Pickleball players will often make the same mistakes over and over when dinking. The most common mistakes when dinking, and some tips to avoid making them, include:

1. Failing to Be Ready – Remember to stay in Pickleball Ready (with your paddle out front in the 10 o’clock (or 2 o’clock for a lefty) position), and return to this position after every shot. Always anticipate that your opponents will return your shot!

2. Taking Too Big of a Backswing – Taking a big backswing creates too much paddle speed coming into a dink. Your goal for the dink is to hit a soft shot that lands in the two-thirds portion of your opponents’ Non-Volley Zone or Kitchen. So, keep your backswings short and compact. Also, use a controlled motion with a firm wrist, rather than a sharp jerk with any wrist snap.

3. Hitting the Dink into the Net – Respect the net. Hit each dink with an apex of about one to two feet above the net. If you hit the pickleball too low, you will hit the pickleball into the net and take yourself out of the point.

4. Being Too Aggressive – Stay in the dink, be patient, and wait for your opportunity to put the pickleball away on an attackable dink. If you are unable to put the pickleball away on your initial aggressive shot, your opponents will likely return your shot with an even more aggressive shot, putting pressure on you and your partner to stay in the point.

Keep drilling to avoid these common basic dinking mistakes!

Key Takeaways:

1. Always be in Pickleball Ready when you are at the Non-Volley Zone or Kitchen Line.
2. Take short, compact backswings when dinking.
3. Respect the net!
4. Be patient with unattackable dinks and take advantage of your opportunity with attackable dinks.