Dinking fundamentals: staying steady at the kitchen line
What a good dink looks like, the technique behind it, and how to practise patience at the net.
What to focus on
- Create pressure without rushing
- Use speed-ups only when the ball is attackable
- Hold the kitchen line with compact counters
- Coordinate middle coverage with your partner
Core skills
Dink patternsSpeed-up selectionCounter blocksDoubles middle calls
Drills to run
- Three-dink pattern drill
- Attackable-ball recognition
- Hands battle to 7
- Middle-call shadow drill
Best paddle profile
Control or spin-focused paddle that rewards placement and quick hands.
Recommended next reads
The third-shot drop, explained: why it matters and how to drill it
What the third-shot drop is, when to use it versus a drive, and how to practise it.
Doubles positioning basics: when (and why) to stack
How partners should move together, and a plain explanation of stacking.