If you’re looking to break through that 5.0 plateau, the little things begin to matter more. Every shot needs to be sharper and hit with intention. To hack it at this level, simply “getting the ball back over” doesn’t cut it anymore.
This is why we like this tip from pro Tanner Tomassi so much. From the mid-court to the kitchen line, adding a slight pause before making contact can make a world of difference.
✅ Adding a quick but intentional pause before your shot is surprisingly deceptive. It breaks the rhythm and flow of a point and forces your opponent to guess what’s coming next.
✅ At the kitchen line, you’ve got options off a dink. You can dink it back, lob, speed-up, or even go for a bodybag. When you add a pause, you freeze your opponent, too, making it that much harder to react to your shot.
✅ A pause also gives you a touch more time to attack an opening or a weakness. Make it a habit, and you’ll start to make better decisions based on what your opponent is giving you rather than what you want to do.
Holding your dinks like this is an easy but super effective way to dictate more points at the kitchen line. The next time you watch a 5.0 player, take note of their pause game. We guarantee it’s on point.
Watch Tanner put this tip into action.
