If your dinks keep ending up in the net, floating up as easy pop-ups, or just not going where you want them to go — I want you to know you’re not alone. Many players wonder how to dink consistently in pickleball, and this is one of the most common things I hear from players. The good news is, it usually comes down to three specific pieces that aren’t quite working together yet.
I recently got out on the court with my friend Susie Hartfield — you may know her as one of the best golf teachers around, and she’s made the jump to pickleball — and together we broke down exactly what those three pieces are. Once you understand them, they apply not just to your dink, but to every single shot in your game.
Every Shot Has Three Parts
Here’s something that changed the way I think about pickleball: every shot you hit — whether it’s a dink, a groundstroke, or anything else — is made up of three pieces.
Piece 1: Movement. You need to move your body to the ball.
Piece 2: The paddle swing. You need to actually make contact with a controlled stroke.
Piece 3: Foundation. This is the connector — the relationship between where your foot is planted and where your paddle is swinging.
When all three pieces work together, the ball goes where you want it. When one piece breaks down, that’s when the mistakes show up. Simple as that.
Start With Your Ready Position
Before we even talk about moving to the ball, let’s talk about where you’re starting from — because I see this go wrong all the time, especially with players over 50.
A lot of us stand with our feet pretty narrow and very little bend in our knees. When the ball comes, we bend forward from the hips to get down to it. Here’s the problem with that: the moment you bend forward from the hips, your eyes drop down toward the ground. Try it right now — bend forward and then try to look up across the net. It’s uncomfortable, maybe even a little painful on your neck, and it makes it really hard to track the ball.
The fix is a proper ready position. Here’s what I want you to do: hop or step out so your feet are about shoulder-width apart. When you land, you should naturally be on the front part of your foot — what I call your triangles. You’re not flat-footed, and your heels are just barely touching the ground, if at all. Your shoulders come slightly forward over your feet.
From this position, you can see the ball better, you can move more efficiently, and you’re already set up to use all three pieces together.
Move With a Shuffle, Not a Crossover
Now that you’re in a good ready position, let’s talk about how you actually move at the non-volley zone.
The movement pattern we’re going for is a lateral shuffle — one or two steps to the left, one or two steps back to the right. As you do this, your hips stay parallel to the net. That’s the key. You’re not turning your body; you’re sliding side to side, staying square.
What I often see instead is something called a crossover step — especially on the backhand side. That’s where your paddle hand crosses over the front of your body as you reach for the ball. Now, if a ball is really out wide and you need the extra reach, a crossover step can make sense. But as your go-to movement at the kitchen? It works against you.
Here’s why: when you crossover, you open up a big gap behind you. Getting back to a neutral position takes more time and more effort. The shuffle keeps you balanced, keeps your hips parallel, and keeps you ready for the next ball.
Keep Your Backswing Small
Piece number two is your paddle stroke, and the rule here is simple: the more minimal your backswing, the more consistent your dink.
I’m not talking about spin dinks right now — we’ll cover those another time. Right now, I just want you thinking about a basic, clean dink where you’re pushing the ball back over the net with a short, controlled swing. No big windup. No wrist flick. Just a compact motion that sends the ball exactly where you want it.
Why does a smaller backswing help? Because a bigger backswing puts more energy into the shot. And at the kitchen, you don’t want energy — you want control. Keep it simple, keep it small, and you’ll find the ball starts doing what you’re asking it to do.
Don’t Break Your Foundation
This is the piece that ties everything together, and honestly, it’s the one people overlook most.
Foundation is the stable relationship between your feet and your paddle. When you’ve moved to the ball and you’re ready to swing, your body and paddle should be in a consistent, balanced position. You’re not reaching out wide for the ball, and you’re not jammed up with your elbow pinned to your side.
What breaks foundation? Misjudging where the ball is going to land. If you’re expecting the ball here but it ends up over there, you tilt or lean to compensate — and the moment you do that, your foundation shifts. The swing that follows isn’t going to be reliable, because the base it’s built on has moved.
The way to protect your foundation is to commit to your movement first. Move your feet to get your body in the right place, and then swing. That order matters. Feet first, then paddle. Every time.
Putting It All Together
When Susie and I put all three pieces together in a real rally, here’s what it looks like in practice: I’m in my athletic ready position, eyes up and forward. A ball comes. I shuffle to it — feet first. I set my foundation. And then I make a short, controlled swing.
And because I’m in that low, balanced position rather than bent over from my hips, I can actually get my eyes underneath the ball. I can see it. And that changes everything.
None of these pieces are complicated on their own. The work is in getting all three to happen together, on every single shot. That takes some practice and some patience with yourself. But once it clicks, your dink game — and really your whole game — starts to feel a lot more in control.
You can find more drills and tips to help you practice exactly this at betterpickleball.com.
CJ Johnson
Hey there — I’m a professional three-sport athlete and coach who has spent my entire adult life earning a living from playing and coaching sports. Since I started coaching more than three decades ago, one thing has remained the same: My commitment to see students not as they are but as what they can become and to move heaven and earth to help them realize their untapped potential. You should know that when it comes to helping pickleball players over 50 live their best lives on and off the courts, I'm an expert. Good pickleball is not just technique; it's the mind and body working holistically. That's why I'm also a personal trainer and weight management specialist. When I’m chillin', you'll find me watching Star Trek with my husband John and our two fur babies, Shirley and Ralph. (Yes, Happy Days)