Dinking for Beginners in Blue Ridge

Last week, I had the privilege of leading a dinking clinic for budding pickleball enthusiasts in Blue Ridge, Georgia. Hosted at the top-notch Fannin County indoor courts, there were three clinics aimed to impart essential skills and strategies to beginners, with each of the three instructors focusing on different aspects of the game in their clinics, and groups of players rotating in and out of each clinic. After an exhilarating two hours, I can confidently say that I was worn out.

Key Topics Covered:

  1. Purpose of Dinking:
    • Extend points strategically to prompt opponent errors.
    • Force opponents to slow down, neutralizing power shots.
  2. Grip Pressure:
    • Maintain a grip pressure between three and five on a scale of ten.
    • Practical advice as to why you don’t want a tight grip without delving into physics intricacies.
  3. Paddle Position:
    • Emphasized the ready position with the paddle up and slightly to the backhand side.
    • Advocated for the effectiveness of using both hands on the paddle.
  4. Stance and Movement:
    • Recommended a balanced stance with feet slightly wider than hip-width apart, knees slightly bent, and upper body tilted forward.
    • Highlighted the importance of shuffling feet to get to a ball for optimal maneuverability, instead of crossing over. Crossing over reduces your options on your next shot.
  5. Dinking Placement:
    • Discouraged the misconception of the NVZ as a “dink must land here” zone.
    • Encouraged landing dinks strategically, such as at the opponent’s feet or just past the NVZ line.
  6. Maintaining Position at the Net:
    • Advised against backing off the line, emphasizing the significance of maintaining court position.
  7. Dinking Technique:
    • Discouraged beginners from swinging at the ball, opting for a short swing to loft the ball over the net.
    • Utilized a practical exercise of underhand tossing without paddles to reinforce control and visualization.
  8. When to Take a Dink Out of the Air and Why
    1. When you get set, bend from the waist and see where your paddle touches. Mentally draw an arc from left to right. This is your “dink bubble.”
    1. If you can reach a ball in the bubble, take it out of the air.
    1. When you hit a dink out of the air, you make your opponent react with another shot quicker.
    1. Taking a ball out of the air helps you stay on balance. Often, players decide to let a ball bounce, which forces them to step back off the kitchen line, which is a more difficult dink.

Drills Introduced:

  1. Straight On and Crosscourt Dinks:
    • Fundamental drills focusing on accuracy and control.
  2. Figure 8 Practice Drill:
    • Engaging practice involving four players hitting the ball either crosscourt or straight on.
  3. Four Dinks and Play It Out Game:
    • Applied a game scenario where players executed four dinks in the NVZ before playing the point out.
    • Emphasized the importance of avoiding high balls.

Despite the time constraints due to the large number of participants, the clinic managed to blend informative discussions with practical drills, ensuring an enriching experience for all involved, including the instructors. The enthusiastic response from the participants indicated a growing interest in refining pickleball skills not only in Blue Ridge, but the surrounding areas as well (Blairsville, Hayesville, and Murphy). Looking forward to future clinics and fostering a vibrant pickleball community in the region.