Dinking is the soft game at the heart of competitive pickleball: gentle, controlled shots that arc just over the net and drop into the opponents’ non-volley zone (kitchen). Because shots from inside the kitchen can’t be volleyed, dinking creates a patient battle in which both teams trade soft shots, waiting for the opponent to pop one up high enough to attack. Skilled dinking — with control, placement and patience — is what separates advanced pickleball players; impatiently attacking a low ball usually results in an error. The dink is to pickleball what the rally is to building a point.
Key points
- Soft controlled shots into the kitchen
- Cannot be volleyed from inside the kitchen
- A patient battle for an attackable ball
- Hallmark of advanced pickleball
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