10 Ways to Improve Your Dinking
10 Ways to Improve Your Dinking
Plus: We Have a Winner!
Hi Pickleballers -
Are there games with advanced players at your local pickleball court you wish to get into? Maybe you don’t think you’re good enough, or there’s never an opening. This has happened to me many times. When I get a chance to play, I tense up and don’t play my normal game.
I got lucky today, and a group of 4.5+ players needed a fourth. I did alright until a few aspiring pros got in the mix. The dynamic changed, and the game got very fast. As per usual, I tensed up and started hitting my dinks and drops too high and got crushed. But then a few players left, and we were back to four. So they had no choice but to keep me in the game!
And then something good happened. I started playing my game again. I stopped trying to overpower better players with hard drives and speed-ups. I stuck with dinks, drops, and good placement. Believe it or not, it worked, and I started winning most of my games.
This guy below is what I look like, tensed up. Eye off the ball and trying to squeeze the paddle to death. My game plan is to return to working on dinks, drops, resets, and placement.
10 Ways To Get Better At Dinking
1. Practice Consistently:
Regular Sessions: Dedicate specific practice sessions to dinking. Consistency is key to improvement.
Varied Partners: Play with partners of different skill levels to adapt to various dinking styles.
2. Focus on Technique:
Paddle Angle: Maintain a low, controlled angle with your paddle to keep the ball low over the net.
Soft Touch: Develop a soft touch by gently guiding the ball rather than hitting it hard.
Wrist Action: Use your wrist for delicate control and accuracy in your shots.
3. Footwork and Positioning:
Stay Balanced: Maintain a stable and balanced stance to react swiftly to incoming shots.
Move Efficiently: Practice footwork to reach the ball and maintain your position at the net.
4. Controlled Practice Drills:
Target Practice: Set up targets on the court and aim to consistently hit them while dinking.
Progressive Drills: Start slow and gradually increase the speed and intensity of the dinking exchanges.
5. Game Strategy:
Placement over Power: Focus on placing the ball strategically, aiming for opponent weaknesses or creating difficult angles.
Patience: Dinking rallies can be prolonged; learn to be patient and wait for the right opportunity to attack.
6. Watch and Learn:
Observation: Watch professional games or skilled players. Analyze their techniques and strategies.
Online Resources: Utilize instructional videos or tutorials to learn new techniques and refine your skills.
7. Receive Feedback:
Coaching or Feedback: Seek guidance from experienced players or coaches to identify areas for improvement.
Self-Analysis: Record and watch your matches to identify areas of strength and weakness.
8. Mindset and Adaptability:
Adapt to Opponent: Adjust your dinking style based on your opponent's game to keep them uncomfortable.
Stay Calm: Avoid rushing shots; remain composed and focused during dinking exchanges.
9. Physical Conditioning:
Endurance Training: Build stamina as dinking rallies can be physically demanding.
10. Play More Games:
Experience Matters: The more you play, the more comfortable and skilled you become in different situations.
Remember, improvement takes time and patience. Consistent practice and a focus on technique and strategy will gradually enhance your dinking skills in pickleball.
This week we released our second interview with Spartus Pickleball founder Josh Kim. Josh discusses two new paddles he’s released and his manufacturing and design process.
Josh is unique in that he has an engineering background and is also a patent attorney. Before building his first paddle, he spent time in China evaluating factories and establishing direct relationships.
The end result is well-made, high-quality paddles at extremely low prices. Check out the interview below and let us know what you think.
Simply Pickleball Podcast with Spartus CEO Josh Kim
Spartus Paddle Reviews
The Gladius Centurion: The Centurion is a game-improvement power paddle ideal for advanced beginners, intermediate, and even advanced players. It’s part of my paddle rotation, and I’m a big fan. Click here to read the entire review
The Ballista V2: The Ballista V2 is the lightest 16mm paddle on the market today. It’s designed for fast hands and firefights at the net. With a swingweight of 110 (I measured 111), it’s highly customizable with lead tape. Click here to read the review
Updates on our pickleball paddle giveaways:
1. Anna Leigh Waters Autographed Paddle Winner!
Congratulations to Mr. Le! He has been notified, and the paddle will be shipped out ASAP. Enjoy!
2. Speedup Pickleball Paddle Giveaway
We’ve teamed up with SpeedUp to give away 1 x 14mm Fire and 1 x 16mm Ice. They have a 6-inch elongated handle, raw carbon fiber, and thermoformed unibody construction. Enter to win
In Case You Missed It
Simply Pickleball Discount Codes
Prolite: SIMPLYPB
Vatic Pro: SIMPLY10
Speedup: SIMPLYPB
Bread & Butter: SIMPLYPB
PCKL: SIMPLY15
Spartus: SIMPLYPB
Rally Club Pickleball Clothing: SIMPLY15
Paddles and More: SIMPLY15
Enhance Pickleball: SIMPLYPB
We hope you can relax over the next few weeks and enjoy the Holidays. And, of course, play as much pickleball as possible.
Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas!
Woody
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