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Dinks Without the Drama: Remove Variables, Add Control
By Jack Munro
Hey guys, Jack Munro here. I just finished teaching a lesson, and it reminded me how often I see the same issue with developing players. Their dinks are good one rally, floating the next, and they cannot quite figure out why. If that sounds familiar, this month’s tip is for you.
The big idea is simple: remove unnecessary variables. The number one extra variable I see in amateur dinking is too much wrist.
Stop Rolling. Start Brushing.
A lot of players think topspin comes from turning over the ball with the wrist. They roll over it and hope the spin will bring it down. The problem is that rolling adds inconsistency. The ball can come off the paddle slightly different every time. One dips nicely. The next floats. The next pops up.
Watch high-level players and you will notice something different. They are not turning over the ball. They are brushing up the back of it with a stable paddle face. The wrist is not flipping. The motion is controlled and repeatable.
You do not need a big wrist flick to create topspin on a dink. Your arm path and paddle angle generate plenty. When you brush instead of roll, the ball starts landing in the same spot over and over again.
Two Types of Dinks. Two Different Jobs.
Another mistake I see is players mixing two different dink mechanics.
1) The Topspin Dink
This is the dink you use when you are balanced and in position. Your feet are set. Your chest is facing the net. You can get around the ball. In this case, drop the paddle face slightly and brush up while pushing through your target.
It is not a dramatic low-to-high swing. It is mostly pushing outward toward where you want the ball to go, with just enough upward motion to clear the net.
2) The Cup Dink
This is for when you are stretched wide or moving. When you are out of position, that is not the time to force topspin. That is when people get wristy and pop the ball up.
Instead, hinge your wrist back, keep it stable, and use your arm to guide or “shovel” the ball back into the kitchen. The goal is not pressure. The goal is recovery.
So remember:
In position: topspin dink.
Out of position: cup dink.
Commit to one or the other. Do not blend them together.
Push Through. Do Not Pull Up.
One of the best cues I give is this: push through your target.
A lot of players try to lift the ball over the net. They pull up with the paddle, and that upward motion causes floaters. Instead, trust your paddle face to do the lifting. Your motion should feel like it is moving through the ball toward your intended target.
Your follow-through does not need to finish high above your shoulder. It just needs to extend toward where you are aiming, then return to ready position.
If you are popping balls up, it is usually one of three things:
too much wrist
pulling up instead of pushing through
stopping your follow-through short
Clean those up, and your control improves immediately.
Consistency Is the Priority
With dinks and drops, your number one priority is consistency. You are not trying to win the point with the dink itself. You are trying to move your opponent, create discomfort, and eventually set up a speedup.
If you hit a cup dink using just your arm and a stable wrist, you should be able to hit the same spot repeatedly. As soon as you introduce wrist movement, you add another moving part. Now both your arm and wrist have to be perfectly timed. That is harder, especially under pressure.
In tournaments, players naturally tighten up. If your dink relies heavily on feel and wrist action, it can break down. A simpler, arm-driven mechanic holds up better when the stakes rise.
When Wrist Matters: Speedups
Now here is the contrast. With dinks, we remove variables. With speedups, we add deception.
Speedups are compact and wrist-driven. No big backswing. Brush for topspin so the ball dips. Focus on placing it in uncomfortable spots rather than blasting it straight at someone’s sweet spot.
A good speedup is often not a winner. It is a setup shot. Think of your opponent like a wall. If you speed up at an angle, the ball will often be redirected in a predictable way. When you understand that, you can anticipate the next shot before it happens.
This Month’s Challenge
For your next few sessions, focus on this:
Brush, do not roll, on forehand dinks.
Use topspin dinks when balanced and cup dinks when stretched.
Push through your target instead of lifting up.
Reduce wrist movement and trust your arm path.
Measure your progress by how few balls you pop up, not by how much spin you think you are creating.
Keep it simple. Remove variables. Build consistency first. When your dinks stop floating and start landing where you want, the rest of your game opens up.
Join Jack for a week of pickleball instruction and experience local Croatian delicacies and history May 26-June 2. Save your spot by March 17 with this Croatia pickleball trip registration link. You can also explore more coverage and community stories from Croatia, plus the wider pickleball news cycle.
Chris Beaumont
Founder and Editor-in-ChiefChris Beaumont is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of World Pickleball Magazine. Chris follows the global game closely, reporting on the latest news, developments, stories and tournaments from all five continents. He also hosts the World Pickleball Podcast, interviewing people at…
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