Shots & strokes
Dink
A soft shot hit from near the kitchen, arcing just over the net into the opponent's kitchen. The fundamental soft-game stroke.
A dink is a soft, controlled shot played from near the kitchen line, arcing just over the net to land in the opponent's non-volley zone. Played correctly, the ball bounces low enough that the opponent can't attack it — forcing them to dink it back.
Dinking is the chess of pickleball. A long dink rally is two players probing for the slightest pop-up; whoever loses patience first loses the point. Most kitchen-line points are decided not by a winner but by a forced error inside a dink rally.
Related terms
Kitchen
The 7-foot zone on either side of the net where players cannot volley the ball. The defining strategic feature of pickleball.
Reset
A soft shot hit from a defensive position to neutralize an attack — usually landed in the kitchen so opponents can't follow up.
Drop
A soft, arcing shot that lands in the opponent's kitchen — typically the third shot, used to safely move the serving team to the kitchen line.