How to dink in pickleball: grip, paddle angle, contact point, follow-through
Step-by-step guide to hitting a pickleball dink. Grip, paddle angle, contact point, and follow-through, with common mistakes and practice plan.
Step-by-step
- Set up at the kitchen line. Stand just behind the kitchen line, knees slightly bent, weight on the balls of your feet. Paddle in front of you at waist height, soft grip.
- Open the paddle face. Hold the paddle with a relaxed grip and an open face — about 30-45 degrees from vertical. The ball should leave the paddle with topspin, not float.
- Make contact out in front. Step into the shot and contact the ball in front of your body, around waist height. Reaching back or hitting from your side kills control.
- Push, don't swing. En dink är en kontrollerad knuff, inte en gunga. Rörelsen är från axeln, inte handleden. Tänk "placera bollen" inte "slå bollen".
- Recover to ready. Efter dinken, återgå till redo position — paddla framför, knäna böjda, ögonen på motståndarens paddel. Nästa bild betyder mer än den förra.
Några vanliga fel.
- Looking at the opponent, not the ball. Ögonen på bollen, alltid. Motståndaren flyttar inte bollen — det gör du.
- Swinging too hard. These are control shots. Power is the enemy of accuracy here.
- Forgetting the recovery. The shot isn't done until you're back in ready position. The next ball is coming.
How long does it take to learn?
Most recreational players can pick up the basic mechanics in a single session. Consistent in-game execution takes 2-4 weeks of deliberate practice — drilling the shot 30+ times per session, 3-5 times per week. After that, it becomes a reliable part of your game.