Stroke Mechanics
two handed dink technique
Here's a breakdown of the two-handed backhand dink technique in pickleball, emphasizing key aspects from the provided search results:
1. Grip:Dominant Hand:
- Use a continental grip or slightly towards an eastern grip, where the base knuckle of your index finger aligns with the second or third bevel of the paddle handle.
- Non-Dominant Hand: Place your non-dominant hand directly above your dominant hand.
- Handle Placement: Position your dominant hand towards the bottom of the grip to leave space for your non-dominant hand.
- Hand Position: Your hands should be touching but not overlapping. Avoid intertwining your fingers. Some players find it helpful to place one or two fingers of their non-dominant hand higher on the paddle throat for added support.
- Maintain a ready position with two hands on the paddle. This makes it easy to switch to a forehand or a one-handed punch when needed.
- Facing Your Target: When dinking, face your opponent rather than turning completely sideways.
- Staying Low: Bend your knees significantly and stay low throughout the shot, especially at contact. Exaggerate the knee bend as much as needed. Avoid bending with your back.
- Paddle Position: Drop the paddle tip below your wrist.
3. Stroke Mechanics:Focus on the Non-Dominant Hand:
- The stroke's power and rotation come largely from your non-dominant hand. Think of it as the hand that's "pushing" the ball, while your dominant hand is mostly for guidance.
- Generating Topspin/Sidespin: Drop your paddle below the ball and swing from low to high, brushing up the back of the ball. For added sidespin, essential for cross-court dinks, try to cup or come around the outside of the ball, using your non-dominant hand to contact the left side of the ball (for right-handers).
- Contact Point: Ideally, make contact with the ball slightly to the left of your front foot (for right-handers) and in between the back and bottom of the ball.
- Compact Swing: Strive for a short and compact swing, focusing on your unit turn (shoulders and torso) rather than solely using your arms and wrists. Avoid unnecessary backswing or wrist flicking.
- Follow Through: After contact, follow through by bringing the paddle up above the level of the net. Maintain a straight elbow through the entire shot, swinging out towards your target. Your paddle should finish at around shoulder height.
- Control over Topspin: While topspin is important, prioritize consistency over excessive topspin.
- Stay Down: Maintain your low stance and keep your body and head down until after you've made contact with the ball. Imagine there's something on your head that you don't want to lift.
4. Shot Selection:Neutral or Dead Dinks:
- The two-handed backhand dink is most effective when the ball is neutral or slightly high. It allows you to take control and put pressure on your opponent.
- Avoid When Stretched: Don't use the two-handed dink when stretched out wide, as it limits your reach. A one-handed backhand is more efficient for covering wide balls.
- Strategic Use: Utilize the two-handed backhand dink to hit aggressive shots, generate topspin and sidespin to spread your opponent out wide, and open up the court. Vary your targets (crosscourt, down the line, middle) to keep your opponents guessing.
5. Common Mistakes to Avoid:Cutting the ball too much:
- Excessive cutting with a high-to-low-to-high swing leads to pop-ups.
- Bending the elbow: Maintain a straight elbow throughout the swing for control and consistency.
- Improper wrist position: Avoid a flat or neutral wrist; cock your wrist slightly back and upward.
- Poor footwork: Always adjust your footwork to get behind the ball and maintain a consistent contact point.
- Standing upright: Bend your knees deeply to get under the ball and keep your paddle face open.
- Over-rolling the ball: Focus on lifting the ball with an upward motion rather than forcing topspin by rolling over it.
By implementing these techniques and avoiding common mistakes, you can effectively utilize the two-handed backhand dink to enhance your pickleball game and gain an advantage at the kitchen line.
