Handle the tough dinks!

Richard Pickleball answers a common ask: how to defend the dink between your feet — one of the toughest spots because you are reaching wide or middle and cannot get the paddle around the ball the way you would for a clean flick. The short’s stance is clear: this is not an attack ball. Trying to force offense while jammed is how you lose the exchange.

The primary tool is the bump. The idea: neutralize by bumping deep middle with a little pace or bumping wide, which lets you regain control of the point. A mini push-flick can come later, but flicking this ball is harder precisely because you cannot get around it. Pattern: bump to neutralize → look to flick the next ball once you have space and a better contact window.

On court, use this whenever the dink lands in the “stretch” pocket at your feet (middle or pulled wide). Common mistakes addressed: flicking under pressure from a jammed contact, speeding up from a defensive posture, and treating every kitchen ball as an offense opportunity. The coaching is short but complete — neutralize first.

Key takeaways:

• Between-the-feet dinks are defense first — do not invent an attack
• Bump deep middle (a little pace) or bump wide to reset control
• Mini push-flick is optional later; harder when you cannot get around the ball
• Plan: neutralize this ball → flick the next one

Action items:

• Warm-up: partner feeds 20 balls at your feet; answer with bump only (no speed-ups)
• Alternate targets: 10 deep middle, 10 wide — call the target before contact
• Partner cue: yell “flick?” only after a clean bump; otherwise “again”
• Film from behind: check whether you are still trying to swing around a jammed ball
• Add a second-ball rule: after every successful bump, the feeder gives a nicer ball to flick
• Game: first to 7 where only bumps count on stretch feeds; flicks only on free balls
• Next session: stretch feeds while you are slightly off-balance — still require bump
• Track miss type (net / long / popup) on forced flicks vs bumps for one practice