You know how it goes: you get on the court and players warm up about six dinks and quickly decide they are “warmed-up” and ready to go. Within 30 seconds of the game starting, balls are being smacked back and forth for a banger’s delight. Everyone then says, “Wow, what a point! Wish I could slow it down, I need to work on that.” Then the next point starts and it’s a rip-fest, players teeing off on balls just happy to hit. Hitting without a purpose, as they say.
Although a dink may not be a “powerful” shot in the typical way of thinking of power, it is actually one of the most “powerful” shots on the court when it comes to tactics. The dink is used for a variety of reasons:
1. To slow the ball down – this will give you time to recover your footwork and paddle for the most effective shot, making it easier to anticipate the next 1-2 shots.
2. To reset the point and gain control – to take away the angles and speed-ups so you can get yourself back into the point.
3. To test your partner’s “shot clock” – to see how much patience your opponent has before they must whack the ball into the net or out of bounds. Many times, this is the most effective/efficient way to win a point.
4. To move your players around and create an opening – this takes a few dinks and some patience to get your players out of position. Once you create the opening, you have a clear path to hit a winner if they pop it up.
5. To keep the ball low – by doing this, you will take away your opponent’s speed-ups and increase the chance they’ll send an easily attackable ball.
6. To force an error (pop-up) – as stated above, hitting dinks low causes errors by requiring players to move their feet and follow through more at the ball which can cause more errors.
7. To take the banger out of their comfort zone – if your opponents are bangers, they will want to smack every shot no matter what. Dinking the ball causes them chaos and makes them overhit on a low ball either into the net or out of bounds. The net is relatively high compared to other racquet sports, making it difficult to attack low and short balls.
Players at the 3.0 and below level can get away with driving every ball and being successful, but once you get above the 3.5 level you will 100% need a soft game because the players at non-volley zone will be able to handle the power with no problem and put that ball right back at your feet.
At Slate, we will work on all the tactical situations where dinking makes sense in our developmental STAGE programs (both junior and adult), getting you ready to hit with a purpose and successfully execute one of the most “powerful” shots on the court.
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