Forehand Dink
Also known as: forehand soft shot
A forehand dink is a soft, controlled shot hit on your dominant-hand side with a short pendulum motion. It arcs just over the net and drops into the kitchen.
The forehand dink is usually the first soft shot players become comfortable with. The natural grip and swing plane offer more stability than the backhand equivalent. The motion is a small pendulum from the shoulder, with the paddle face staying open throughout. There is no wrist snap and almost no backswing. Consistency comes from repeating the same compact motion regardless of how far the ball has to travel. Adjust pace with a slightly longer or shorter forward stroke rather than adding wrist action.
Because the forehand dink feels easier, many players develop a habit of overusing it, running around backhand-side balls to hit forehand dinks instead. This creates predictable court coverage gaps and burns extra energy over a long rally or match. Treat the forehand dink as one tool rather than a default answer to every ball. That keeps footwork honest and preserves energy for legitimate attacking opportunities.
At the intermediate level, the forehand dink becomes the shot most often used to probe an opponent's positioning. Players vary depth and angle slightly from one dink to the next to see whether the opponent is anticipating rather than reacting. A player who dinks the exact same depth and pace every time makes their forehand dink easy to read and eventually attack.
Start forehand dink practice with the paddle already out in front of the body at net height. Most control problems on this shot come from starting the paddle too low or too far back.
Example
A short return sits on the forehand side. The player uses a compact pendulum stroke to guide it just over the net and let it drop into the kitchen.
Why it matters
The forehand dink is usually the more comfortable shot, so it is where most players first learn touch and paddle-face control. Those skills transfer directly to the backhand dink and to resets under pressure.
How it shows up on video
On video, check the backswing and the wrist on forehand dinks. A long backswing or a wrist snap at contact usually costs consistency.
Common mistakes
- Adding a backswing or wrist snap in an attempt to generate more control, which usually produces the opposite result
- Running around backhand balls to hit forehand dinks so often that court coverage suffers
- Hitting every forehand dink at the exact same depth and pace, making the shot easy for opponents to anticipate
In SwingVantage Motion Lab
Motion Lab traces your arm path on forehand dinks. It does not grade the backswing against a dink standard, so check on video that the motion stays short and compact.
Frequently asked questions
How much backswing should a forehand dink have?
Very little to none. The motion is a short forward push from the shoulder with an open paddle face, not a swing with a wind-up.
Is it a problem to run around the backhand to hit forehand dinks?
Sometimes it is a smart choice, but relying on it constantly leaves gaps in your court coverage and tires you out over a long match.
Related terms
- Backhand DinkA backhand dink is a soft, controlled shot hit on your non-dominant side with a compact swing and little or no backswing. It arcs just over the net into the kitchen.
- Dink Target (Feet vs Body)Dink targeting is choosing between an opponent's feet and body. A dink at the feet forces an awkward low contact, while one at the body crowds the paddle and limits a clean swing.
- Paddle Ready PositionPaddle ready position is the neutral, out-in-front paddle hold used between shots. The paddle face stays up and centered, so you can react equally fast to either side.
- DinkA dink is a soft, controlled shot hit from near the kitchen line. It arcs just over the net and lands in the opponent's kitchen, forcing them to hit upward and preventing an aggressive return.
- Soft HandsSoft hands is the ability to absorb pace from an incoming ball by relaxing the grip slightly at impact, converting a hard shot into a controlled, softly placed return.
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