The Secret to Better Dinking: Common Kitchen Mistakes to Avoid

Dinking looks simple: soft shots back and forth over the net into the kitchen. In practice, most points at the kitchen line are lost on unforced errors, not winners. Fix the mistakes below and you will win more dink rallies without learning a single new shot.

Mistake 1: Standing up tall

Dinks are low shots. If you stand upright, you have to reach down with your arm and the paddle face becomes hard to control. Bend your knees, keep your back fairly straight and bring your eyes closer to the ball.

Mistake 2: Using the wrist

A flicky wrist changes the paddle angle from shot to shot. Keep the wrist firm and move the paddle from the shoulder, like a pendulum. The motion should be short and smooth.

Mistake 3: Dinking too high

Any dink that bounces above net height is an invitation for your opponent to attack. Aim for the ball to peak on your side of the net and land low in the kitchen. Height, not speed, is what gets punished.

Mistake 4: Aiming at the net

Missing into the net ends the point immediately. Give yourself margin by aiming a little higher over the net than you think you need, and let the ball fall into the kitchen.

Mistake 5: Backing away from the line

Players often drift back during long dink rallies. Every step back gives your opponent more angles and makes your dinks travel farther. Stay with your toes close to the line and move sideways, not backward.

Mistake 6: Always dinking straight ahead

Cross-court dinks travel over the lowest part of the net and give you more room in the kitchen. Use them as your default, and go straight ahead only when you are setting up a change of direction.

Mistake 7: Speeding up the wrong ball

Attacking a low dink usually sends the ball up and hands your opponent an easy put-away. Be patient and speed up only balls that bounce above net height.

Practice plan

• Five minutes of cross-court dinks with a partner, counting how many in a row you can keep low.
• Five minutes of straight-ahead dinks.
• Five minutes of “dink and wait”: either player may attack only a ball that bounces above the net.

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