How to Dink in Pickleball: Technique, Targets and When to Attack
By José Cabrera · October 7, 2026 · 7 min read
To dink, stand at the kitchen line in a low, balanced position, hold the paddle loosely in front of you, and use a short, gentle lift from the shoulder to send the ball just over the net so it lands in the opponent's kitchen. Aim crosscourt most of the time, keep the ball low, and wait for a ball that sits up before attacking.
The dink is the shot that makes pickleball pickleball. It looks like nothing: a soft little shot over the net. It decides more rec games than any drive, lob or smash, because the team that can dink patiently usually wins the point when the other team gets impatient.
Here is how to hit one, where to aim, how to win a dink rally, the mistakes that cause most errors and a few drills to get consistent.
What a dink is
A dink is a soft shot hit from at or near the kitchen line, usually after the ball has bounced, that arcs just over the net and lands in the opponent's kitchen, the 7-foot non-volley zone.
The point of a dink is that it lands low. A low ball cannot be attacked, because the opponent would have to hit up on it. So a good dink forces the other team to dink back, and the rally continues until someone hits a ball that sits up high enough to attack.
The word itself is older than the sport, as explained in where pickleball words come from, and it turned into the sport's motto, which is why dink responsibly is printed on so many shirts.
How to hit a dink, step by step
1. Set up at the kitchen line
Stand just behind the kitchen line, a few inches back, with your feet about shoulder-width apart and your knees bent. Hold the paddle up in front of you at about chest height, ready for either side.
Do not stand in the kitchen to dink. You can step in to hit a ball that has bounced, but staying there means you cannot volley the next one.
2. Hold the paddle loosely
Use a continental grip, like shaking hands with the paddle, and hold it loosely: about a three on a scale of ten. A loose grip absorbs the ball's pace, which is what keeps dinks soft.
A tight grip is the number one cause of dinks that fly high or long.
3. Get low with your legs
Bend your knees to lower your body, instead of bending at the waist. When your paddle is low and your face is slightly open, you can lift the ball gently over the net. Standing tall forces you to hit down, which puts the ball into the net.
4. Lift from the shoulder
Use a short, smooth pendulum motion from the shoulder. Keep the wrist firm; do not flick it. The paddle moves low to high, just enough to clear the net.
Think "lift and place," not "hit."
5. Aim for the kitchen, low
Aim for the ball to reach its highest point just over the net on your side and then drop into the opponent's kitchen, ideally near their feet. A dink that lands deep in the kitchen, near the kitchen line, is harder to attack than one that lands just over the net.
Where to aim
Crosscourt dinks
Most dinks should go crosscourt, diagonally. Three reasons:
- The net is lower in the middle (34 inches versus 36 at the posts).
- You have more court to land in on the diagonal.
- The ball travels farther, giving you more time to recover.
Straight dinks
Dink straight, down the line, when you have a reason: a weaker opponent on that side, a player out of position, or to change the rhythm. Be aware that straight dinks near the sideline invite the Erne, the sideline volley explained in the Erne, and why it is legal.
Middle dinks
A dink to the middle, between the two opponents, can cause confusion about whose ball it is. It is also safer, because it is far from the sidelines.
Targets that win
- At their feet, so they have to bend and lift
- To their backhand, usually the weaker side
- Wide, to pull them off the court, opening the middle
How to win a dink rally
Dink rallies are won by patience, not power.
Keep it low. Every dink that stays low forces another dink.
Move them. Side to side, deep and short in the kitchen. A player who has to move is more likely to pop one up.
Wait for the right ball. Attack only when a ball bounces up above net height, ideally at chest level or higher. Then speed it up at their feet or their paddle-side hip.
Do not speed up low balls. The most common way to lose a dink rally is attacking a ball that is below the net. It either goes into the net or sits up for them to put away.
Reset when attacked. If they speed up at you, block it softly back into the kitchen instead of swinging. That turns their attack back into a dink rally.
The most common dink mistakes
Popping the ball up. Too tight a grip or a wristy swing. Loosen up and move from the shoulder.
Into the net. Closed paddle face, standing upright or a swing that stops at contact. Bend your knees and lift through the ball.
Too deep. The dink lands beyond the kitchen and gets attacked. Softer, shorter swing.
Standing in the kitchen after the dink. You cannot volley from there. Step back behind the line.
Speeding up too early. Patience is the skill.
Drills to get consistent
Crosscourt dinking with a partner. Both players at the kitchen line, dinking diagonally. No winners allowed. Count how many in a row. Goal: 20, then 50.
Straight dinking. Same drill, down the line.
Dink and move. One player moves the other side to side with dinks while the other just keeps the ball in.
Wall dinks. Alone, against a wall with a line marked at net height, as covered in the solo practice routine.
Ten minutes of dinking before open play, a few times a week, is the fastest improvement most players will ever make.
Dinking off the bounce vs in the air
Most beginner dinks are hit after the ball bounces, and that is the right place to start. As you improve, you will start taking some dinks out of the air, volleying them before they bounce. That takes time away from your opponent and keeps you from being pushed back. The same rules apply: loose grip, short lift from the shoulder, low target. Just remember you must be behind the kitchen line to volley.
Dinking with an older body
Many of the best dinkers at any court are in their sixties and seventies, because the dink rewards touch and patience over speed. If your knees do not like getting low, widen your stance instead of bending deeper, and let your partner cover balls you would have to lunge for. The soft game is the part of pickleball that ages best.
Where dinking fits in your game
Dinking is the core of the soft game, together with the third shot drop and the reset. If you can dink consistently, you can play at the kitchen line with anyone at rec level. The next step is the drop from the baseline, and the full order of what to learn is in our tips, from beginner to advanced.
The short version
Stand just behind the kitchen line, knees bent, paddle up and loose. Lift the ball gently from the shoulder so it clears the net and lands low in the opponent's kitchen. Aim crosscourt most of the time. Be more patient than the other team and attack only balls that sit up. And if the dink has become your whole personality, the collection for people who planned their life around court time has the t-shirt for it.
How to hit a dink
- 01Set up at the kitchen lineStand a few inches behind the kitchen line, feet shoulder-width apart, knees bent, paddle up in front of you.
- 02Hold the paddle looselyUse a continental grip with light pressure, about three out of ten, so the paddle absorbs the ball's pace.
- 03Bend your knees to get lowLower your body with your legs rather than bending at the waist, so the paddle meets the ball below net height with an open face.
- 04Lift gently from the shoulderUse a short pendulum motion from the shoulder, not the wrist, lifting the ball just enough to clear the net.
- 05Aim for the kitchen, lowAim for the ball to peak just over the net on your side and land in the opponent's kitchen, ideally near their feet.
Common questions
- What is a dink in pickleball?
- A soft shot hit from near the kitchen line that arcs just over the net and lands in the opponent's kitchen, low enough that they cannot attack it.
- Should you dink crosscourt or straight?
- Crosscourt most of the time. The net is lower in the middle, you have more court to land in, and the ball travels farther, giving you more time. Dink straight when you have a reason, such as a weaker opponent on that side.
- How do you win a dink rally?
- By being more patient. Keep the ball low, move your opponent side to side, and wait for a ball that bounces up high enough to attack. Most dink rallies are lost by the player who speeds up too early.
- Why do my dinks go into the net?
- Usually a closed paddle face, standing too upright, or a swing that is too short. Bend your knees, open the paddle face slightly and lift through the ball.
- Why do my dinks pop up?
- Usually gripping too tightly or swinging with the wrist. Loosen your grip, keep the wrist firm and move from the shoulder.
The Obsessed
Six paddles is a normal number of paddles.
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