I Dink, Therefore I am

Author

Shea Underwood
August 04, 2024

WEEK 27

Welcome back to the Road to Pro!

Here’s what I’ve got for you this week:

  • Two incredibly important techniques to enhance your dinks

  • A pro tip that’ll change the way you play at the kitchen line

  • A drill to help you master shot peaking

This week Caleb asked our featured question, so I’ll be sending him a new $250 Selkirk paddle! If you want a chance to win a paddle, click on the button below to submit your pickleball questions. Anyone whose question is featured in my newsletter will automatically win a new paddle!

Now let’s get to it!

Q&A Spotlight

I Dink, Therefore I Am

What’s the best way to get better at dinking?

Caleb

Answer: The better you get at pickleball, the more dinking rallies you’ll find yourself in. That’s the nature of a proper pickleball game. I’m going to share two incredibly important techniques to enhance your dinks, which will help you sustain longer dinking rallies.

Technique #1

The first thing to keep in mind when dinking is the angle of your paddle face. The ball goes where the surface of your paddle is facing, so if you want to have consistent dinks, make sure to keep your paddle facing the direction you’re aiming throughout the motion of your shot.

In addition, you need to keep your wrist locked when you make contact with the ball. A floppy wrist equals a floppy paddle, which sends the ball in directions you don’t intend, because the angle of your paddle face changes. So instead, keep your wrist firmly locked, face your paddle towards the place you’re aiming, and your dinks will become much more consistent. This way, you’ll be able to avoid unforced errors and keep up longer dinking rallies.

Keep your paddle facing the direction you’re aiming

Technique #2

Last week we talked about shot peaking on drops, and it’s something you should apply to dinks as well. If you hit higher dinks that land in the back half of the kitchen, you’re giving your opponent an easy ball to attack. Instead, your dinks should peak on your side of the court before crossing the plane of the net. This allows them to land in the shallow part of the kitchen, making them a lot more difficult for your opponent to speed up.

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If you have a question you’d like for me to answer, click the button below to fill out the question submission form.

If your question is chosen for next week’s newsletter, you’ll win a free paddle!

Erne

This is THE BEST pickleball machine out there. It’s incredibly intuitive and has helped me improve my technique significantly.

For those of you looking for the best pickleball machine to help you level up your game, I encourage you to check this one out!

For a discount, use my code: SHEA for $100 off at ernepickleballmachine.com.

Tip of the Week

The Playground

I have two words for you: seesaw effect. This tip will change the way you play at the kitchen line forever. If you pay attention to where your opponent’s paddle is located when they are about to make a shot, you can tell what type of shot they are about to hit, allowing you to prepare properly.

The seesaw effect essentially means that if your opponent’s paddle is low, you can raise your paddle high in case they pop up the ball, which you could then put away. If they don’t pop it up and simply hit a dink, you have plenty of time to bring your paddle back down and hit your next shot without a problem. Conversely, if your opponent’s paddle is high, you know they are about to slam the ball at your feet. In this case, you should lower your paddle closer to the ground to prepare for that attacking shot.

Lower your paddle if your opponent raises theirs

If you can analyze your opponent’s body language and apply it to how you prepare for the next shot, you’ll become a more strategic player.

Drill Highlight

Game of Dinks

This drill is similar to what I gave you last week, but this time we’re using it for dinks.

Find a good wall to practice against, whether it’s at your local courts or at your house. Take a piece of tape and place it on the wall about a foot above a marked net line. Stand a few feet away from the wall and start dinking against it. The goal here is to make your dinks peak and start to fall before they reach the wall, hitting in between the two lines of tape.

The ball should peak then fall between the two lines

This drill will help you learn how to make the ball peak on your side of the court so that it’s already dropping before it crosses the plane of the net. Your dinks will become much better if you get this concept down.

Announcement

I now post paddle giveaways on Facebook as well as Instagram. So, if you want another chance at a free paddle, go follow me on Facebook and enter my weekly giveaways posted on my page!

You can check out my page here!

Videos You’ll Enjoy

  • In my most recent video below, I share seven drills you can do to become a 5.0 player all on your own!

  • If you want another chance at winning a new paddle, go check out my current giveaway on Instagram and Facebook!

Discounts for You

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