Regardless of whether you’ve been playing pickleball for some time or you’ve just recently gotten started in the sport, then we are almost positive that you’ll have heard the term dink being thrown around – both on and off the playing court.
But, what does the term dink mean, exactly?
If you’re currently asking yourself this question, then rest assured that you have clicked on the right article.
Below, we are going to be talking you through what a dink means in pickleball, as well as provide you with some helpful information about the game to help ensure that you are able to become the best pickleball player that you can be.
Ready? Let’s begin.
What Does Dink Mean In Pickleball?
The definition of a dink in pickleball has always been somewhat vague. This is because there isn’t really any official rule book that defines it.
However, the word “dink” has come to represent an action where one person hits a ball into another person’s court while they are serving. It is also referred to as a “dunk”, but this is not technically correct either.
A dunk would refer to hitting a ball into someone else’s court after they have served.
Therefore, if you want to get technical about it, then a dink should only occur when you hit a ball into your opponent’s court during their serve.
However, even though the exact rules aren’t set in stone, most players will agree that a dink is generally considered to be a bad thing.
If you do happen to play pickleball regularly, then you may already know that a dink is something that is frowned upon by many people who play the game.
The reason why is that it takes away from the fun factor of the game. After all, the whole point of playing pickleball is to have fun!
Therefore, if you think that you might be guilty of doing a dink, then you need to stop immediately.
There are plenty of other ways to win points without having to resort to such tactics. For example, if you are serving, then you could try aiming at your opponent’s backhand side.
This way, you can force them to hit a weak shot which will give you more opportunities to score. Alternatively, you could try aiming at their forehand side. This will allow you to attack their weaker hand, which will make it harder for them to return the ball successfully.
Should You Make A Dink In Pickleball?
Now that you have a greater understanding of what a dink is, you might be wondering whether, or not, you should ever consider using one as a tactic in your future pickleball games.
Generally speaking, while there are no official rules that make a dink an illegal move, many people deem them to be a sign of poor form, especially when they occur during rallies – which are intended to be high speed.
Again, it’s important to note that while a dink is not necessarily a fault; it does indicate a lack of skill as you would be forcing the opposite player to slow their pace down to match yours.
This is the reason a dink is considered to be an illegal move, even though there are no legal rules to dictate this.
Still, even though it is encouraged to make advancements in a game of pickleball via alternative methods (as well as remembering that the majority of pickleball players simply agree that making a dink isn’t the right thing to do), there aren’t any official rules that make it an illegal move, either.
With that being said, one of the biggest reasons why a player would perhaps choose to dink towards an opponent would be to force a player to switch their pace from fast to slow.
This would then give the other player the opportunity to take advantage of the player who has been “dinked” as their game will have significantly slowed.
If you would like to avoid making a dink as much as possible during your games, then you should be sure to make sure that you are always aiming your pickleball at the optimum height to prevent any mishits.
In addition to that, you should also make sure that you remain focused and calm while playing (especially rallying) so that you will be able to maintain the same level of intensity as your opposing players.
Final Thoughts
There we have it! All in all, even though there isn’t really any specific “rule” that officially states that a dink is wrong, it’s still generally accepted that making one is a bad play in the world of pickleball.
Luckily enough, as you will have seen from our guide above, there are certain things that you can do to reduce the chances of accidentally committing one as you will have seen in this guide.
If you want to avoid making a dink and would prefer to advance in other ways, then firstly, don’t aim too high. Instead, you should focus on hitting the ball straight down towards the middle of the net.
Secondly, you should always try to keep your eyes open so that you can see where the ball is going to land. Last but not least, try to stay calm whenever you are playing pickleball, as nerves might cause you to make a mistake.
If you follow these three simple steps, then you shouldn’t have any problems avoiding a dink. Practice always makes perfect, so don’t worry too much if you miss a few shots or if you fail to put the ball over the net.
Just take a deep breath and keep practicing until you feel comfortable, you’ll soon find out that you will be able to be the best pickleball player that you can be – both for yourself and for your team. Thank you for reading!