One of the biggest turning points in pickleball is realizing that most speed-ups are earned, not forced.
Your opponents aren’t attacking because they’re impatient.
They’re attacking because your shot gave them a green light.
That green light usually comes in the form of a dink that’s a little too high, a little too hard, or a little too comfortable.
The good news?
You don’t need to hit better winners.
You need to stop giving them attackable balls.
First: understand what makes a ball attackable
Most players think an attackable ball is one that’s obviously high.
Sometimes it is.
But more often, it’s a ball that gives your opponent one or more advantages:
- Contact at or above net height
- Plenty of time to get set
- The ability to hit forward instead of upward
- A comfortable swing with good balance
If they can swing down or forward from a balanced position, they’re probably thinking about speeding it up.
Your goal is to take away those opportunities.
Second: stop trying to win the dink rally
Many attackable balls come from players trying to make the “perfect” dink.
They aim too close to the sideline.
They try to make the ball die.
They force a sharp angle that sits up.
Ironically, those ambitious dinks often become the easiest balls to attack.
Instead, think about building pressure.
A good dink doesn’t have to win the rally.
It simply has to make the next shot a little more difficult.
Patience wins far more dink exchanges than creativity.
Third: keep the ball lower, not harder
When players hear “keep it low,” they often swing softer.
That isn’t always the answer.
The real goal is to keep the trajectory low while still sending the ball with purpose.
A good dink travels with enough pace to stay low after the bounce, but not so much that it becomes difficult to control.
Think smooth instead of firm.
You’re guiding the ball, not pushing it.
Fourth: make your opponents move
The safest dink isn’t always the one hit to the same spot.
Good dinkers constantly make their opponents adjust.
Mix your placement by:
- Dinking deeper toward their feet
- Pulling them slightly wider
- Bringing them forward with a shorter dink
- Using the middle occasionally to create hesitation
Notice what doesn’t change.
The pace stays about the same.
You’re changing location, not trying to hit a more difficult shot.
A moving opponent is much less likely to produce a clean speed-up than one standing comfortably over the ball.
Fifth: recognize your “yellow-light” balls
Not every dink is perfect.
Sometimes you’ll leave one a little higher or a little shorter than you wanted.
That’s when awareness matters.
The moment you realize you’ve left a slightly attackable ball, change your mindset.
Instead of thinking about your next dink, prepare for defense.
- Get your paddle up
- Stay balanced
- Split-step as they make contact
Many players lose these points because they’re surprised by a speed-up that was actually very predictable.
Sixth: don’t dink while falling away
Another common mistake is hitting dinks while leaning backward or reaching.
When your weight is moving away from the shot, the paddle naturally lifts.
That’s when dinks float.
Instead:
- Move your feet first
- Stay balanced
- Contact the ball in front of your body
- Let your weight stay centered or move slightly forward
Balanced players hit lower, heavier dinks.
Off-balance players create attack opportunities.
Seventh: know when to reset instead
Sometimes you’re pulled wide or forced into a difficult position.
This is not the time to try for a perfect dink.
If you’re stretched, jammed, or reaching, hit a higher-margin reset that lands safely in the kitchen.
Giving yourself another neutral ball is far better than handing your opponent an easy attack.
Remember:
Neutral first.
Offense later.
Drills to stop giving away attack balls
- Attackable Ball Drill
Play crosscourt dink rallies with a partner.
Either player may speed up only if the ball is clearly at or above net height when they make contact.
If someone attacks a low ball, stop the rally and restart.
This teaches you to recognize true attack opportunities instead of guessing.
- Movement Dink Drill
During a dink rally, alternate targets:
- Deep
- Wide
- Middle
- Short
The goal isn’t to hit winners.
It’s to make your partner adjust their feet on every shot while keeping every ball below attack height.
- Yellow-Light Recovery Drill
Whenever you accidentally leave a higher dink, immediately switch into defensive mode.
Paddle up.
Split-step.
Expect the speed-up.
This trains you to recognize the difference between a good dink and an attack invitation — and to be ready when you do invite it.
A quick self-check during matches
If your opponents keep speeding the ball up, ask yourself:
- Am I giving them balls at or above net height?
- Am I moving them or letting them stand comfortably?
- Am I staying balanced through contact?
- Am I preparing for defense after a less-than-perfect dink?
Those answers usually explain why the attacks keep coming.
The real key
Great dinkers don’t win because they hit incredible dinks.
They win because they almost never give their opponents an easy attack.
When you consistently:
- Keep the ball below attack height
- Move your opponents instead of trying to beat them
- Stay balanced through contact
- Recognize when you’ve left a yellow-light ball
…your opponents stop getting free speed-ups.
And when they have to manufacture offense instead of being handed it, they start making the mistakes instead of you.
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