Parris Todd explains how to dink with control and patience

Parris Todd’s dinking advice starts with a low, balanced stance and the paddle already in front. She keeps the shot to a few repeatable habits and uses a compact motion that guides the ball instead of forcing it. For clinic weekends, open play, and doubles sessions, those are cues you can carry onto the court immediately.

Why the dink sits at the center of pickleball

USA Pickleball calls the dink the most fundamental shot in the game, and the rules explain why. The non-volley zone line sits 7 feet from the net, and that line counts as part of the NVZ, which creates the kitchen-line exchange that defines so many rallies. A dink is a soft shot from the NVZ that lands in the opponent’s NVZ, either straight ahead or crosscourt, and that narrow target is exactly what makes control matter more than pace.

Sustained dink rallies help players control pace, pressure opponents, and create attack chances. In practical terms, the player who can keep the ball low and patient is often the one who gets to decide when a point becomes offensive.

Todd’s reset starts before the ball leaves the paddle

Todd’s first move is all about body position. She wants players low, balanced, and slightly forward, with the paddle already in front so they are ready to move as soon as the next ball changes shape or direction. That setup matters because dinking is not a reach-and-react shot; it is a prepared, compact exchange where the body is already in the right place.

She also keeps the stroke simple. The swing stays short, the backswing minimal, and the motion calm enough to guide the ball rather than overhit it. The goal is not to manufacture spin or power, but to present a quiet paddle and a stable base.

The tactical habits that make the shot work

Todd’s guidance moves from posture to pattern. She wants the ball shaped over the net with margin, landing in the kitchen and staying low on the other side. That combination forces the next player to lift from below net height.

She also pushes feet-first movement. Instead of reaching with the arms, she tells players to move their feet and stay organized through the ball, which keeps balance intact when the rally speeds up or drifts wide. Crosscourt dinks are the default anchor in that logic because the longer diagonal gives you more margin and a safer lane for patient exchanges.

A few cues to test in your next game:

• Get low before contact, not after it.
• Keep the paddle in front of your body, not drifting behind you.
• Use a short, guiding stroke with almost no backswing.
• Aim crosscourt first and keep the ball in the kitchen.
• Wait for the pop-up instead of trying to end the point early.

Why this reads like retreat-camp instruction instead of theory

This is the kind of skill that fits naturally into a retreat setting because it translates cleanly into drills, live-ball reps, and open play. You do not need special equipment, and you do not need elite athleticism to start making better decisions with it. If a retreat weekend gives you one new habit to bring home, dinking control is a strong candidate because it shows up immediately in doubles, where patience and spacing matter as much as shot-making.

Pickleball.com says its community includes millions of matches played and thousands of tournaments and clubs. A lesson that works for a retreat clinic can also survive the messier pace of recreational play, where players are learning in real time and resetting between points.

Why Todd’s voice carries weight here

Todd is a 27-year-old tour pro who turned pro in 2021 and lives in Newport Beach, California. She won women’s singles gold at the Pickleball Central Indoor National Championships and has said she plans to step away from singles.