Intermediatedink

Dinking to win: cross-court angles and when to speed up

Dinking isn't just keeping the ball alive; it's building pressure until you earn an attackable ball. Briones' five keys reframe the dink as an offensive tool, not a defensive reflex, which changes how you think about every kitchen rally.

Watch: 5 KEYS to Dinking SUCCESS | Briones Pickleball
11 min
Watch “5 KEYS to Dinking SUCCESS | Briones Pickleball” Briones Pickleball · captions

Key takeaways

  • Cross-court dinks travel farther and clear the lower part of the net, giving you more margin than straight-on dinks.
  • Aim at your opponent's feet, not their paddle; a ball they have to dig up is a ball they can't attack.
  • Move them side-to-side until one side opens, then go at the body or backhand. The pattern makes the opening.
  • Only speed up when the ball is at or above net height on your side; attacking a low ball usually turns it over.
  • If you're pushed wide or stretched low, reset first and rebuild; swinging from defense loses more than it wins.

Drill to try

Run a 3-minute dinking rally: cross-court only for the first 90 seconds to build the habit, then open court for the last 90. Afterward, count intentional speed-ups versus panic attacks, and improve that ratio each round.

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