Your chances of winning on the pickleball court go up dramatically when you can get to the Non-Volley Zone line (the Kitchen line) and utilize a dink shot. But once you’re there, the real question is: what do you do next? That’s where strategy comes into play.
Generally, your goal at the Kitchen is to keep the ball low and unattackable until your opponents make a mistake. When they finally pop up a ball that you can attack, that’s your chance to go on the offensive. The best way to keep the ball low and controlled is with a dink shot. A pickleball dink is a soft, controlled shot hit just over the net into the opponent’s Non-Volley Zone. The purpose is not to win the rally outright, but to neutralize your opponents’ advantage and force them into making the first error. Because the ball lands low and short, it’s very difficult for them to volley aggressively.
If you don’t have an opportunity for a strong offensive shot, the dink is often the smartest choice especially when both opponents are positioned at the Kitchen line, which is the strongest position in pickleball doubles. However, if one of your opponents is still deep at the baseline, avoid using a dink unless you’re confident they can’t reach it. In that case, a dink only helps them by drawing them up to the net. Instead, keep them on defense with a deep drive or a shot with pace.
The keys to an effective dink are patience and precision. Patience is needed to sustain long dink rallies and wait for your opponents to make the first mistake. Precision is required to keep the ball low and controlled, moving your opponents around the court with crosscourt dinks, angled placements, and soft touch. The goal is to maneuver them until they either hit into the net or leave a ball high enough for you to attack. Like any skill in pickleball, the dink takes practice. Warm up by practicing soft shots into the Kitchen to develop touch and consistency. Over time, you’ll gain the confidence to stay steady at the net and force your opponents into errors.
Master the dink because chances are, your opponent hasn’t.
