This Lesson Fixed My Twoey Dink (10-Minute Masterclass)

If you're getting attacked in pickleball, you probably haven't learned how to properly do the dink. In this video, we're going to break down step-by-step the basics of mastering the dink and how to avoid getting attacked once and for all with Coach Mona. Coach Mona has been teaching pickleball for over 10 years. It's NCCP Level 2 and IPTPA Level 1. So how should we start? So the first thing we're going to understand is that we always have to have a light grip. So Alex, I want you always to remember to hold a pedal like you're shaking hands with someone. So it's going to be a light grip. So this is 7-1-10. I'm coming in and I'm shaking it. And the official term is it's called a continental grip. Okay, just like tennis. Okay, continental grip. And if we do it correctly, we should see a V on the sidebar of the pedal. If you squeeze it, it tenses all your muscle and then you won't be able to do a push dink. It's just going to go up and out. A dink shot is a soft shot that goes over the net inside the kitchen because we are not allowed to volley in the non-volley zone. So because I've got such a great demo partner, we're going to do a demo of what a dink looks like and then we can break it down on how to do that. Okay. I'll let you toss it to me and you'll see me do a dink shot. Okay, toss it over the net. Yeah, toss it over the net. I just go under and push and that's a dink shot. So anyone can really hit a dink shot. Yes. But technically, this is one of the hardest shots in pickleball. Simply because people get excited and they squeeze their handle for some reason and then it flies past the kitchen light. And as soon as it goes past the kitchen light, it's attackable. Right. Now, the first thing we've got to do is that we've got our light grip, but we also have to understand that our shoulder is our hinge. So Alex, make sure that you use your shoulder's hinge. We don't use our wrist, we don't use our elbow, but it's our shoulder. Right. We also have to learn that we need to bend our knees to bend and push. And there's two sensations. There's either pushing or hitting and in order to dink, we've got to push. That would be hit, but we've got to push. So let's try dinking focusing on using our shoulder as your hinge. And our legs. Yeah, and bending your legs. But before we do that, we got to make sure that we have a ready position. Okay. Ready position is feet shoulder-width apart. Yes. Soft knees, butt out and chest up and paddle away from your chest underneath your nose. Okay. A lot of people do this. Do this. Or they do this, they tuck in, they hold their paddle or they just stand straight. But you have to be low and ready. And the key thing is you got to be low. Because if you're not low, you're not able to set and push. So that's why with pickleball, your contact point should always be in front of you. Right. Never behind you. Okay. So we're using larger muscle groups to have more control. Which is your legs. And that's how you bend and absorb it to control. Right. So my style of teaching pickleball is all about control, not power. Placement over power. Good. A bit dangerous. Good, that's a good one. Okay. So Alex, a thing about I noticed is that you just stopped it here. You need to finish it. Right. Like don't just stop, finish. So should I imagine I feel like I'm carrying the ball over? Yes, yes. I wouldn't say carrying, I would just say pushing. Pushing, pushing. Yeah, because if you carry it, it's too slow. So this is how we do our footwork. Number one, we should always be lighter on our feet. So we should never be planted. We should be on the balls of our feet. Yes. Like, are you aware of a split step? I am. Okay, so we always got to make sure we're ready with a split step. In pickleball, we are allowed to be in the kitchen as many, as long as we want. Yes. But we can't touch the ball in the air while being in here. Yes. So I could be here the entire time and do a dink shot. Okay. But it's not smart. Because if I do this and the ball touches me, I will lose. So what we have to do, we have to take a step when we need help. Mm-hmm. Right. But we shouldn't reach. We should take a step because the ball is going to bounce. So basically, Alex, are you right-handed? I'm right-handed. Okay, your paddle arm, paddle leg. So this is a paddle leg that you always move to get help. Got it. So it could be the ball goes to the left, you still use your right foot. The ball goes to the right. So this is how you move. So light on your feet with a split step. Okay. And you use your paddle leg. I use my paddle leg. And then I recover. So as soon as you take a step, you got to recover back to ready. If you're finding the video useful, hit like and subscribe. Click on our playlist to watch your favorite videos back-to-back and join our YouTube memberships to support our channel. Everything's in the description down below. Now back to the video. What goes next is that we have to learn to do a consistent rally. And why do people struggle with consistent rallies? People just want to speed it up for no reason. And speed up, you mean like just start getting fast shots? Just try to win the point. Well, it's more beautiful, I think, to do a beautiful shot with placement and have them make an error and win by the setup rather than the winner's shot. Okay, so I'm curious. Can you show us what that looks like? Maybe we can do a rally and you can show me what thinking to force an error from me looks like. Sure. Okay, two points. So this looks pretty simple. But actually, it's quite hard to keep this going. So far. You did a great one. That's great. All right. Beautiful, Alex. Are you sure you haven't done this before? Well, I think a lot of people have the motor skills to hit balls. Some people more than others. But it's doing it properly is the main thing. Okay, try to get lucky. 1-1. Okay. I'm having to really focus on keeping these things slow. And the more we do it, the harder it gets to be consistent. Saved it. So I can feel I'm still making a lot of mistakes in terms of I have this tendency, which I think is very similar to a lot of amateurs. We're very jerky and slightly off balance all the time. Yeah. And the answer to that is you just got to wait for the ball. So right now, I mean, I am a little bit better at hitting balls than a complete beginner. So at this point, our goal is to not get attacked. Yes. But what is the definition of attack? Is it only when they can kill you or is it when they put you out of position? You can attack a ball if it's high. Because if you had a choice, Alex, would you rather let that ball bounce or take it in the air? If I had to attack it, I'd rather not let it bounce. Yes, exactly. So that's why anything here, which I would say the green zone gives me the green light to attack, I'm going to volley it. And then I can do aggressive, a roll volley. Right. Right? You're saying if it's close to the line, too far. If it's anything near me, I'm going to attack it. I see. And when I'm ready, a high ball is anything from my waist up. So when I'm low, I can attack anything here. And that's where it would be a speed up or aggressive dink. However, if you neutralize me and make it drop in here, which I would call the red zone, then it says, stop Mona, you can't attack. I've got to dink it. Right. And then that's where we have a dink rally. How do they prevent being attacked against someone? Let's say if they play against you, who knows how to dink well? Well, that's a game of patience. Who's going to be the one who's going to be less patient and try to speed it up and pop it to lose? That's basically it. So Mona, right now for dinking, we learned the shots. But how do we choose what type of dink to hit? So we have straights in the most basic form and we have the crosscourts. And maybe more advanced, we have other types of spin dinks or depth dinks. Yeah. But how do we choose? Well, we definitely should always go crosscourt because crosscourt gives us more time and the net's lower when we go crosscourt. But also, strategy-wise, I would always dink to the middle because when you dink to the middle, they have less angle. But also, if you see an opening, you definitely can't dink to their backhand. And so obviously, the best solution is to move the player. Right. Why is dinking crosscourts a safer shot? Okay. Because number one, the net is lower. So I've always misunderstood why people say the net is lower. Because at the center, it's 34 inches from the ground and on the ends, it's 36. Okay, that's great. I didn't know that. Okay, that's why we hit the cross. And then the backhand is obvious. Second, when we go crosscourt, I have more real estate to work with. I have so much more places to dink. I can dink down the center, dink to your backhand, dink to you, to your left foot. But if I go straight, I've only got a little bit of real estate. And the net's higher, and I could hit the table with the net. So we can just demonstrate crosscourt, and you'll see that I'll be able to move you around. So I can dink that, make you move. So I'm moving a lot here, and you're barely moving. Okay, so that's the purpose of doing the cross and the center. Yes, because if I can make you move, there's a good chance you can make an error. Now that we've learned all of this, what is one drill that more entry-level players can practice to get really good at dinking? Awesome. Well, we really want to focus on being consistent, and what we're going to do is that we can do a fun drill game where it's one ball for two players. We can do skinny dinking straight, and then after that, we can go skinny crosscourt dinking. Okay, sounds good. But when we do this drill, how do we win a point if everyone's just hitting it in? Well, see, if you can, that's beautiful because then you're consistent. But as soon as you're putting the ball past the kitchen line, it would be out. Or if you pop it out, why don't we add something fun? If you make it attackable, we can attack to win a point. And if you hit the net, it's out. You lose as well. Got it. Zero, zero. Oh, one. One, zero. One, zero. Oh, my leg's like... Okay, so you're barely moving because my shots are maybe not that effective. But I'm running around. Yeah, you feel it more. Yeah. Oh, my God. I'm just running so much, and you're just standing in spot. And I feel like I'm hitting different spots. But I'm just running around, and you're not really running. Basically, what I'm doing, I'm tracking the ball, and I anticipate it, and then I recover. And that way... And remember, if it's in my V, I don't need to move. Right. Right? If I can get it. So you have more of a tempo, where I have no tempo, and I just rush random things. Okay. So now that we learned all the foundations of the dink, which primarily today was the lift dink. The lift dink, yes. Next time, if you guys love this video and support it, Mona is going to teach us the push dink and how to dink with purpose. Correct. Okay? Thank you. I hope you enjoyed learning how to be patient. All right. Make sure you like, comment, and subscribe. Check out our next video over here.