Sure, ripping a passing drive or smashing an overhead through the back of the court feels great. But there’s something uniquely satisfying about winning a point off a perfectly disguised dink.
It takes a bit of finesse. But like all great pickleball shots, there’s an art and a science to it. Take it from Richard Livornese, one of the top players currently steamrolling the APP Tour.
Technique 1: The Body Lean Fake — This is your bread and butter. You shift your weight or rotate your torso toward the non-paddle side of the court, let your opponent read that movement, then redirect the ball in the opposite direction. So shifty.
Technique 2: The Hold and Snap — Instead of moving your body one way and going the other, you keep your body completely still and use a late wrist snap to redirect the ball at the last possible moment. Exaggerate the pause for added effect.
Technique 3: The Pattern Flip — Hit a dink you love over and over. Say a cross-court slice dink out wide. At a pivotal moment in the game, when you need a point, go back to this pattern, then flip it at the first sign of an attackable ball. Cross-court. Cross-court. Cross-court. BAM: Twoey down the line.
Timing is critical for all of these. Don’t throw away a feint on an unattackable ball. That’ll tip your hand before you get a chance to strike.
Be patient. Mix and match all three techniques. Build the point through deception, not overwhelming power.
