A dink is a soft shot hit from the kitchen line that lands in your opponent's kitchen. Its purpose is patience: keep the ball unattackable until your opponent makes a mistake or gives you a ball high enough to attack.
Good dinks are hit with the legs, not the wrist. Bend your knees, keep the paddle out in front, and push the ball with a compact motion. The lower the ball crosses the net, the better.
Key cues
- 1Paddle face open, out in front of your body
- 2Lift from the shoulder, not the wrist
- 3Contact the ball at the top of the bounce or on the rise
- 4Move your feet to the ball instead of reaching
Common mistakes
- Hitting dinks too high, which invites a speed-up
- Backing off the kitchen line
- Wristy, flicky contact that sends the ball into the net