How to Hit Topspin Dinks in Pickleball: Technique, Drills, and Strategy

Main Points

• Use topspin to make dinks more aggressive: Topspin adds pace to soft shots, giving opponents less time to react while keeping the ball low.
• Keep your wrist loose: Relax your grip and let the paddle tip point toward the floor to help generate topspin.
• Master the figure-eight dink drill: Practice crosscourt and straight-ahead dinks to develop touch, consistency, and topspin control over short distances.
• Focus on a full follow-through: Brush the ball and continue your swing across your body instead of abruptly stopping the paddle. This helps generate more spin and pace.
• Combine your shoulder, elbow, and wrist: Use your shoulder for basic dinks, then incorporate elbow movement and wrist action to produce more topspin as your touch improves.
• Aim for a controlled trajectory: Brush up and forward at roughly a 45-degree angle, starting with the paddle face angled downward and finishing slightly upward.
• Target specific areas of the court: Aim for opponents’ inside feet, outside feet, and open spaces rather than simply hitting the ball back over the net.
• Move opponents to create openings: Use a sequence of crosscourt dinks and occasional down-the-line shots to open up the middle for a speedup.
• Change direction when under pressure: If you’re losing a wide crosscourt dink battle, redirect the ball toward your opponent’s inside foot to neutralize their strongest shot.
• Recognize three types of dinks: Defensive, neutral, and aggressive dinks require different responses and help determine whether to attack or defend.
• Use the short-hop technique defensively: When an aggressive dink lands away from you and you cannot volley it, get low, maintain a soft grip, and use an open paddle face to absorb pace and return the ball shallow.
• Read your opponent before deciding to volley: Move forward when your dink creates an attacking opportunity, but be ready to let the ball bounce when a neutral shot gives you time to generate topspin.
• Develop purposeful dinking habits: Every dink should have a target and a strategic goal, such as moving an opponent, creating a pop-up, or setting up your partner to attack.

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Summary

How to Generate Topspin on Your Pickleball Dinks

Topspin dinking is an effective way to turn the soft game into an offensive weapon. Rather than simply returning the ball over the net, the goal is to move opponents around the kitchen, limit their reaction time, and create opportunities for your partner to attack. Adding topspin gives your dinks more pace while helping keep the ball low, making them more difficult to handle than passive, flat dinks.

One of the most important techniques is keeping your grip and wrist relaxed. A tight grip restricts paddle movement and makes it harder to generate spin. Letting the paddle tip drop toward the floor helps position the paddle for brushing the ball. As your touch improves, combine shoulder, elbow, and wrist movement to create topspin without sacrificing control.

The follow-through is another key component. Instead of stopping your paddle abruptly after contact, brush the ball and continue your swing across your body. This helps generate additional spin and pace. The goal is to brush upward and forward rather than simply pushing the ball. A controlled arc allows the ball to clear the net and dip into the kitchen, keeping opponents from attacking an easy pop-up.

Practice the Figure-Eight Dink Drill

The figure-eight dink drill helps develop the touch and consistency needed to hit topspin dinks effectively. One player hits crosscourt while the other hits straight ahead, creating a continuous pattern that requires precise ball placement. Because the distance is short, players must use a soft touch and avoid swinging too hard.

A useful target is the middle portion of the kitchen rather than the back of the non-volley zone. Dinks that travel too deep often indicate excessive pushing rather than controlled brushing. Focus on absorbing the incoming pace, maintaining a relaxed wrist, and producing a gentle arc with enough topspin to bring the ball down.

The drill also encourages players to trust their technique. Many players shorten their follow-through because they fear hitting the ball too hard. However, stopping the paddle abruptly can cause inconsistent contact and unwanted pop-ups. Practicing a smooth, complete follow-through helps build confidence in controlling spin and placement.

Use Dink Placement to Control the Court

Effective dinking is about more than keeping the ball in play. Strategic players look for open spaces and deliberately move their opponents away from comfortable positions. Targets can include the inside foot, outside foot, and open areas created when opponents shift toward one side of the court.

A common strategy is to establish a crosscourt dink pattern, drawing an opponent wider and wider. When the opposing player becomes committed to covering that angle, the middle may open up for a speedup. A well-placed dink down the line can also keep the other opponent from shading too far toward the center.

Players who find themselves losing a wide-angle dink exchange should avoid continuing the same pattern out of stubbornness. Instead, redirect the ball toward the opponent’s inside foot. This can force a more defensive return, neutralize an opponent’s strongest forehand dink, and give you an opportunity to regain control of the rally.

Know When to Attack and When to Defend

Recognizing the difference between defensive, neutral, and aggressive dinks helps you choose the right response. Defensive and neutral dinks often provide enough time to use a controlled topspin stroke. Aggressive dinks, particularly those directed into open spaces, may require a more defensive response if you cannot reach the ball comfortably.

When an aggressive dink lands too far away to volley, the short-hop technique can help you stay in the rally. Get low, keep your grip relaxed, and use an open paddle face with a controlled push to absorb the incoming pace. Aim to land the return shallow in the kitchen rather than trying to counterattack a difficult ball.

Volleys are valuable when the ball is within reach and the opportunity is favorable, but players should not commit to volleying every dink. After hitting an aggressive dink, move forward and prepare to attack the next ball. After a neutral dink, assess the opponent’s response and decide whether to step back, let the ball bounce, and generate topspin. Reading the quality of each shot allows you to switch between offensive and defensive play instead of relying on a single approach.

Ultimately, improving your pickleball soft game requires a combination of technique, touch, court awareness, and patience. By practicing the figure-eight drill, developing a relaxed topspin stroke, targeting specific areas of the court, and recognizing when to attack or reset, you can make your dinks more effective and create more opportunities to win points.

Source: Ed Ju and Christina Chin (@pickleballonice) | YouTube

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Tags: Christina Chin | dink placement | dinking drills | doubles strategy | Ed Ju | figure eight dink drill | kitchen strategy | offensive dinking | short hop technique | soft game | topspin dink technique | topspin dinks