes
- Hitting too much. The ball comes out high and gets attacked.
- Standing still. You dink with active feet: little steps, not a statue.
- Looking at the opponent instead of the ball.
- Trying to win the point with the first dink. The dink is patience.
Three drills
- Cross-court dink with a partner: facing each other, diagonally, 20 dinks in a row without the ball bouncing outside the kitchen.
- Dink against the wall: three feet from a smooth wall, soft, to fix the motion. Useful when there's no court.
- Target: two cones or a towel in the kitchen; try to place 10 balls in a row next to the target.
And there's a detail nobody mentions: a dinking session means dozens of balls on the ground. If bending down tires you, see how to pick up the ball without bending down.
The types of dink you will see on court
- Cross-court dink. Diagonal, to the opposite corner of the kitchen. It is the safest one: the net is lower in the middle and the ball travels further, so you have more margin.
- Straight dink. Towards the player in front of you. Useful to change the rhythm once they are expecting the cross-court one.
- Dink to the feet. At your opponent's feet, so they have to hit from very low and cannot attack.
- Dink down the middle. Between the two opponents, so they hesitate over who takes it. In doubles it causes a lot of errors.
Dink and drop: not the same thing
Both are soft shots aimed at the kitchen, but they are played from different places:
- The dink is played when you are already at the net, on the kitchen line.
- The drop (or "third shot") is played from the back of the court, after the return, to give you time to move up to the net.
If you come from tennis or padel, the drop is the hardest part: the temptation is to hit hard from the baseline.
When to stop dinking and attack
The dink is not forever. You attack when your opponent leaves you a ball above net height: then you can hit down, at the feet or at the body. If the ball reaches you below the net, the attack almost always goes up and comes back at you. The practical rule is simple: high ball, attack; low ball, another dink.
Frequently asked questions
What does dink mean in pickleball?
It's a soft shot that lands in the kitchen, the 7-foot zone by the net, so the opponent can't attack.
Can you volley in the kitchen?
No. You can step into the kitchen, but not volley inside it: the ball has to bounce first.
How long does it take for a dink to come out right?
It depends on how much you play. With two or three sessions of specific practice you usually notice a change in control.
Is the dink a winning shot?
Almost never directly. Its goal is to make your opponent send back a high ball that you can attack.
Can you step into the kitchen after a dink?
Yes, if the ball has bounced. What you cannot do is volley with your feet inside the kitchen or touching its line.
Keep reading
To practise it until it gets dark, have a look at the ACE paddle.
