Advanced Pickleball Dinking Patterns: Professional pickleball player Zane Navratil shared advanced left-side dinking patterns to help players earn attackable balls. The tips focus on targeting opponents strategically, moving them around the court, and creating opportunities for high-percentage shots. Navratil emphasizes patterns that work for all levels, from 3.0 skill players to professionals.
Dinking Patterns and Strategies
Zane Navratil explains three main options from a middle dink: hitting an inside-out crosscourt ball, taking the ball back to the middle, or placing it in front of the player. He notes, “The inside out is by far the most commonly hit. There’s usually space to hit this because their left side player should be shading towards the middle.”
Navratil advises aiming middle-to-middle dinks at the left foot of the front player to force a backhand return. This limits opponents’ options and can create a pop-up opportunity. He adds, “From there, they’re pretty limited, particularly if they have to hit a volley. Their options are to push the ball back to your partner, in which case you can look to clean up a pop-up in the middle.”
Special Considerations for Mixed Doubles
In mixed doubles, Navratil highlights dinking in front of the player, noting it works because women often play slightly off the line. This shot carries higher risk but can target weak backhands or players cheating toward the middle.
Out-Wide Dinking and Key Tips
When hitting from wide positions, Navratil suggests focusing on backhand-to-backhand exchanges if the player’s backhand is stronger. He emphasizes moving the opponent toward the middle before pushing the ball wide to generate mistakes. Navratil stresses the most important tip: “If your opponent has hit a good dink out wide to you, the absolute best spot to go is to the inside foot of the player in front of you.”
Equipment and Performance Notes
Navratil also highlights his work with ProxR, designing high-performance paddles to enhance counterattacks during fast-paced dinking exchanges. He mentions, “I’m ready to counterattack with one of the best paddles in the game that I helped to design. At ProxR we’re committed to making the best performance paddles possible.”
Why These Tips Matter
Navratil’s guidance teaches players to think strategically rather than just waiting for pop-ups. By practicing these patterns, players improve court movement, shot placement, and chances to force errors. Consistent use can strengthen both offensive and defensive dinking skills at all levels.
News in Brief: Advanced Pickleball Dinking Patterns
Zane Navratil shared advanced left-side dinking tips to help pickleball players earn attackable balls. Key strategies include inside-out crosscourt shots, middle-to-middle targeting, and positioning wide shots at the inside foot of the opponent. His guidance improves court movement, shot placement, and opportunities to force mistakes.
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