How to Dink in Pickleball: Master the Softest Shot That Wins Games

Most beginners dream of smashing winners and hitting powerful drives. But here’s what separates winners from strugglers: the dink shot. Pro players spend more time perfecting how to dink in pickleball than any other technique. If you want to win games, master this soft-shot pickleball strategy. This guide breaks down everything you need to know about becoming dangerous at the net through proper dinking technique in pickleball.

A dink is a soft, controlled shot hit from near the kitchen line that lands in your opponent’s kitchen. When executed properly, your opponent cannot attack it. They’re forced to let the ball bounce before hitting it, putting them in a defensive position.
You’re not trying to end the point with a dink. You’re trying to set yourself up to win it. The ball travels slowly over the net, barely clearing it, and lands shallow in your opponent’s kitchen. A well-placed soft shot pickleball keeps your opponent trapped, unable to hit downward.

If you can’t think consistently, you won’t win at higher levels. Here’s why:
Control the pace and you control the point. When you dink, you slow the game to your tempo. You’re not reacting to your opponent’s pace, you’re setting it. Patience creates mistakes. The longer you extend dinking rallies, the more pressure builds. Your opponent gets frustrated, rushing shots, popping the ball up. Then you pounce.
Pickleball dink strategy isn’t defensive weakness, it’s strategic dominance. By keeping the ball low and forcing your opponent to hit upward, you prevent aggressive attacks before they start. Every dink is one step closer to ending the point on your terms.

Hold your paddle using a continental grip. Keep your grip pressure at around 2-3 out of 10. Tight grips kill dinking. A loose grip lets you absorb the incoming ball’s pace instead of pushing back against it. Tight hands create pop-ups. Loose hands create control.
Stance and Positioning
Position yourself 1-2 feet behind the kitchen line. Get into an athletic stance with knees bent slightly, weight on the balls of your feet, and feet about shoulder-width apart. Your body should be square to the net. Stay active and ready to move. Many beginners position too far back and lose the advantage.

Here’s where dinking technique in pickleball goes wrong. Most players use their wrist. Stop doing that. Your shoulder drives the motion, not your wrist. Think of your shoulder as the foundation, your arm as a board, and your wrist as the flexible tip. The shoulder initiates movement, the arm guides the paddle through, and the wrist stays firm.

Keep your backswing short and compact. Bring the paddle back only 6-8 inches, not a full tennis swing. Make contact with the ball when it’s low, out in front of your body. If you let the ball get to your body or behind you, you lose control immediately.
Push the ball, don’t hit it. This push mentality keeps velocity low and gives you precision. Your follow-through should be gentle and controlled, aimed toward the net. The goal is hitting the ball barely over the net, about one-foot clearance is perfect. Target landing it shallow in your opponent’s kitchen, within 3-4 feet of the net.

Hit most dinks cross-court rather than down-the-line dinks. You have more court to work with, which gives you margin for error. Down-the-line dinks are risky with that narrow sideline.
Never dink the same spot twice. Vary your placement constantly. Hit one to the forehand, next to the backhand. Then go wide, then to the middle. Your opponent should never predict where your next dink is coming. Predictability gets you smashed.
Target the feet and middle. In doubles the middle creates confusion. Neither player owns that space. In singles, targeting your opponent’s feet forces awkward movement. When you can volley the dink out of the air, do it. This reduces your opponent’s reaction time. Sometimes you need to let it bounce, but volley dinking is premium pickleball dink strategy.

Hitting too hard creates pop-ups, the opposite of what you want. Soft shot pickleball means actually soft. Don’t muscle it.
Gripping too tight transfers tension to the shot. Your forearm tightens and you lose finesse. Grip loosely always.
Taking a big backswing generates momentum you can’t control. Keep it compact. Using your wrist instead of shoulder creates inconsistency and pop-ups. Shoulder-driven motion is the answer.
Standing too far back loses your advantage. Stay at the kitchen line. Running through your shots adds unwanted energy to the ball. Stay still during contact. Being predictable gets punished. Mix up placement constantly.

The 50-dink rally challenge works. You and a partner stand across from each other at the kitchen line. Attempt 50 consecutive cross-court dinks without missing. It sounds simple but it’s harder than you think.
Try footwork drills. Move side to side while staying at the kitchen line. Work on staying balanced and close to the net while moving laterally.
Mark zones in the kitchen with tape. Try hitting dinks into specific areas. This builds precision. Make drills competitive. First person to miss gets a point. This teaches you to dink under pressure.
Take your dinking into matches. Practice against real opponents who are trying to break your rhythm. Find a local court and practice with skilled players.