Nailing the Dink Motion: Paddle Grip, Swing and Touch

First published October 21, 2026 Last revised October 21, 2026 4-minute read

An article by the La Cuisine en Douceur editorial team.

Close-up of a hand holding a pickleball paddle, facing a perforated ball just before impact. — **A Short, Soft Motion.** A good dink relies on a relaxed grip, a short swing and contact out in front of your body. You guide the ball rather than hit it, which keeps the trajectory low and soft. Work on consistency first, then add precision.

"Réussir le geste du dink : prise de raquette, élan et toucher" — what follows gets straight to the point. You'll learn to hit a short, controlled dink with a soft grip and a compact swing. In broad strokes: the principle behind the method, the terms used here and the steps to follow. Who it's for: beginner to intermediate pickleball players in France, often coming from tennis, padel or badminton, who want to improve their control game at the net.

The Principle Behind the Method

Start here: the dink relies on a compact, short motion ("less is more") rather than a big swing.

Know this: good technique, good footwork and good posture reduce the strain on muscles, tendons and ligaments, according to Mass General Brigham.

Know this: the most vulnerable areas in pickleball are the ankle, Achilles tendon, elbow and wrist. Acute injuries (falls, changes of direction) can cause meniscal tears or ACL damage. Weigh it against your own situation.

The Terms Used Here

A few ideas come back in what follows. Laying them out now saves you from redefining them in every paragraph.

Double Bounce

The double-bounce rule requires the ball to bounce once on each side after the serve before volleys are allowed.

For example: the returner lets the serve bounce, then the server lets the return bounce before they can volley.

To go further, see the entry Double rebond.

The Steps to Follow

The steps, in the order you'll use them:

Hold the paddle very loosely for the dink — on a scale of 1 to 10, USA Pickleball recommends a grip pressure of about 2.
On the dink, stay square to the net and move your feet rather than stretching your arm out to reach the ball.
At contact on the dink, the paddle face should be closer to horizontal than vertical.
On a drop, aiming for the middle of the court is the default choice. It's the lowest part of the net, with a longer kitchen, and it limits your opponents' angles.
Varying your dink spots is key — advanced players rarely dink more than 2 or 3 times in a row to the same spot, to break their opponents' rhythm.

Control the Result

Keep the ones that apply to your situation.

The cross-court drop clears a relatively low part of the net and has the longest stretch of kitchen, but it's harder for your partner to intercept.
Pickleball injuries in US emergency departments rose 22-fold between 2013 (611 cases) and 2022 (13,690 cases), according to a study covering 2013-2022.
A drop down the line is the high-risk choice — it clears the highest part of the net and targets the shortest section of the kitchen, but it can put your opponent under pressure.
The most affected body parts are the wrist (12.7%), lower trunk, lower leg, head (11.3%) and knee (7.0%) in the cases studied from 2013 to 2022.

Watch This Closely

Bad habit: dinking to the same spot again and again helps your opponent find their rhythm.

The Essentials in Brief

What to keep in mind:

Varying your dink spots is key.
Hold the paddle very loosely for the dink.
A drop down the line is the high-risk choice.

The Last Word

A recap of the sections: the principle behind the method, the terms used here, the steps to follow and controlling the result. Keep these markers handy when it's time to decide.

Playing the Kitchen: Dink Strategy in Singles and Doubles — Targets, patience and doubles play at the kitchen line. Your reading plan: what holds it all together and the key concepts explained in detail.
Where to Place Your Dinks: Targets and Trajectories to Unsettle Your Opponent — You'll know how to pick a target for your dinks and vary directions to create errors. Topics covered include the terms to keep in mind.
Seven Stroke Mistakes That Ruin Your Dinks — You'll learn to spot and fix the most common dink stroke flaws. Inside: what to understand first and what to watch closely.
Kitchen Rule in Pickleball: What's Allowed and What Isn't — Non-volley zone, double bounce and related faults. Here: the rules that guide you, the glossary, deeper reading and where to start.

Sources cited

How to Dink and Why It's Important For Your Success in Pickleball – USA Pickleball —
Pickleball Injuries and Prevention — Common injuries (tendinopathies, sprains, wrist fractures) and prevention tips: dynamic warm-up, equipment, strengthening, technique. Accessed 2026-10-13.
The Three Ds of Pickleball: Dink, Drop, Drive – Pickleball Canada —
Where to hit your drops – USA Pickleball —
Increasing Incidence of Pickleball Injuries Presenting to US Emergency Departments — 10-year analysis of pickleball injuries in US emergency departments: falls, fractures, wrist, age of injured players. Accessed 2026-10-13.

The rules cited draw on the text of the Fédération française de tennis, which holds the delegation for pickleball in France, and on those of USA Pickleball. In competition, always check the current rulebook.

This site doesn't replace the advice of a doctor or physical therapist. If you have persistent pain in your elbow, shoulder or wrist, see a health professional.