Be sure to positively identify your target before hitting the ball...
I recently wrote a series on targeting, including dink shots. Sarah Ansboury has an article discussing her thoughts on the same topic. The article is called Do You Think About Where to Dink? Some excerpts are shown below.
Many players define a successful dink as a soft shot from the NVZ line that lands anywhere in the non-volley zone. However, I have a different theory as to where to dink.
Where to Dink
The basic tenet of offensive pickleball is to control your opponents’ movement as much as possible. With this in mind, watch some high-level matches. Watch closely and see exactly where the best players land their dink shots. You will find most shots are actually hit deeper, often behind the non-volley zone line.
By pushing the ball back, toward their opponent’s heels or even better behind the player, you are causing the ball to be popped up so that you or your partner can then attack. Very rarely will you see a very short dink and likely it was hit because it was their only option.
Don’t Just Dink to Dink
I find many players tend to just dink… to dink. When this happens the depth of the ball does not change much. Perhaps the player may move side to side, but they aren’t moving back. Instead, it is important to learn the proper dinking technique and to focus on pushing the ball so the ball goes deeper into the NVZ, or just beyond the line.
Many players define a successful dink as a soft shot from the NVZ line that lands anywhere in the non-volley zone. However, I have a different theory as to where to dink.
Where to Dink
The basic tenet of offensive pickleball is to control your opponents’ movement as much as possible. With this in mind, watch some high-level matches. Watch closely and see exactly where the best players land their dink shots. You will find most shots are actually hit deeper, often behind the non-volley zone line.
By pushing the ball back, toward their opponent’s heels or even better behind the player, you are causing the ball to be popped up so that you or your partner can then attack. Very rarely will you see a very short dink and likely it was hit because it was their only option.
Don’t Just Dink to Dink
I find many players tend to just dink… to dink. When this happens the depth of the ball does not change much. Perhaps the player may move side to side, but they aren’t moving back. Instead, it is important to learn the proper dinking technique and to focus on pushing the ball so the ball goes deeper into the NVZ, or just beyond the line.
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