What is a dink in pickleball?

A soft shot played from near the kitchen line that drops into your opponent's kitchen, low enough that they can't attack it.

Why dink cross-court?

The net is lowest in the middle and the diagonal is the longest distance on court, so a cross-court dink has the most margin for error.

When should I stop dinking and attack?

When your opponent gives you a ball that's above the net and you're balanced. Attacking a low ball usually hands them the point.

Dinking: The Slowest Shot in Sport, and Why It Wins

Watch two good pickleball pairs at the kitchen line and you’ll see something odd: the ball barely moving, rally after rally, four adults gently patting it over the net like they’re trying not to wake it. Then, suddenly, someone attacks and the point’s over. That gentle bit is dinking, and it’s where the point was really won.

What a dink is for

A dink is a soft shot from near the kitchen line that lands in your opponents’ kitchen. Because it bounces low and close to the net, they have to hit it upwards, which means they can’t attack it. You’re not trying to win the point with a dink. You’re waiting for the other side to give you a ball you can attack.

All four players at the kitchen line. Player B dinks cross-court into the far kitchen: the diagonal is longer and crosses the lowest part of the net. Player A's straight dink has less margin, so it suits a ball that's already low.

Where to aim

Cross-court is the percentage play. The net is lower in the middle (86cm against 91cm at the posts), and the diagonal is the longest distance on court, so you have the most room for error.
At their feet. A dink that lands just in front of an opponent’s toes is awkward to lift.
Deep in the kitchen, not short. A dink that dies right by the net is lovely when it works and lands in the net when it doesn’t. Aim for the back half of the kitchen.

How to hit one

Paddle out in front, face slightly open. Lift the ball with your legs and shoulder, not a flick of the wrist.
Bend your knees. The lower you are, the more control you have. Bending at the waist is how backs get sore and balls go into the net.
Short, smooth swing. Think of carrying the ball over the net rather than hitting it.
Reset after every dink. Paddle back up in front of your chest, ready for a speed-up.

The patience test

Most club-level dink rallies end because someone gets bored and attacks a ball that’s below net height. It goes into the net or sits up for a counter-attack. The discipline is simple to describe and hard to do: only attack a ball that’s above the net. Everything else, dink again.

A drill that works

Two players, one court, cross-court dinks only. Play to 11, but a point only counts if the rally lasts at least five dinks before anyone attacks. You’ll be amazed how quickly your patience improves when impatience costs you the point.

Once your dinks are steady, learn what to do when someone speeds the ball up: our guide to volleys and hand battles picks up there. And if you keep faulting near the line, re-read the kitchen rules.