Are you confused to make the variation between dink and drop shot in pickleball? You should be because these two shots are pretty similar to each other not just in names but also when you get in action to make them. Then what is a dink shot in pickleball?
In simple words, a dink shot is when you make a shot from your non-volley zone just by making the ball get over the net. And drop in the kitchen area of your opponent’s side is known as the dink in pickleball.
But it isn’t enough for you to be cleared about dink. Therefore, I’m going to explain the pickleball dink shot in depth. Besides, I’ll also tell you how to make dink shots like a pro player.
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What Is Dink Shot In Pickleball?
The Dink shot is one of the most famous shots in pickleball. Especially when it comes to pro-level games in pickleball. Dink is a kind of shot that you make from your kitchen area to your competitor’s area.
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In such a shot, you’ve to angle the paddle upside so that you can make the ball cross the net easily cross the net.
Most of the time people confuse to vary 3rd drop shot and dink shot. Especially when they’re new to pickleball.
While both shots are almost for the purpose to control your competitor’s speed. Moreover, the difference is that the drop shot hits from the baseline area and the dink shot is hit from the kitchen zone.
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As you’ve learned about the dink shot. Now it’s turned to tell you why is dink shot necessary to learn.
There could be various reasons but what I love personally with the help of Dink is keeping the opponent under control.
Sometimes, when you’re playing and you get under the unstoppable hard smash from your competitor.
In such situations, you need to take your opponent to play slower and a dink shot is the best option you can do it. Learn 4 Common Pickleball Injuries That You Should Know.
8 Steps How To Hit Dink Shot Like A Pro Player?
Before you get in the court to make a dink shot. You should know how to hit dink shots without making a fault.
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However, you might be able to make a dink but sometimes a single mistake causes you to lose a point.
Hence, I’m going to disclose a few essential tips on how to hit a dink shot in pickleball:
1. Make Your Body Attentive
It’s something that needs to do even before you catch the ball at your side. And most of the time, players just ignore it that really impacts their dink shot.
Instead of making a great shot, they make a very easy fault as the result of making the dink shot. And it’s just because of not preparing yourself for the shot properly.
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2. Shape The Paddle
As the dink shot is very different as compared to normal pickleball shots. Since shaping your paddle at the right angle is very important.
Especially when you’re just starting with such shots as the dink one. Try to keep the paddle out of your body and have a loose kind of grip on the paddle. Which will help you to make a very smooth dink shot.
3. Focus On The Ball
One of the prevalent reasons, players get wrong with taking the ball in the right direction. The dink shot is somehow tricky and it needs full focus to be done correctly.
Therefore, as you realize the ball is on your side, try your best to focus on the ball until you make it contact with your paddle.
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4. Delivere A Proper Stance
Having a proper stance is needed if you want don’t want to be under pressure while making the dink shot.
The best stance you should have while preparing yourself for a dink shot is an athletic stance with your knees bent. And try to match your shoulder along with your feet.
5. Hold To Kitchen Area
Dink shot is all about not giving very open space or time to your opponent. And the best practice for this is to be near the non-volley zone as much as possible.
If you make a dink shot away from the line of the kitchen area, you’d not be satisfied with your dink shot because of giving too much time to your opponent while giving the ball back to you.
6. Consider The Net
The dink shot is about to deliver the ball just over the net. Since you need to be very careful with your ball target.
The ball should be in the area after the net and non-volley zone.
7. Don’t Let the Ball To Your Feet
Sometimes, you make the mistake of letting the ball very near to your lower body. It causes you multiple issues but these two of them are very problematic for you while making your dink.
First, as much as the ball gets close to you, the more you’ll be in doubt about not making a wrong shot.
Second, it put you in a hurry for the shot that might cause you to make any fault.
8. Time To Up The Ball
Now that you’ve applied all of the above mentioned steps. Now it turns to hold the ball very calmly.
While taking the ball for a shot the paddle should be coming from below the side. So that you can make a very great drop.
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Conclusion
If you want to be a great pickleball player. Especially if you want to play like a professional pickleballer. Then mastering these all shots are very essential such as drop shot, dink shot, and erne.
But before you start practicing these shots. You should know how to make these shots properly as I explained in this article dink shot.
FAQs
Q1. What is the difference between a drop shot and a dink in pickleball?
In some cases, both shots are almost the same while the shots are different. One main variation is dinking shot comes from the kitchen area and the drop shot is from the baseline.
Q2. What is the purpose of a dink shot?
As dink shot has multiple purposes but some of the very well-known purposes are keeping your competitors under control and other is to keep the game calm.
Q3. How important is dinking in pickleball?
In the start, you might want to ignore dinking as an important shot. But believe me, as a professional pickleball player, I’ve really enjoyed especially when I was competing with pro-level players. The Dink shot was one of the best shots I tried in such situations.
Q4. What is a Bert in pickleball?
In pickleball, a “Bert” is a type of service where the server hits the ball with the paddle face up, generating topspin and causing the ball to bounce higher upon reaching the opponent’s court.
The Bert serve is named after Robert “Bert” Van der Meer, who is credited with inventing it.
However, the Bert serve is not legal at all levels of play and some tournaments may prohibit it.