Dink
Backhand dink
A compact backhand dink that protects the middle and maintains pressure at the kitchen.
Technique
Keep the paddle in front and your elbow clear of your body.
Push through the shoulder and legs rather than flicking the wrist.
Keep your head steady and recover to the middle.
Common errors
Contacting too close to the body.
Taking the paddle too far back.
Slicing every ball and losing depth.
Tactics
Protect the ball through the middle first.
Change direction when you can contact in front.
Use crosscourt to gain court length.
Progression
Control in front of the body.
Crosscourt dinks with movement.
Rallies with random speed-ups.
Drills
Take it onto court
Backhand window
Contact in front of the body
Keep the ball within a marked contact window without letting it reach your hip.
Middle and crosscourt
Control two directions
Alternate two balls through the middle with two crosscourt without changing your preparation.
Educational reference · Rubric v1
What each score means
This rubric explains what to look for in a shot; reading it is not an individual assessment. Its descriptors do not certify your level and are not PPP Performance Assessment results, which retain each assessment’s source and results separately.
Technique
Cannot yet use short preparation, contact in front and a stable backhand wrist; outcomes are unpredictable.
Can use short preparation, contact in front and a stable backhand wrist occasionally, but cannot sustain it through a series.
Can use short preparation, contact in front and a stable backhand wrist at moderate pace with predictable difficulty.
Can sustain the ability to use short preparation, contact in front and a stable backhand wrist under pressure, with variation and small adjustments.
Can consistently use short preparation, contact in front and a stable backhand wrist in real, competitive play.
Consistency
Cannot yet repeat low backhand dinks in long rallies; outcomes are unpredictable.
Can repeat low backhand dinks in long rallies occasionally, but cannot sustain it through a series.
Can repeat low backhand dinks in long rallies at moderate pace with predictable difficulty.
Can sustain the ability to repeat low backhand dinks in long rallies under pressure, with variation and small adjustments.
Can consistently repeat low backhand dinks in long rallies in real, competitive play.
Control
Cannot yet absorb and generate pace without lifting the ball; outcomes are unpredictable.
Can absorb and generate pace without lifting the ball occasionally, but cannot sustain it through a series.
Can absorb and generate pace without lifting the ball at moderate pace with predictable difficulty.
Can sustain the ability to absorb and generate pace without lifting the ball under pressure, with variation and small adjustments.
Can consistently absorb and generate pace without lifting the ball in real, competitive play.
Placement
Cannot yet protect the middle and change to crosscourt with purpose; outcomes are unpredictable.
Can protect the middle and change to crosscourt with purpose occasionally, but cannot sustain it through a series.
Can protect the middle and change to crosscourt with purpose at moderate pace with predictable difficulty.
Can sustain the ability to protect the middle and change to crosscourt with purpose under pressure, with variation and small adjustments.
Can consistently protect the middle and change to crosscourt with purpose in real, competitive play.
Decision-making
Cannot yet choose between neutral play, moving the opponent and a backhand speed-up; outcomes are unpredictable.
Can choose between neutral play, moving the opponent and a backhand speed-up occasionally, but cannot sustain it through a series.
Can choose between neutral play, moving the opponent and a backhand speed-up at moderate pace with predictable difficulty.
Can sustain the ability to choose between neutral play, moving the opponent and a backhand speed-up under pressure, with variation and small adjustments.
Can consistently choose between neutral play, moving the opponent and a backhand speed-up in real, competitive play.
Player Development
Connect this shot to your development
Connect what you learn to your match play: choose a situation, try the practice suggestions and review what you notice afterwards.