If you're frustrated with your opponents targeting your backhand at the kitchen line in pickleball, then you will want to learn the mechanics of the pickleball backhand slice dink. When you are learning to play pickleball, your backhand slice dink will be one of the most important shots you can work on. Learn more about the basic mechanics of the pickleball backhand dink and mistakes to avoid when you are learning this shot, including how to avoid hitting the net with your backhand shots and controlling the amount of spin on your ball.
Basic Slice Dink Mechanics
The first thing you will want to learn about pickleball slice dinks are the basic mechanics of the shot.
First, you will want to address your body positioning. You should be in an athletic stance: with your knees bent and your chest facing forward.
Secondly, you will want to learn your swing path. With the backhand slice dink, many people will “chop” the ball like a karate chop. However, this will cause you to use your wrist too much and many times will cause the ball will go into the net. It will also cause a lot of spin that you don't need because it can cause even more errors.
So instead of chopping at the ball, think of your swing path almost like a Nike Swoosh sign. Start with your paddle tip up and bring it down, and then lift it back up at the end of the shot. This part is important because it is what lifts the ball to go over the net, and if you do not come right back up that ball is typically going to go into the net.
The third mistake that players make is that they want to apply the spin via their wrist, but that creates a lot of unnecessary movement and can cause more errors. It's important to keep your wrist cocked and locked through the entire shot.
Learning the mechanics of the pickleball slice dink will help eliminate many errors. It is one of the easiest backhand dinks to learn as a beginner pickleball player because there is not much movement with your wrist. Instead, you will be moving from your shoulder down into the Nike Swoosh and back up.
Let your pickleball paddle hand lead forward and let your other arm balance out, which will help this shot be extremely consistent.
The most common mistakes people make in the pickleball backhand dink
Players tend to make the same mistakes when they are hitting a backhand dink, which include:
Mistake #1: Chopping at the ball, or not coming back up after the shot.
Mistake #2: Adding too much spin. A little spin goes a long way, and when you try to do too much that's when a lot of errors happen.
Mistake #3: Not remembering that you need to lift the ball. Gravity is incredibly important in dinking, so it's important that you lift the ball up at the end of the shot, which will eliminate many errors when dinking.
A pickleball drill to help you practice your backhand slice dink
Now that you understand the basic mechanics of the backhand dink, you should work on your drilling. The following drill will help you practice and master the backhand slice dink.
To practice this drill, follow these steps:
Line up with your partner, across and diagonal from the kitchen line.
Your partner will act as the feeder, and you will be the person practicing your shot.
You will work on practicing your backhand dink: start with your paddle tip up high and then come back up so that you're lifting the ball after the shot.
Make sure that you contact the ball in front of your body and have your wrist in a locked position. Don't over-spin the ball.
Once you feel comfortable hitting this shot and you feel like you have the swing mechanics down, you can move on to a backhand slice dink game.
To watch how this game works in action, view the video above.
Backhand slice dink pickleball game: Battleships
A game to help you work on your backhand dink is called Battleships, which will help you practice aiming where your dinks are going.
To play this game, follow these steps:
Line up with your partner, diagonal and across from each other at the kitchen line.
Set up three cones in front of you, and set up three cones in front of your partner.
Practice your slice dinking with your partner.
You can win points in two ways:
One point if you win the rally.
Two points if you hit a cone.
The first player to seven points wins the game.
To watch how this game works in action, view the video above.
