Bump Your Out-of-Air Dinks Instead of Slicing Them

Summary

Richard’s 2026 update for the kitchen: new paddles give enough dwell time that constant slicing at the net becomes predictable and dead. When your feet are set, bump the ball out of the air with a quiet wrist and shoulder push — forward, middle, or wide — instead of floating a slice Zach can roll.

The bump also keeps options open: it morphs into a lob or a flick more naturally than a slice setup, which stays defensive once you commit to cutting under the ball.

Key takeaways

• Slice OTA dinks give opponents a readable dead ball
• Bump with quiet wrist + shoulder when feet are set
• Bump → easier path to lob or flick than a slice grip/path

Action items

• In a dink game, ban slice on any ball you take out of the air — bump only
• From a set stance, practice bump-middle then bump-flick on the next feed