Four checks for a dink that doesn't pop up
Light grip, contact in front, a short compact swing, and a position close to the kitchen line.
A dink that stays low begins with four essentials: soft hands, contact in front, a compact swing, and positioning close to the kitchen line. Use the illustrated checkpoints to identify the technique, then compare good examples with common errors and follow the coach’s Look For / Say / Fix notes.
40 | Stand close to the kitchen line
The nearer you are to the net, the more angles you can hit, and the harder it is for an opponent to put the ball away.
30 | Short, compact swing
Take the paddle back only a few inches. Swing from the shoulder, using the legs and core rather than the wrist.
20 | Contact in front
Hit every dink in front of the body.
10 | Light grip
Aim for about 3 or 4 on a scale of 1 to 10. Soft hands and a loose grip help create dead dinks that do not pop up.
130 | Kitchen-line positioning
Fine: standing close to the kitchen line. Error: standing back from the line.
120 | Contact in front
Fine: contact in front of the body. Error: contact to the side or behind the body.
110 | Light grip
Fine: a light grip, around 3 or 4 out of 10. Error: gripping too hard.
240 | Stand close to the kitchen line
Position close to the non-volley zone.
230 | Short, compact swing
Keep the swing short rather than wrist-led.
220 | Contact in front
Contact the ball in front of the body.
210 | Light grip
A light grip helps avoid tension and pop-ups.
350 | Harder to read
A short, compact swing led by the shoulder and supported by the legs and core, rather than the wrist, also helps make the shot harder for an opponent to read.
340 | Dead dinks
Soft hands and a loose grip help produce dead dinks that do not pop up.
330 | Push volley dink
An advanced option: intercept the ball in the air when it is easy to do so.
320 | Topspin roll dink
A more aggressive option. Select an attackable ball, such as a dead dink, then brush up behind it.
310 | Slice dink
What it is for: A neutral, controlled set-up shot that stays low and lets you lean in to take the next ball out of the air.
How: Lock the wrist; use the arm as a lever; extend the bottom edge of the paddle towards the target.