The dink
The dink is a soft shot from near the kitchen line that lands in your opponent's kitchen. Learn the grip, stance, targets, cross-court patterns and drills that make it reliable.
What a dink is
A dink is a soft shot hit from at or near the kitchen line that arcs over the net and lands in your opponent's kitchen. Because the ball lands in the kitchen, your opponent cannot volley it while standing there and must let it bounce, which makes it very hard to attack.
Dinking is the heart of high-level doubles. When all four players are at the kitchen line, the team that dinks more patiently usually wins the point, because the other team eventually pops a ball up high enough to be put away.
Technique
- Ready position: feet a little wider than shoulder width, knees bent, paddle in front of your body at about chest height.
- Grip: continental (shaking hands with the paddle), with light pressure. A tight grip makes the ball fly.
- Swing: short, from the shoulder, like a gentle pendulum. Keep your wrist firm and quiet.
- Contact: out in front, with the paddle face slightly open to lift the ball over the net.
- Finish: follow through toward your target and freeze, then reset to ready.
Use your legs. Bend to get low on low balls instead of dropping your paddle head and flicking.
Where to aim
| Target | When to use it |
|---|---|
| Cross-court | Default. The net is lowest in the middle and the court is longest diagonally, so you have more margin |
| At the opponent's feet | When they are leaning; forces an upward contact |
| Middle | Creates confusion between partners |
| Straight ahead | To change the pattern, but less margin |
Aim to land the ball in the kitchen, ideally within 1 to 2 feet of the kitchen line. A dink that lands near the net is easier for the opponent to handle than one that lands at their feet.
The patience mindset
Most dink rallies are lost by the player who attacks the wrong ball. A good rule: only attack a ball that is above the net, and dink everything below net height. When you get a ball you can attack, a quick volley or speed-up can win the point; otherwise, keep dinking.
Dink variations
- Topspin dink: brushing up adds dip and keeps the ball low after bouncing.
- Slice dink: a little backspin skids the ball low and can make opponents pop it up.
- Dink volley: dinking out of the air from the kitchen line, which takes time away from opponents. Keep your feet behind the line.
Drills
- Cross-court 50. Two players dink cross-court and count consecutive dinks. Aim for 50 without an error.
- Target towels. Lay a towel in each kitchen corner and try to land 10 dinks in a row on it.
- Up-the-line switch. Alternate one cross-court and one straight dink to practice changing direction.
Common mistakes
- Standing too far back: get your toes close to the line, but never on it during a volley. See kitchen rules.
- Swinging with the wrist, which causes pop-ups.
- Getting impatient and attacking low balls into the net.
- Standing straight up instead of bending the knees.
If you get pulled out of position during a dink rally, hit a slow, high-percentage dink back to the middle and recover. A reset beats a hero shot.
