There are many similarities between golf and pickleball from a technique perspective. We previously discussed the importance of minimizing your backswing when dinking as if attempting a crucial 3-foot birdie putt on the 18th green.
In this post, we once again go to the golf course and this time liken the need to open one’s pickleball paddle face when dinking much like one would open their club face when hitting a golf ball over an obstruction such as a bush or shrub.
Are your Dinks Going into the Net?
If you’re like many, you lose dink battles simply because you keep hitting these seemingly simple shots into the net – and by doing so, don’t even give your opponents an opportunity to miss. Perhaps the balls clip the top of the net, consider going over, only to roll back and drop onto your side. Perhaps your shots aren’t that close and go into the middle of the net. Either way, you “gave away” an easy point to your opponent because you simply didn’t get the ball over the net. You didn’t give your opponent an opportunity to mess up and miss.
Tweet ThisIdeally, you want to lay your wrist back and put that paddle at an approximate 45 degree angle when dinking – or even when hitting drop shots for that matter. That 45 degree angle will give the ball a natural “loft” over the net and will give you more margin-for-error.
It’s similar to a golfer who has an obstruction in front of their ball – such as a bush or shrub. To hit over the obstruction and land the ball on the green, the golfer will open their club face. If they didn’t open their club face, there’s a very good likelihood that the ball would be hit directly into the obstruction. Opening the club face simply allows the golfer to get a natural loft over the obstruction.
You may be surprised how this simple tip will help you get more balls in play and, as a result, may lead to more points and games won!
See you on the courts!
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