JohnCincolaPickleball
Hey guys, it’s John from John Cincola Pickleball. So, are you interested in learning a shot that puts fear in your opponent every time you set up to hit it? I got you! Stick around, and I’m going to give you all the details.
I’m a big believer that good pickleball is played by applying pressure. If you can make your opponents feel uneasy or uncertain about what you’re going to do next, it puts you in the driver’s seat. Today, I’m going to show you a shot that does exactly that.
Understanding the Two Types of Dinks
When we’re dinking, we’ve basically got two options:
- The Slice Dink (figure 1) – This is an open paddle face level swing.
- The Tip Down Roll Dink (figure 2) – This is where the paddle drops and brushes up the back of the ball, creating a little bit of topspin.
Tip Down Forehand Roll Dink is Effective
The biggest reason this shot works so well comes down to options. Here’s the setup (figure 3):
- Line up your outside foot right behind the ball.
- Maintain good body balance and posture.
- Drop the paddle tip behind the ball.
The key advantage? This positioning gives you multiple shot options:
- You can hit an aggressive roll dink to almost any spot on the court.
- You can accelerate the ball and speed it up to any location.
Compare this to the slice dink—once your paddle fans open, it’s difficult to speed up the ball, and your opponents probably know that. But in this roll dink position, you pose a real threat because you can attack from multiple angles at various speeds.
How to Execute the Tip Down Forehand Roll Dink
Now let’s get into the mechanics. We’ll start with some basic drop feeding to help you feel the shot step by step.
- Start in a Balanced Ready Position (figure 4)
- Your paddle should face straight out towards the net.
- This position helps create a natural feel for the shot.
- Avoid Excessive Hand and Arm Movements
- The goal is to use the body, not just the hands or arms.
- Step 1: Unit Turn
- Turn everything together—hips, shoulders, and paddle.
- No arm movement needed yet.
- Step 2: Drop the Shoulder
- After the turn, drop your right shoulder.
- This naturally lowers the paddle tip.
- Drop Feed Drill
- Drop the ball and execute the motion.
- Focus on turning, tilting, and coming back up.
- Minimal paddle/arm maneuvering—let the body do the work.
Progressing the Drill
Once comfortable, start:
- Maneuvering the ball to different spots.
- Adding speed by snapping the paddle back to ready position quicker.
- Introducing slight wrist and hand movements to generate additional power.
Final Thoughts
That’s all I’ve got for you today! I hope you enjoyed the article. Don’t forget to grab screenshots so you can reference this next time you hit the court. See you in the next one!
For exclusive content and full-version tutorials, make sure to check out my YouTube channel, ➡️ John Cincola Pickleball.
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