The pickleball dink fake is an advanced strategy you use to put away an unattackable dink shot.
In a dinking rally, mistakes are inevitable—hopefully made by your opponents. But when you recognize a chance to attack, sometimes even on an unattackable shot, it’s time to seize control.
1 – Put Away Shot
Point 1 in the illustration below shows a cross-court dink coming back as an attackable ball.
The dink is returned and is above net height and within reach.
You attack this bad dink and volley it down the line to an open spot. If there is no open spot, fire the put away shot down towards your opponent’s feet or to their backhand.
Beware, this will speed things up as you are going for a winner. If you hit directly at your opponent, be ready for a quick counter, especially against skilled players.
2 – Dink Fake
The second point in the illustration below shows a dink fake.
Turning the Unattackable into Opportunity
The beauty of a dink fake is that it turns a seemingly “unattackable” ball—one just below net height—into a surprise offensive weapon. It starts innocently enough, as if you’re about to return a soft dink. Then, with a controlled strike, you send the ball up and over with just enough force to catch your opponent off guard.
It’s a moment of pickleball magic. Your opponent, expecting a gentle dink, is suddenly scrambling to handle the unexpected pace. This often results in a missed volley or a panicked pop-up, setting you up for an easy put-away.
But be prepared—skilled players with quick hands might get their paddle on it, turning the point into a rapid-fire exchange at the net. That’s okay! You’ve already taken the aggressive shot, and their response will likely be defensive, giving you another chance to finish the rally.
Dink Fake Lob
Another great dink fake is a surprise lob shot.
The dink fake lob is a good way to move your opponents off the kitchen line while in a dinking battle.
You look like you are going to hit a dink shot and you lob it over your opponent’s heads. They are not expecting this.
In this scenario:
1. A dink shot is hit across the court at you.
2. You reach to hit a dink back to the other side but instead you loft the shot up and over your opponents. The key is to make it look like you will dink it and then as you swing at it you loft it up with a longer swing motion. Use a nice smooth stroke and lift the ball up into the air and over your opponent’s head. Visualize the ball lofting over your opponent as you take the swing.
This is a tough shot but when it works you have pushed your opponents off the kitchen line and many times, they can’t make a play on the lob if it is good, and you have won the point.
Summary
Mastering the dink fake and put-away shots adds a whole new layer to your game, letting you control the pace and keep your opponents guessing.
As you advance to the 3.5+ level, these techniques will become second nature, making your dinking game both unpredictable and highly effective.
Check out the video below to watch a classic dink rally that ends with a surprise speed-up shot and a fast-paced kitchen battle. See how quickly the momentum shifts!
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Keep Learning
- Watch the Johns Brothers video 🎥 below of a Dink Rally.
- Read the next post in the Dinking series: Pickleball Dinking Mistakes – 3 Common Mistakes
🎥Dinking Rally Ending with a Kitchen Battle
John’s Brothers courtesy of Selkirk TV
See this Dink Rally on Youtube.