Dink
Forehand dink
A short, controlled ball from the kitchen to hold the rally, move opponents or prepare an attack.
Technique
Keep a wide stance and the paddle in front.
Move through your shoulder and legs with a stable wrist.
Recover your paddle and position after contact.
Common errors
Hitting down on a low ball.
Opening the paddle face too far and floating the ball.
Staying stretched out instead of recovering to the kitchen line.
Tactics
Alternate neutral dinks with dinks that move the opponent.
Aim at the outside foot when the opponent loses balance.
Patience does not mean playing to the same spot every time.
Progression
Cooperative straight dinks.
Crosscourt dinks at targets.
Dinks with an attackable ball introduced at random.
Drills
Take it onto court
Twenty without attacking
Build rally tolerance and stable height
Maintain twenty cooperative forehand dinks before introducing direction changes.
Move and recover
Move the opponent without losing position
Alternate the middle and outside foot, recovering your stance after each contact.
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 contact in front with a stable paddle, active legs and recovery; outcomes are unpredictable.
Can contact in front with a stable paddle, active legs and recovery occasionally, but cannot sustain it through a series.
Can contact in front with a stable paddle, active legs and recovery at moderate pace with predictable difficulty.
Can sustain the ability to contact in front with a stable paddle, active legs and recovery under pressure, with variation and small adjustments.
Can consistently contact in front with a stable paddle, active legs and recovery in real, competitive play.
Consistency
Cannot yet sustain long series of low dinks without avoidable errors; outcomes are unpredictable.
Can sustain long series of low dinks without avoidable errors occasionally, but cannot sustain it through a series.
Can sustain long series of low dinks without avoidable errors at moderate pace with predictable difficulty.
Can sustain the ability to sustain long series of low dinks without avoidable errors under pressure, with variation and small adjustments.
Can consistently sustain long series of low dinks without avoidable errors in real, competitive play.
Control
Cannot yet vary arc, speed and bounce while keeping the ball unattackable; outcomes are unpredictable.
Can vary arc, speed and bounce while keeping the ball unattackable occasionally, but cannot sustain it through a series.
Can vary arc, speed and bounce while keeping the ball unattackable at moderate pace with predictable difficulty.
Can sustain the ability to vary arc, speed and bounce while keeping the ball unattackable under pressure, with variation and small adjustments.
Can consistently vary arc, speed and bounce while keeping the ball unattackable in real, competitive play.
Placement
Cannot yet move the opponent between the middle, body and outside foot; outcomes are unpredictable.
Can move the opponent between the middle, body and outside foot occasionally, but cannot sustain it through a series.
Can move the opponent between the middle, body and outside foot at moderate pace with predictable difficulty.
Can sustain the ability to move the opponent between the middle, body and outside foot under pressure, with variation and small adjustments.
Can consistently move the opponent between the middle, body and outside foot in real, competitive play.
Decision-making
Cannot yet distinguish when to hold the rally, move the opponent or speed up; outcomes are unpredictable.
Can distinguish when to hold the rally, move the opponent or speed up occasionally, but cannot sustain it through a series.
Can distinguish when to hold the rally, move the opponent or speed up at moderate pace with predictable difficulty.
Can sustain the ability to distinguish when to hold the rally, move the opponent or speed up under pressure, with variation and small adjustments.
Can consistently distinguish when to hold the rally, move the opponent or 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.