AcademyBeginner path
The dink: pickleball's signature shot
9 min
A soft, unattackable ball into the kitchen — the shot the whole sport revolves around.
Key takeaways
- Lift from the shoulder, almost no wrist.
- Target the opponent's kitchen, ideally their feet.
- Patience wins: dink until you get a ball to attack.
Practice goal
Crosscourt dink rally: 20 in a row with a partner, then switch sides.
Watch it in action
Next lesson
Kitchen (NVZ) positioning