The pros are different than you or I...
A couple of things I've noticed when pros dink:
- If the ball is taken on the bounce, they take it at its apex
- Don't use a lot of spin
- Move feet first,
- stop the feet
- stretch their arm(s) out, getting the paddle ready
- Hit the dink with an enthusiastic pop
The big difference I see from the casual player is the pop to hit the ball. It's awfully easy to kind of move the paddle as one would for a full stroke, then slow down as the contact is made. This is common in golf and it's a bad habit in either sport. It makes for a weak hit that may well finds the net more than anywhere useful.
Robo does a nice job with the pop. There may be others; I've not looked for it much.
Obviously, getting to the ball is critical and so is stopping before hitting.
I would suggest, without getting too preachy, that spin is over rated. Any spin you put on any ball, will take away speed from the shot, so it's one more variable that us rec players don't need. It's also very hard to create enough spin that would bother any player.
OK, try some of this, let us all know if this helps. Good dinkage!
The dink is probably the most unique and important shot in Pickleball. The “No Volley Zone” creates this opportunity unlike any other sport, and thus the difference between beginners and advanced players is mastery of the dink. You mentioned the “Pop” and I’m not sure if I understand what that is. Is it the sound the paddle makes when a dink is returned hard, or the sound made when dinking?
ReplyDeleteWhat I've observed with the pros is that they lay the paddle in a ready position, closer to the impact point than a normal shot. Of course, the ball is moving more slowly, and they are not seeking to hit it very hard/far. Then there is a distinct hit. It's not just a continuation of a longer stroke. They make a decided contact, usually a bit upwards in direction, then let the paddle follow through and end up in a fairly high position, which is a good place to be for any returned shot. That's how I see it. It's a hit and not a stroke. I hope this helps. You dink pretty well, how do you think of it?
Delete