Mindful Dinking

Friends don’t let friends dead dink!  In a conversation and hitting session with top pro Lina Padegimaite, we delved into the benefits of mindful dinking and how it can elevate your game by avoiding the dreaded dead dink.

But before describing the solution, let's admit we may have a problem.  Many of us have the habit of hitting dead dinks, which are soft shots into the kitchen with minimal spin, and land in a spot that only requires a little reach by our opponents.  They are typically defensive and allow your opponent to dictate the next shot.  That next shot could be an attack or an offensive dink to a challenging spot for you or your partner.

The Dinking Game Has Changed

As more and more talent enters the game, we see more power and spin applied to strokes that used to be played relatively safely.  Couple that with the advancements in paddle technology, and we are seeing more aggression at the kitchen line, not just due to power improvements but also spin. 

The significance of these changes is that they put more pressure on us to control the kitchen line with mindful dinking habits because if we do not control the kitchen line, our opponents will control it for us!

Letting your opponents control the kitchen line is a crash waiting to happen, and no one wants to end up body-bagged out on the court from your dead dink, especially your partner!  Therefore, adapting to these changes and improving your dinking skills is crucial to staying competitive in the modern game.

Developing Good Dinking Habits

Many dead dinks result from a lack of intent and focus. Sure, sometimes you have to half-volley or recover with a defensive reset to stay in the rally, but many defensive dinks are made with little thought. It is just an easy dink that is safe when the higher-percentage shot in the long term is an offensive dink defined by spin and aggressive trajectory that places the ball deep into our opponent’s kitchen at locations that make them stretch and move.

To cure us of this dead dinking habit, Lina instructs her students to say aloud the word “offensive” on an offensive dink and the word “defensive” on a defensive dink. It may seem like a basic instruction, but it forces the mind to connect with the shot and be aware of our intention.

Indeed, as I was dinking cross-court with six-time pro medalist Lina Padegimaite I felt a lot of pressure. Still, I noticed that I was becoming more aggressive by trying to get myself in a position to say “offensive” as I was making contact with the ball.  I was also much more mindful of my footwork to get my paddle in position early to hold the ball a little longer and be more deceptive with my location to try and win control of the rally and put Lina in a defensive position.

The next time you drill with your partner, try verbalizing aloud the nature of each dink (“offensive” or “defensive”) as you hit them. This simple yet effective drill can help you stay mindful of each shot and focus on applying maximum pressure to your opponent.

With a bit of practice and support from your friends, you too, can overcome your dead dinking habit. So remember, dink responsibly, and when out on the court, share this article with anyone who needs it—friends don’t let friends dead dink!

John is a PPR Certified Instructor, a professional rec player known by his pickleball friends as “The Professor.”  He aims to help players navigate their pickleball addiction with weekly tips from etiquette to technique to injury prevention.  He can be reached at ThePIckleProf.com.

Pro Video Tip: Basics of Dinking w/ Spin