Technique Guide

A dink is basically a soft shot that arcs over the net and lands in the kitchen. Sounds simple, but it's probably the most important shot in pickleball once you get past beginner level.

The whole point is to keep the ball low and unattackable. You're forcing your opponent to hit up, which gives you control. Good dinking is about patience - you're waiting for them to pop the ball up so you can attack it.

Most rallies at higher levels are just dink exchanges until someone makes a mistake or leaves the ball high enough to put away. If you can't dink consistently, you're going to struggle against anyone decent. It's the shot that separates casual players from competitive ones.

It's the shot you hit after the return of serve to get yourself to the kitchen line. The ball drops softly into your opponent's kitchen, ideally unattackable, giving you time to move forward.

You use it when you want to neutralize the point and get to the net. The serving team starts back at the baseline, so the third shot is how you transition forward without getting smoked by an aggressive volley.

It's one of the hardest shots to master because it requires touch and consistency. Hit it too high and it gets attacked. Hit it in the net and you lose the point. But once you've got a reliable third shot drop, your game levels up significantly.

Underhand, contact below your waist, and hit it diagonally to the opposite service box. Those are the basic rules. Beyond that, you want depth - get it deep to push your opponent back.

Most people aim for the baseline or corners. Deep serves give you more time to get set up and make the return harder. Power matters less than placement and consistency.

Your serve doesn't win points like in tennis, but a weak serve sets you up to get attacked on the return. A solid, deep serve keeps you in control of the point. And honestly, just getting it in consistently is half the battle - unforced errors on serves kill your rhythm.

A drive is a hard, aggressive groundstroke - usually hit after the ball bounces. You're trying to put pressure on your opponent or force a weak return. Flat, fast, and usually aimed low or at someone's body.

A volley is hitting the ball out of the air before it bounces. You're usually at the net volleying balls that come at you during kitchen line exchanges. Volleys are more about placement and control than power.

The key difference is when you hit it - drives come off the bounce, volleys don't. Both have their place. Drives are for attacking from the baseline or mid-court. Volleys are for finishing points or resetting at the net.

When your opponents are crowding the kitchen line and you need to push them back. A good lob goes high and deep, forcing them to retreat and giving you time to reset or take the net.

Use it sparingly though - if you lob too much, opponents start expecting it and will back up or track it down easier. It's best as a surprise weapon when they're leaning forward or being aggressive.

Outdoors with wind or sun, lobs can be especially effective. People lose balls in the sun or misjudge them in the wind. Just make sure it's deep enough - a short lob is an easy overhead smash waiting to happen.

It's the put-away shot when someone gives you a high ball. You're hitting it out of the air, hard and downward, ideally ending the point.

Get under the ball, reach up high, and swing down through it with pace. Aim for an open spot on the court or at someone's feet. The goal is to hit it hard enough and at the right angle that it's unreturnable.

Sounds easy, but people mess up overheads all the time - hitting it out, into the net, or not putting it away. The key is patience - let the ball drop to a comfortable height, don't rush it. And honestly, placement matters more than raw power. A well-placed smash at 70% beats a wild swing at 100%.