§ Strategy & drills
Dinking and the Soft Game in Pickleball
6 min read · Updated 2026-06-13
Dinking is hitting soft, controlled shots into the kitchen during net rallies. The soft game uses dinks, resets, and patience to force opponents into errors.
Dinking is the exchange of soft, controlled shots into the kitchen (non-volley zone) from the kitchen line. When both teams are at the net, rallies become dink exchanges where the goal is to force the opponent into a weak pop-up or an unforced error. The soft game refers to this broader collection of skills: dinking, resetting, and choosing the right moment to speed up the ball.
What Makes a Good Dink
A quality dink has three properties. First, it lands in the kitchen so the opponent cannot volley it from the air. Second, it is low enough that the opponent must contact it below net height, forcing an upward return. Third, it is placed deliberately: down the line, cross-court, or at the opponent's backhand hip.
The mechanics are minimal: grip the paddle softly (a relaxed grip absorbs pace), use a small pushing motion with your arm, and keep your paddle face open. Most of the control comes from your wrist and forearm, not a shoulder turn. Stand close to the kitchen line with your knees bent and your weight slightly forward so you can move laterally without being pulled out of position.
Tip
Hold your paddle at about 50 percent grip pressure during dink rallies. A tight grip creates tension in your forearm and leads to mis-hits. Softer grip, softer shot.
Cross-Court Dinks
The cross-court dink is the highest-percentage dink in doubles. The ball travels over the lowest part of the net (the center, at 34 inches) and has more court to land in than a down-the-line shot. Repeated cross-court dinks pull the opponent wide, open the middle, and expose the down-the-line angle for a later attack.
Cross-court dinking also keeps the exchange away from the centerline. When you dink cross-court, your opponent must reply from a wider position, which makes it harder for them to cover the middle on the next ball. This is a subtle positional advantage that compounds over a long rally.
Down-the-Line Dinks
The down-the-line dink targets the opponent directly in front of you. It travels over the higher part of the net (34 inches at center, but higher near the sideline if you are off-center), so it carries slightly more risk. Its value is as a change-up: after several cross-court dinks, a sudden down-the-line shot catches opponents leaning the wrong way. Down-the-line is also the natural set-up for an erne (a jumping volley from outside the court).
When to Speed Up the Ball
Speeding up the ball means transitioning from dinking to a hard, flat drive aimed at the opponent's body or feet. The correct time to speed up is when you receive a ball above net height at the kitchen line. That ball allows you to swing downward, giving the drive a sharp downward trajectory that is difficult to handle.
Targeting matters. The most effective speed-up is aimed at the opponent's non-paddle hip, also called the body bag. At kitchen-line range, a ball at the hip gives the opponent almost no time to reset and no comfortable angle to redirect. Drives aimed at the paddle are more predictable and can be blocked back. Drives into the body or feet are hardest to defend.
Resetting the Rally
When you are defending a speed-up or a drive at your feet, the reset is the correct response. A reset is a soft, deflecting shot that slows the ball back down and lands it in the kitchen, re-establishing the dink rally. Do not try to counter-drive a ball that is at or below your knees: the geometry forces an upward swing that will either net or produce a hittable ball.
The reset uses a soft, passive paddle face. You are absorbing the pace rather than adding to it. Think of it as catching the ball with your paddle rather than swinging at it. Block it softly over the net and into the kitchen. You have bought yourself another opportunity to re-engage in the dink rally from a level position.
Note
The ability to reset under pressure separates intermediate players from beginners. It requires accepting that you do not need to attack every ball and that re-establishing neutrality is a win in itself.
Soft Game Summary
Dink cross-court by default, down-the-line as a change-up. Speed up when the ball is above net height. Reset when the ball is at or below your knees. The player who dinks consistently and speeds up at the right moment wins the rally more often than the player who drives at every opportunity.
Frequently asked
No. Dinking is a foundational skill that beginners should learn early. The mechanics are simple and the payoff is immediate: dinking players make fewer unforced errors than players who try to drive every ball.
High dinks usually come from too much upswing or a paddle face that is too open at contact. Keep your swing compact and aim to brush the ball forward rather than lift it. Also check your contact point: if you are reaching for a ball that has already dropped below your knees, a high return is almost unavoidable.
Cross-court is the default: it passes over the lower center of the net and has more landing space. Straight-ahead dinks are change-ups used to disrupt a rhythm or set up a down-the-line attack.
Speeding up a ball that is below net height is almost always wrong. You are forced to swing upward, which produces a floater or a pop-up. Wait for a ball that sits above the net tape at your end before committing to a drive.
An erne is a volley hit from outside the court, jumping around the post. Down-the-line dinks that draw your opponent wide can set up an erne opportunity when you move quickly around the post to intercept the reply.
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